What Every Church Should Know About Student Leadership Development Pt. 5

It Will Stretch Your Leadership

When I was in school preparing to become a teacher, it was told to me that I would learn what I was teaching better by preparing to teach it.  Sure enough, those teachers were right.  As I studied for lessons and prepared to teach, I came to a better understanding of what I was teaching.  

I’ve also been told, in my very short career as a minister, that if you don’t first preach a message to yourself, allowing it to change you, then it is very hard to preach to and ask for change in others.

It should come as no surprise that teaching leadership is the same way.  Teaching leadership will stretch your leadership in two ways.  By teaching leadership principles you’ll gain a deeper and more abiding knowledge of what it means to be a Christian leader.  Also, you’ll be leading a group of people, gaining the benefit of the experience that leadership brings with it.  

You’ll be a living example to your students for what you’re teaching.  You’ll be gaining and exerting influence, modeling the leadership principles of Christ, and showing your young people through your actions what it means to be a leader.

Bottom line is this:  As your students are learning, so are you.  As your students become better leaders, so will you.  Teaching leadership stretches your own.  

Leadership In the Line of Fire

A Tragic Example of Evil and Sin
My prayers go out to the families of those killed and wounded in Tuscon, Arizona on Saturday.  My prayers are also with every one of the wounded for their quick and complete recovery.  It rips me apart that human beings are capable of such atrocities.  I know we live in a fallen world, but unconceivable evil such as this I just can't get my head around.

It would seem, according to the news stories, that the gunman's intended target was Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.  If this is so (and we might not ever really know, given the unstable nature of the gunman), I think this might be a good opportunity for us to talk to our students about the dangerous side of leadership.  


A Teachable Moment
I know it might sound somewhat callous to do this right now, but I believe that this tradgedy can shed some light on the dangers of leadership and being in the public eye.  It might also be a good time to talk about how taking a stand for what you believe can be very costly to you and those you love.


 Irrespective of political stance, theology, point of view, or whatever, every leader attracts the wrong kind of attention at one point or another.  The more a leader is in the public eye, the more this is true.  Sometimes this puts the leader in danger and sometimes it doesn't, but negative attention is always a trial.    


We don't need to look any further than the Apostle Paul for examples of a leader whose life was constantly in danger.  Any of our elected officials can probably supply ample evidence of death threats, threats of violence, or just general weirdness from constituents that they'd rather avoid.  The danger is real and our students need to know that leadership isn't always rosy.


Even if out of reverence for the families of the victims and the tenuous situation of Rep. Giffords you decide not to use this example to talk about the possible dangers of public leadership, it is a discussion that needs to be had in your leadership team.  


If you need some help talking biblically about it, look to 2 Corinthians to see how Paul deals with threats to his well being.


I'm praying for everyone touched by this tragedy, and I'm praying for you, too:  that perhaps through this or another situation like this God will prepare our young leaders for the work ahead of them.


Training Tomorrow's Leaders Today,
Matt