the Monday Morning Debrief: Eyeing New Leaders

If you have been following my blog for a while, you’ll know that I’m a HUGE Penn State fan.  Despite all that has happened there and to those poor children, my support for that University and Football program has never wavered.   So it should come as no surprise that I found this article on ESPN.com this past week and was pumped for the future of the PSU football program.

But, this article also got me pumped for my own Student Ministry program.  How you might ask?  Because it got me thinking about my future leaders for next year.  I know, I know.  This year isn’t even over yet and I know that.  But, if I’m not looking for the next crop of student leaders to take over for the exiting seniors now, I’m going to up a creek without a paddle come fall.  In fact, we should always be looking for the next set of leaders.

But what do they look like?  Who are they?  Here are some suggestions as you look for your own future leaders…

• Students who possess that “it” quality that other students follow.  For each ministry that “it” quality will be different but one thing is certain, you know that person when you see them.  They have something that you are looking for and that other students want to follow.
• Someone who is teachable.  Never underestimate a student who has a passion to learn and want to do well.  What they may lack in some areas, they make up for it in their teachability.
• A student who is consistent and makes your program a priority.  There may be better leader students out there, but if they don’t have time and they consistently choose other things over what you all are doing, they are probably not the right person to be a student leader.  You need students who are consistently showing up and choosing your group instead of other things.
• Someone who is committed to actively pursuing a relationship with Christ.  This is probably the most important.  Wait, check that.  It IS the most important because without a commitment to Christ, everything this student does is with the wrong motives and without the right purpose.

It’s never too early to start preparing new leaders to take over.  So, if you haven’t started doing it already, now is the right time to begin that search.  With Penn State and all the other major college football programs across the nation, they recognize the need to have new leaders step forward and provide guidance for the rest of the team.  We need those types of leaders as well if we want our momentum in our student ministry programs to stay strong,  develop even more students who are either beginning or growing in their relationship with Christ.

Thoughts?  Experiences?  Share your comments below so we can all learn from each other and benefit.