Christian Leadership for Youths

LAYING THE FOUNDATION

Being a Christian comes with challenges, being a Christian leader comes with even greater challenges and it takes the grace of God to deal effectively with these challenges. The world today may look very different from how it looked five centuries ago but Christian doctrines and God's principles do not change. We may have smarter, easier and perhaps more effective ways of connecting, and reaching the rest of the world with the gospel yet all of that will be futile without God's backing. Successive crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Ebola outbreak, and regressing economies introduce complexities which affect everyone from diverse walks of life, some in more severe ways than others. Staying on your toes and ensuring all youths and the department stays on their toes as well, depends on how well you follow through with the knowledge from God's Word. As these changes destabilize individuals, families, communities, businesses, and even nations, there is something the most successful Christian youth leaders have learned. One may call them secrets to success, others may refer to them as new skill sets but generally, they function to better equip leaders to handle emerging challenges and unknown constraints. These are the foundations of good leadership.

You may make plans, set targets, deadlines and even make sacrifices to ensure you meet up and get your desired results but elaborate planning, accurate or brilliant target setting and expensive sacrifices do not determine expert execution.

Why do some leaders achieve so little with so much resources and others achieve so much with very little resources?

The answer is in personal orientation. Why do you want to become a leader? Why are you asking for more money for a youth event? What is your motivation or drive for wanting to become a Christian youth leader? Is soul-winning and the betterment of the lives of youths truly your desire? What are you willing to do to realize your aims for the youth fellowship in your church? Your answers to these questions will give an indication of the kind of individual you are and will point to whether or not you will succeed. The kind of individual you are speaks to attest to whether or not you have the qualities of a good leader. If you have the qualities of a good leader, you could lead but are you conscious of what it takes to lead? Are you conscious of the qualities of a good Christian youth leader? If yes, you should put yourself through a test, and if no, then you should keep reading.

QUALITIES OF A GOOD CHRISTIAN YOUTH LEADER

What makes one a good Christian youth leader?

Dear reader, there is just not one answer to the question. Exceptional Christian youth leadership is a trait or quality built on the foundation of a number of other qualities or traits. Apparently, individuals who truly possess such qualities happen to be sought after in other spheres of life outside the Church, such as in the areas of academics, career and government. The influence of good Christian youth leaders goes beyond the Church units or department they lead. On most occasions, their long lasting impact could be felt by their communities, countries and even continents. They do not attain these milestones by hype, playing dirty, or by coincidence, it is through qualities they have developed by aid from God's word and obedience to his precepts. What are some of these qualities?

1. Ability to Follow through: Consistency

2. Good Leaders are Good Followers

3. Empathy

4. Good communication skills

5. Sound Decision-making Skills

6. Resilience

7. Delegation

8. Self awareness

9. Mental Agility

10. Good Delegation Skills

11. Organizational Thinking

12. Honesty

13. Patience

14. Good Leaders are Good Learners

15. Accountability

16. Enthusiasm for Godly Achievements

17. Good Mentorship

18. Sound Judgement of Character

19. Self assessment

20. Good Leaders are Problem Solvers

21. Good Leaders are Result Oriented

For Christian youths, working with leaders who possess these qualities tends to enhance their happiness, productivity, and motivation, creating a ripple effect that impacts everyone in the surrounding environment.