6 Things You Told Us About Developing Young Leaders

Earlier this fall, our ABNWT District resource team had the pleasure of visiting four regions in the Province. At Prayer Gathering [PG] prayed together, enjoyed great company and food, and spent time wrestling with the challenges of developing young leaders in our network.

While Mark MacKnight and I facilitated the discussion, the valuable content came from you and the thoughtful, candid, enthusiastic conversations around your tables.

Our first conversation centred on the kinds of people and experiences that have shaped our GROWTH. Nearly all of your answers pointed to two main themes.

1. Creating an Environment that Intentionally Supports, Cares for and Nurtures

• This environment comes from:

• Affirming belief in young leaders

• Noticing, identifying and drawing out positive traits

• Feedback provided with honour, genuine care and love

• Intentional time, proximity, mentoring

• Freedom and Autonomy

2. Creating Opportunities to be Challenged

Like it or not, much of our growth happens through discomfort, being pushed beyond our comfort. We grow through suffering and in the times when we're 'thrown into the deep end.' Our resilience and grit are tested in the face of adversity.

While challenging circumstances can discourage and even railroad ministry aspirations, when surrounded by leaders and environments that intentionally support, cares for and nurtures young leaders, their growth speeds up exponentially.

The tandem of these two is a powerful concoction.

Our second conversation centred on the concept of TRUST. We will not have the ability to influence, pastor or lead individuals, teams, or congregations if we do not have their trust.

We explored the kinds of activities and environments that we have seen build trust in the past.

The responses can be filtered into 2.5 main categories – length, depth, and height.

3. Length (of time) and Depth (of relationship)

• Patience

• Longevity

• Consistency

• Listening

• Taking people with you

• Communication – making an effort to engage their world

• Sense of safety

• Integrity

• Keeping confidence

• Love in action and words

4. Height (of positional leadership)

• Humility

• Taking the posture of a servant

• Mutual honour and respect

• Empowering

• Authentic and vulnerability – willingness to admit failure

• Shared ownership

• Being teachable, always learning

• Affirming

In a few PG round table conversations, we pivoted to explore why we miss these things, why we sometimes fail to develop the leaders around us, and why we fail to build trust or create environments for growth.

The responses fall into a couple of main categories: ability & desire

5. We fail to develop leaders because we don't have the ability

• We don't have enough time or money

• We don't know how

• Mental health struggles get in the way

• Our people aren't teachable

• Impatience

• Developing leaders hasn't been modelled for us

• Different paradigms block the ability

6. We fail to develop leaders because we don't want to (badly enough)

• It's not one of our top priorities

• Pride

• "I can do it better/faster myself."

• Fear of vulnerability or rejection

• Insecurity

• The desire for control/perfectionism

• Personal 'kingdom' is more important than God's Kingdom

As you can see, there is a lot to unpack from your incredible conversations. Our team was deeply thankful for the collective heart of our ABNWT pastors and leaders to continue to the call to raise up and develop leaders for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12).

Future generations of pastors, teachers, evangelists, apostles and prophets hang in the balance. But by his Spirit, we have all we need to accomplish this monumental assignment.

May we continue challenging our young leaders to greatness while providing a caring, nurturing, safe environment to grow.

May we give of our time and vulnerability, taking the posture of humility that will allow the next generation to stand on our shoulders.

And may God grow our ability and desire to develop the people in our spheres of influence. Through His love and by His power at work within us.

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