More Habits for Successful Youth Leaders
4. Cultivate deep friendships.
“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24
We all need friends who stick closer than a brother. We need someone who has our back and doesn’t put up a front. And we need someone who can encourage us when we’re down, prod us when we’re slow, confront us when we’re in the flesh, and cheer with us when we’re on a roll.
Jesus had best friends. In John 15:15 he told his disciples, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
Of the 12, Jesus had three even closer friends: Peter, James and John. Of the three, John was the closest to Jesus. He even nicknamed himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved” in John 13:23.
If Jesus can have best friends in ministry, so can you. Actually, it’s not a matter of can but should. We must cultivate close friends to help us navigate all the troubles and trials of life and ministry.
5. Read the Bible.
“I have not departed from the commandment of his lips. I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.” Job 23:12
This may sound like a “no duh” regarding habits for successful youth leaders. But you may be surprised how few spend time in God’s Word consistently. Life gets busy and, sadly, sometimes the first thing we cut out is time in God’s Word.
Having time for the 3 R’s (reading, reflecting, and readjusting our lives based on what we learn) is essential for every youth leader. God’s Word is how God speaks to us. When we read his Word, we hear straight from God himself. As we read, the Holy Spirit illuminates passages (John 16:13) and convicts us of sin. If we aren’t consistently pouring over God’s Word, then how can we say we’re listening to the Father?
6. Train teens to be gospel fluent.
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
At some point, the Apostle Paul received a creed from his Apostolic brothers. It simply stated the core realities of the gospel: Jesus died for sins, was buried, rose again, was seen after his resurrection, and ascended into heaven. Paul mastered this and passed it on to the Corinthians.
In the same way, we must give teenagers Gospel Fluency. I heard this term from David Hertweck and have been hooked ever since.
At Dare 2 Share, we train teenagers to be gospel fluent by getting them to memorize six key pillars of the GOSPEL message. Before you write off good old-fashioned rote memory, know that it’s absolutely necessary for Gospel Fluency.
Think of it like chords on a guitar. You may want teens to play jazz, but it starts with memorizing and mastering the chords. We may want students to naturally share the gospel in a winsome, compelling way (jazz). But it all starts with memorizing and mastering the basics of the message (chords).
Here are six GOSPEL “chords” we train teenagers to master:
God created us to be with him.
Our sin separates us from God.
Sins cannot be removed by good deeds.
Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again.
Everyone who trusts in Jesus alone has eternal life.
Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever.
For help in getting your teenagers to become Gospel Fluent, check out this one-of-a-kind resource: Life in 6 Words: The GOSPEL Explored.
7. Equip your teenagers to share the gospel.
“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Ephesians 4:11-12
After teenagers have Gospel Fluency, train them how to naturally bring it up with their friends (and even strangers). Let them know how to deal with objections and how to bring someone to a point of decision.
This is one of the vital habits of successful youth leaders. Here’s a four-minute crash-course video to help:
