From Youth to Leader, by Ben Slee

Guest post by Ben Slee, London Based Worship Pastor and Song Writer.

Tim asked me if I could write a brief note on the thrills and spills of growing from a youth group member into a youth group leader, based on my own experience, mistakes, God’s grace, and some general observations.

If you’re in the same boat I’ve been in, full of steep learning curves, new responsibilities, joys and ‘huh?’ moments, I hope and pray you’ll find the following thoughts on how to make that youth-to-leader transition useful.

Shiny new responsibilities
One of the first things you’ll notice is the new responsibilities; not just the obvious ones like opening the doors and packing things away, but the things that are easy to forget. For instance praying through the week for those in the group, learning to faithfully model what’s in God’s Word to them, and trying to include everyone, not just those you’re closest to.

Now that you’re someone with some spiritual oversight over these guys, it’s so important that you invest time in the week praying into the group and your role in it, as well as your other prep.

A shift in focus
When you start leading, there should be a subtle shift in focus. You’ve gone from being there to have fun and to serve to being there to serve and have fun! Like I say, it’s subtle, but you and your group will benefit from being aware of change in dynamic.

Of course this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep developing your relationships with the group, but they should respect you first as a leader, then as a friend.

Lead by example in your pursuit of God
All of this stuff is academic if you miss this: Keep growing in God as your #1 priority. For me, my youth group was hugely significant for my spiritual development as a teenager, so when I stepped into leadership it was really important for me to continue getting fed with God’s word.

If you can, find someone who’s a bit older than you with some leadership experience to guide you through what to expect and how to deal with any situations that come up. But crucially, keep reading the Word, keep praying through stuff, and if (like me) you’re running sessions at the same time as Church is happening next door, make sure you get to another service that day.

Enjoy!
Let me encourage you that it’s a very rewarding journey you’re taking. Growing up through a group means you can relate to its current members in a special way, which means you can apply God’s Word to their situations specifically. It’s hugely rewarding to see these guys and girls you’ve known for a while growing deeper in Christ and seeing Him working in their lives.