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student ministry, youth ministry, youth worker

Redeeming a Student Leader

By Doug Franklin June 25, 2010

When student leadership teams are well organized, they usually require students to sign a covenant concerning their behavior. This is crucial to ensuring the integrity of the team and the idea that students can have influence over their peers. This is all well and good, but what do we do if a students breaks the covenant and needs to be removed? How do we treat that student? More importantly, how do we redeem that student so they can return to leadership?

First, let me say that if your going to have a student leadership team then you are going to face this problem. The sole answer can not be to kick them off because they should have known better. The truth is when a student goes rogue, its time for us to shine. We get to jump into action and go after that student with everything we have. Here are four things you need to do after confronting the student and removing them from the team.

1. Get the parents involved
Let the parents know right away why the their student is off the team. Explain how you want to work with them to restore their student to a position of influence. Insure them that your focus is helping and redeeming, not judging.

2. Put a plan in place of restoration
Let the student know what steps need to be taken for them to return to the team. I don’t know your students, so I won’t try and tell you how to make this plan, but I am confident that you know. Just make sure the student repents, has time to heal, and returns to serve.

3. Let the team know the plan
Make sure your other student leaders are cheering for this student’s return. They must see the importance of this young leader being restored. Share the stories of Jesus and the one lost sheep. Explain how each person is so important to Jesus and how we must have the same view of our fellow students.

4. Celebrate the return
When the student is restored … make it a big deal. Kinda like the prodigal son’s return home.

About the Author

Doug Franklin

Doug Franklin is the president of LeaderTreks, an innovative leadership development organization focusing on students and youth workers. Doug and his wife, Angie, live in West Chicago, Illinois. They don’t have any kids, but they have 2 dogs that think they are children. Diesel and Penelope are Weimaraners  who never leave their side. Doug grew up in…  Read More