Christian Leadership - Eddie Ng'Andu

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CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP- EDDIE NG’ANDU

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Everyone
follows
someone.
the
question
is ...
Who are
you
following?
“CHRISTIANITY IS NOT AN EVENT, BUT IT IS A LIFESTYLE. IT IS YOUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST ON A DAILY BASIS”-Ev. Charles Kufa
(Therefore Christian leadership is not an event but its lifestyle. It’s your personal relationship with JESUS CHRIST and the PEOPLE you lead always.)

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TITLE page
1. LEADERSHIP INTRODUCTION ___________________________3
2. THE YOUTH LEADER AS SPIRITUAL LEADER_________________3
3. THE YOUTH LEADER AS MENTOR_________________________4
4. THE YOUTH LEADER AS FRIEND__________________________5
5. THE YOUTH LEADER AS MONITOR_________________________6
6. IN THE STEPS OF THE MASTER___________________________6
7. PSYCHOLOGY OF THE CHRISTIAN LEADER__________________9
8. LEADERSHIP THEORIES, STYLES, AND FUNCTIONS___________10
9. SERVING AS CHAIRPERSON____________________________13
10. HOW GOD PREPARES LEADERS_________________________18
11. TRIBAL LEADERSHIP_________________________________20
12. LEADERSHIP PARADIGM SHIFT_________________________21
13. TOP 11 REASONS YOUNG LEADERS FAIL__________________22
14. CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP IS IN TOUCH WITH GOD___________23
15. IT’S A WIN-WIN____________________________________25
16. RECLAIMING OUR YOUTH____________________________27
17. NEW MILLENNIAL AY_______________________________34
18. A YOUTH LEADER SHOULD DRESS CHRIST LIKE (BE A SERMON IN DRESSING)37
19. SENIOR LEADER YOUTH UNIFORM_____________________37
20. CONCLUSION_____________________________________41

