Spiritual Formation of the Next Generation

Photo by Federico Giampieri on Unsplash

I have been a leader in youth ministry since I was old enough to be a leader in youth ministry. I have witnessed, participated in, and helped lead many youth events (retreats, conferences, mission trips, and youth group services). It is a great privilege and honor to walk alongside teens as they discover more about God and who God made them be.

Over the past 6-8 months, I have been reflecting with God on how to lead the next generation. One of my deepest longings is to help raise up disciples who are set up well for their adult life. I believe this looks like having a personal relationship with God, knowing how to read the Bible, having a basic understanding of scripture, knowing how to pray, and valuing the Body of Christ. I long for true discipleship in the church family, where the children are raised up in the way they should go so that when they are older they will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6). How this is lived out looks different in every context. However, there is one thing that we, as those who have walked more miles with Jesus should do:

seek wisdom from the Holy Spirit on how to do this.

Recently I have witnessed the rise of a particular trend among more seasoned leadership that emphasizes the leadership of teenagers/young adults. The trend of giving platforms away and enticing participation via leadership opportunities seems to be the new norm. It's a beautiful thing when students receive their calling from God and begin learning to walk in it. I have also witnessed students break down, collapsing under the pressure of “prophetic words” and the expectations that go along with platforms and leadership positions without mentorship. Sometimes it seems like the emphasis is on demonstrating a willingness to put young people in charge rather than asking: "How is God asking me to shepherd this young person into maturity?"

Teenagers and young adults are still developing physically, intellectually, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. Their formation should be taken seriously, especially when it comes to helping a young man or woman understand his or her identity, independence, and belonging. So, how do we balance providing safe leadership opportunities to practice giftings with the reality that their foundation is still being solidified? There must be both: the vital work of strengthening the inner self by growing in character through becoming rooted and established in faith, AND opportunities to practice leadership. We would all fail as leaders if we did not first learn how to follow our great leader, Jesus. We must teach those who come after us how to be true disciples of Jesus before we teach them how to be good worship leaders, teachers, and preachers.

Take David for example; he was anointed as King when he was a teenager, yet he was hidden under the leadership of Saul for many years. Surely he had opportunities to practice and learn about his calling, people around him even encouraged him to kill Saul and claim his kingship, but David had wisdom beyond his years and knew there would be a "right time," for his kingship to be realized. Paul was discipled by Barnabas before receiving his calling from Jesus himself. He was equipped with the tools to cultivate a personal relationship with God, a relationship that boasts in nothing else than Christ. In this place of maturity, he was able to walk in what Jesus would ask of him. 

This substack may prompt more questions than answers when it comes to raising up young leaders and how best to lead the next generation. Truthfully, I do not know all of the answers. My hope is to spark a desire to seek God’s wisdom as we (the church) walk with the youth. The questions I have listed below are ones I hope you will consider as you lead the next generation.

Questions to Consider:

How do we discern if a student is ready to take on leadership tasks?

What are the benefits of allowing teens and young adults to lead?

What are the potential disadvantages and risks of giving platforms to teens and young adults?

How do we know when to call out a youth’s giftings, talents, or callings?

How do we teach a student the difference between their personal discipleship/identity in Christ and their leadership/calling/vocation?