What is the role of a next gen leader?
In today’s world of a fast pace, ever changing, and often confusing landscape of culture — it can be hard enough for leaders to gather their own bearings as they attempt to lead themselves let alone think about those they are serving. If your days are anything like mine, they start early and go late, and in between devices are constantly ringing, buzzing, and dinging. Know what I mean? If you’re looking to invest into the lives of students and young adults, here are six things that shape my thinking and framework for leading the next generation:
1. VISIONARY: a grander view of God
Those serving students and young adults have a clarion call to assist individuals to take their eyes off of themselves, their circumstances, their situations, and to fix their eyes on the author and perfector of their faith!
Paul prays this very thing for the church of Ephesus: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” (Ephesians 1:18-19) The goal is that when our eyes are opened to His majesty, we begin to see how great God is and how impoverished we are without Him.
A huge part of illuminating a grander view of God in today’s culture is to help younger generations understand scripture and obtain biblical literacy. When you think about it, our prayer life proclaims our theology. However great, big, or small we believe God to be and however powerful we think He is or isn’t gets expressed in our prayer requests!
2. INSTRUCTOR: a Godly view of themselves
My family recently went to a mall in Minnesota on a hot summer day - and I saw a new store called: SELFIE STUDIO! While I didn’t venture inside, from what I could see walking by, there were dozens of sets designed to help each customer take that perfect selfie on their own device. That meant there were ring lights, phone tripods, and picturesque backgrounds. All that being said, we live in a me-centric society where everything is individualized.
In a world that is focused on self, we have the opportunity to point people towards Christ! The way of Jesus is also the way of putting others ahead of ourselves. There seems to be two groups of people finding themselves in an identity crisis. The first group are those dealing with negative self esteem and image of themselves who simply have believed the lie of inadequacy: that they are not enough. This one is shame. The other group also has a distorted view of reality, bought into the fallacy that the world revolves around them! This is pride.
When we can see ourselves the way God sees us - not as inadequate, and not as all that and a bag of chips, we discover that we are who God says we are and we are whose He says we are. Our role is instructing young adults that their identity is they are a child of God.
3. MESSENGER: the gospel
Evangelism is the act of bearing and sharing good news as a vessel. In a post-Christian world that does not know the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, this means being empowered through the Holy Spirit to be a minister of reconciliation - bringing hope, healing, and health to a dark world in desperate need of light.
In all vocations and occupations that a Christ-follower may find themselves participating, the role is to fix our eyes on the goal. That means everyone is an evangelist who can share the gospel message of Jesus, just like one beggar telling another beggar where they found bread. Dr. John Piper has shared that “missions exists because worship doesn't.”
Even the mundane was designed by God to be miraculous when it is done for His glory and stewarded as an opportunity to share the gospel.
4. MISSIONARY: global heart of opportunity
JP Pokluda said in his book Welcoming The Future Church that “96% of Millennials believe they will do something great with their lives.” I can think of no greater work than serving the hurting world around us with the hope found in the message of Jesus!
As ministers of reconciliation, as we bring the message of the gospel to a world where 42% have not heart the name of Jesus - this can mean several things:
Evangelism: I shared in more detail about this above.
Community outreach: in every local community there are hurts that can be healed and needs that can be met.
Social justice: young adults of today are burdened about the greatest injustices in our world and are poised like no other generation before them to right wrongs and change the world.
Service: recently, I’ve become convinced that the posture of Jesus is the posture of a servant. As a Christ-follower, this means I can serve people everywhere I go.
*I believe each of these can happen across the street and across the world -both locally and globally.
5. MENTOR: a given purpose
Most 18-30 year olds today would tell you they would prioritize making an impact over making an income. Working in the field as a pastor of college students and young adults - one question that nearly every person I’ve come across has is: “What am I supposed to do with my life?”
There is no doubt that every person is created on purpose with a purpose to fulfill here on earth. Paul says it prophetically in Ephesians 2:10 when he says: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
In high school, there’s counselors who help you with class registration and future prep, in college there’s advisors who help you find your niche and declare your major, many companies provide career mentors for those who are newer to be paired with a more senior member of the team. I believe the church has an opportunity to be better than any of these at discipleship, mentoring, and leadership - guiding the next generation towards their God-given purpose!
This is asking questions more than it is providing answers. It’s listening. Helping call out greatness. Specifically helping those we lead discover and deploy their spiritual gifts as well as their natural skills, talents, and abilities to make a difference for the glory of God in the world around us.
6. GUIDE: a greater plan than what the world has to offer.
I’m often reminded myself of what Jesus said in Matthew 16:26 “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” It’s crazy how the world claims they have something to offer but it is of no eternal significance and pursuing those aimless pleasures will cause you to forfeit your soul. Plain and simple, the way of Jesus is the better choice than all that the world has to offer.
Here’s a couple examples of what I mean:
The world offers a way to enjoy now, pay more for it later called debt. Debt ultimately delays dreams and causes dreams to die. The wisdom found in scripture shows us the ways of walking in financial freedom. Smaller debts allow for larger dreams, so the goal is to keep your dreams big and your debt load small! Yet, so many people live with regret for decades because they thought debt was a shortcut to get ahead.
We live in a hyper-sexualized culture that says do whatever you want, with whoever you want, whenever you want. Although those are all options for the taking if one should so choose -there are reactions to every action, consequence for every decision, because we ultimately reap what we sow. Just iike financial freedom, God’s design for romantic relationships is better than what the world claims to offer. Don't agree with me? Completely okay, I’d just ask the question how many hurt people do you know who have not healed from heartbreak?
Next generation leaders have the opportunity to cast great vision, instruct in identity, share the gospel, impact the world around us, lead young people purposefully, and offer a much greater plan than anything the world has to offer!