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1. LEADERSHIP INTRODUCTION
Note. This section focuses on senior youth ministries (SYM) leadership. Please contact your conference/mission for junior youth ministries
(JYM) leadership materials, such as the Master Guide. Included are aspects of training and actual practice of those activities required for
senior youth leadership. The module includes both philosophical base and practical practices. Emphasis is placed on qualities of ideal
leadership, the psychology of leadership, leadership styles and functions, and practical matters such as how to chair a committee.
 This is the key point to note: as a Christian who influences other Christians, the Youth
Ministry Leader will lead not just through speech, but essentially through the whole life.
In following the example of Jesus, he or she becomes an example to young followers.
For a leader, this connection takes place in the concept of discipleship. We are all Disciples of Christ. Besides Lord and Savior, He is our
example. We are not called “Christians” by mere grammatical distinction. To be a Christian is to follow Christ. To be a Christian leader is,
first and foremost, to follow the example of Christ so that those who follow us may be automatically following Christ. Paul’s invitation to his
readers to be his imitators, just as he was an imitator of Christ (1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1), gives us the exact dimension of the leader’s relationship
with Christ.
The Youth Ministry Leader needs to be a human language translation of what Jesus is.
American general Dwight D. Eisenhower liked to demonstrate the art of leadership using a simple piece of string. He’d put it
on a table and say, “Pull it and it will follow wherever you wish. Push it and it will go nowhere at all.” Then he’d add, “It’s just that
way when it comes to leading people. They need to follow a person who is leading by example.”
At other times, he’d say, “You don’t lead by hitting people over the head—that’s assault, not leadership.”
Everyone follows someone. The question to ask this year is, “Who are you following?” When it comes to life, there are
two possible leaders. Only One offers eternal life.
Actions have always spoken louder than words, which is a good thing because words are cheap. It doesn’t take much
fortitude to stand up and say “I’m a Christian.” But to act like a Christian; to work, play, build relationships, create a life
using Christian principles requires much determination, commitment, and resolve. To be an effective Christian leader takes
even more. It requires a total sacrifice of self and an all-encompassing surrender to God. Only then will people have the
confidence necessary to follow you to the foot of the cross.
This year, our goal is to open the eyes of our youth to discover the leadership roles that are waiting for them in God’s
church and prepare them to accept the responsibilities of those positions by strengthening their relationship with Christ.
This can be accomplished if you, the youth leader, will show them how it’s done. By your example, you can help prepare
the spiritual leaders of tomorrow.
We must create and provide leadership opportunities on all levels for youth to serve and become part of the decision making
process. Seventh-day Adventist youth are full of energy and new ideas. With proper motivation, and careful guidance by seasoned
leaders, these young people can become effective leaders in our church. It is with this in mind that Elder Jan Paulsen, President of
the General Conference, embarked on a series of “Let’s Talk” sessions around the globe. He wanted to listen and challenge
youth and local entities to involve young people in the mission of the church. It is not enough to only invite youth to be
observers on our committees. We need to involve them in shaping the way the church operates.
This church was founded by young pioneers and I believe strongly that as we approach the end of the world, it is with the same
energetic spirit of our youth that the work of proclaiming God’s grace to a dying world will be finished. Then, and only then, will
Jesus return.
2. THE YOUTH LEADER AS SPIRITUAL LEADER
Youth leadership in a church setting does not include the classic, earthly concepts of leadership alone, but transcends these concepts,
living out the biblical model of godly leadership as exemplified for us by Christ and by the human leaders He trained while He was here.
The first commitment of a youth leader, therefore, must be to Christ. Before we lead, we must follow. Every leader is a sheep of the
supreme Pastor, following the guidance of the Great Shepherd.
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Yet we are also more than sheep. When we analyze all the beings created on planet earth, we find that general sociability is a relatively
common feature of created beings, animals included. We as humans can be friends with people, and we can also love our pets.
However, spirituality is a distinctive feature of human beings. We can have relationship not only with created beings, but also with the
Creator. Our pets may love us, but when we stop to pray, we will not find our pets praying.
So, as Christian leaders we do not act like a feline leading a pack of other felines. In the words of God, “Not by force, nor by violence, but
by my Spirit” (Zech. 4:6). We subordinate our social relationships to the biblical principles of Christian spirituality. And the Bible is very
clear in determining that our spirituality is about our connection to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Therefore, the leader must be a follower of Christ first.
Fundamental commitment to Christianity must guide the life of the youth leader. Only then will we be able to develop leadership in the right
context. A true Christian leader will naturally develop a Christ-like leadership style.
It is interesting to remember that when God established the Hebrews as a nation, He said that the Hebrews would be “a holy nation, a
kingdom of priests” (Ex. 19:6). The apostle Peter, in 1 Peter 2:9, repeats this concept to Christians, calling us a “royal priesthood.” Paul
recalls throughout his writings that this priesthood/ministry is “all believers.” It should be remembered that one of the functions of priests
was, through the whole ritual of the sanctuary, to bring to human understanding the reality of God’s Plan of Redemption. The priest
translated into human language the realities of what God was doing for His people, thus revealing the character of God.
We do this translating in the context of wholeness as healthy human beings.
Spirituality drives the rhythm and quality of our social interactions.
We are human beings, and the Bible understands the human being as a total, complete being. A biblical approach to anthropology
considers the human being holistically: we are physical, mental, and spiritual. All these layers of our being are interdependent. They do not
function properly if they are not well equalized, supplied, and interconnected.
All of them are important, but there is an order of factors that changes the final product: “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God” (Matt. 6:33).
When Jesus spoke these words, He was establishing the supremacy of spirituality as fuel for all areas of our lives. The success of our
spirituality is the ballast to the success of everything else. For a Christian leader, spirituality is the driving and regulating agent of all the
other layers in our nature. They are the fruits of a balanced spirituality that will produce balanced relationships.
3. THE YOUTH LEADER AS MENTOR
However, it is not enough to be a Christian leader; you need to be aware of whom you are intending to lead. When we speak of the young,
we are talking about those who are at the forefront of the greatest social changes today. It is the young who receive the greatest burden of
influences different from those of the church. Whether it is in the university environment, in relationships, or in the work environment of the
first job. Everywhere, a “brave new world” unfolds before their eyes. It is the privilege of the youth leader to be a guide for this phase of life.
But this privilege brings with it a responsibility: to have a contextualized awareness of the needs of the young, providing them the
opportunity to experience a real Christianity relevant to the time and context in which they live.
The youth leader needs to understand that providing a real and relevant experience does not mean falling into the trap of giving the youth
only what they want. As the Bible and our own experience remind us, the human heart is not always trustworthy. It is necessary to provide
what youth really need: a satisfying spiritual experience. We often turn youth groups into mere entertainment when we forget that helping
the young to create real connections with God can only take place in a context of contagious spirituality.
I. The youth of today are constantly searching for models.
There are those who think that the greatest difficulty in leading youth lies in the fact that there is a natural challenge of youth to the
proposed models. Indeed, since youth and young people represent the greatest expression of change in society, it is not surprising that in
the context of an individualist, relativistic, postmodern society, in which any absolute imposed truth is questioned, the young tend to
question everything and everyone. But whoever understands this understands that it is also a complete proof that the young are not willing
to follow just any kind of leadership.
The basic fact is that young people are pragmatic, that is, they tend to believe not in what someone says to be true, not in what someone
says works. They tend to credit what they see that works.
Maybe this is the true issue. In fact, Adventist Christianity is very beautiful in theory, but only works in practice. The youth’s experience with
the church must be permeated with something real, practical, and effective. Otherwise, mere theory (however beautiful, interesting, and
logical) produces no change in life.
Let’s look at a culinary example: The youth leader can be seen as a “chef” in the kitchen. Imagine a chef in front of hungry clients. If he
starts discoursing about the nutritional value of food, it will inform his clients, but it will not solve the hunger issue. If he tells a testament
about when he has tasted a particular food, and how tasty that food was, he will surely create the desire for it in his customers, but it will

