08/28/2024
What Makes a Great Youth Leader?
Throughout my career, one question has consistently come up: “What makes a great youth leader?” Perhaps only rivaled by “Aren’t you getting too old for this?”—people often seek to understand the traits of a great youth leader. I’ve had the privilege of observing incredible youth leaders, and they all share one fundamental trait: they care deeply. They care about the right things. They care about every soul they encounter. They care about significant moments, like being present during major life events, and they care about the smallest details, like how a student did on their English test. They go out of their way to ensure that everyone in their care feels valued and loved. This genuine care for important things elevates the quality of their work to an unparalleled level.
On the other hand, youth leaders who invest their care in the wrong things often experience burnout, deprive their students of mentorship, and produce subpar results. These are the youth leaders who worry more about their next career move or their next officer, who wing it rather than prepare, and who spend more time trying to convince others of their worth than actually doing the work.
I’ll admit that, over the course of my career, I’ve found myself in both camps. There were times when I was fully engaged and times when I was indifferent. At certain points, my focus on the wrong things was so intense that I probably could have been let go—I simply wasn’t my best self.
Youth ministry is hard
It’s easy to feel alone and unappreciated. But know this: you are not alone. In my lowest moments, I realized that my spiritual walk had slowed to a sloth like crawl. I had drifted away. But God always found a way to get my attention, often through something a student said or did, reminding me why He called me to this work. I also recognized that I needed the support of others to pull myself out of those funks. I leaned heavily on my accountability group and fellow leaders for prayer and support. Most importantly, I needed to run to Jesus.
Gratitude
I’m incredibly grateful for the caring youth leaders across our territory who set such powerful examples for all of us. I’ve witnessed moving moments at camp altars where even the toughest students melt when their youth leader places a hand on their shoulder and prays with them. I’ve seen a youth leader who created a personalized handshake for every student in his group. We have a camp director who can’t speak a sentence about a child coming to Christ without becoming emotional. I’ve seen a Divisional Youth Secretary walk around camp, somehow calling each kid by name. These are just a few examples of people who care deeply about the right things.
Caring about the right things isn’t just essential for youth leaders—it’s key to being a great leader in any context. I must remind myself of this daily.
~Jim Sparks