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not satisfy their hunger. No matter how much you discourse, the reality is that the chef will only solve the hunger issue of his clients if he
goes into action and prepares the proposed food.
So, it is with the leader. We need to materialize our concepts. Make your whole theory of leadership a practice that nurtures your followers.
The young need to feel the real benefits of what the leader is proposing. If they realize that it works in the leader’s life, they will believe that
it can work in their lives.
Be honest about the questions you had when you were their age, and the questions you still have now. Let them understand that God
doesn’t answer every single question, take away every doubt, or “fix” every situation. God’s promise is to be here—to be God with Us, and
to help, support, and strengthen us through every challenge. Help them to begin to look at the complex problems and challenges and
excitements of this “brave new world” as possibilities in God’s plan for their own personal lives. They need not either turn away from every
new thing (as they sometimes see older folks do), nor run after it (as their friends might). They can stop and ask, “Is this a new thing God
can use in my life and help me use to benefit the lives of others? And if so, how?” Take time with them, talking out the practicalities of the
bright ideas they have.
II. They are also willing to follow leaders who are real
Now it is understood: For Christianity to be seen to function well in the life of the leader does not presuppose the perfection of the leader.
One need not be perfect to be followed; as a matter of fact, young people are far less likely to follow someone who is supposedly perfect.
They know very well that nobody is. Idealizing perfect leaders is idealizing the humanly impossible.
A leader who inspires a young person is not one absolutely immune to errors, failures, and misunderstandings. What inspires a young
person is, rather, one who has the wisdom, resilience, and perseverance to learn from one’s own mistakes, and find biblical solutions to
practical issues. Sometimes the very fact of seeing a leader falter and then tell the truth about it, including asking forgiveness if necessary,
is the turning point for a youth who is having trouble committing to Christ. It wasn’t Peter’s failure that qualified him to feed Jesus’ lambs,
but it was most assuredly his recognition of his failure, his sorrow over it, and his humble repentance. (See John 21.)
If you can succeed in modeling all of life—not every personal detail, just a well-rounded honesty in presenting all sides of human life with
its struggles, dilemmas, and the solutions that the Bible proposes. If you can show that you are using what you are “selling,” you will surely
inspire the young to follow your example. Not because you are perfect, but because you are able to present, in genuine practice, a solution
path to issues, dilemmas, and challenges that are common to all.
When the young can identify with the story of a leader, with the failures of a leader, with the struggles of a leader, with the dilemmas of a
leader, they will identify with the solutions found by the leader.
“Be my imitators as I am the imitator of Christ,” said the apostle Paul, a royal leader of the early Church who never concealed the reality of
his struggles, nor did he hide the way to his victory.
When we read Paul’s affliction in Romans 7 (“The good that I want to do, I cannot do it, but the evil that I want to avoid, that, when I see, I
have done it ...”), who is alive who cannot identify with this fight? But at the same time, when Paul states his conviction that he can do
everything in the one who strengthens him (Phil. 4:13), when he says that which he used to consider valuable he now regards as rubbish
compared to the sublimity of the knowledge of Christ (Phil. 3:8), when he says that he learned to be happy and satisfied in whatever
situation he faced (Phil. 4:11-13), Paul inspires us all to the certainty that if he succeeded, we can succeed as well.
Paul was a real leader. And real leaders inspire their followers. Young people will follow real leaders.
4. THE YOUTH LEADER AS FRIEND
It is true of all leaders that those whose followers see them as friends, also, will follow more willingly, but nowhere is this truer than among
young people. Remember that (though they may not think so) they are still children in some important ways. Their brains are still
developing, their judgment is still inconsistent, their attention spans are still shorter than they will be. A leader who is their friend will have
far more influence over them.
However, this can enter some tricky territory. Some youth leaders, in an attempt to be a friend and to be liked, go far beyond true godly
leadership, entering into youthful high spirits to a point that loses respect and does not give them the well-rounded example we have seen
so clearly laid out above.
The young already know what constitutes a true friend. They know a friend who really cares, for instance, will not only refuse to join them
in activities that are unwise, but will seek to prevent them from doing them, too. A true friend will not cover up or lie for a friend and will tell
the truth in love in a way that superficial friends—or aloof leaders—never can.
They are not seeking those who are in authority over them to be their “buddies.” But they are seeking loving friendship.
Ellen White has this to say:

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“ The true teacher can impart to his pupils few gifts so valuable as the gift of his own companionship. It is true of men and women, and
how much more of youth and children, that only as we come in touch through sympathy can we understand them; and we need to
understand in order most effectively to benefit. To strengthen the tie of sympathy between teacher and student there are few means that
count so much as pleasant association together outside the schoolroom. In some schools the teacher is always with his pupils in their
hours of recreation. He unites in their pursuits, accompanies them in their excursions, and seems to make himself one with them.
Well would it be for our schools were this practice more generally followed. The sacrifice demanded of the teacher would be great, but he
would reap a rich reward. (ED 212; this is in the chapter, “ Recreation,”which would be helpful to read in full).
Most youth programs include some form of recreation and activity, and those that do not, should. Any wholesome physical activity and
recreation is good for youth, and good for strengthening the ties between them and their leaders. But best of all is a physical activity which
is actually tied to the lesson at hand. Young people learn deep truths far more easily, and the lessons stay in their minds longer, when the
lesson is attached to physical activity. This is the way to embody—literally, to put into the body—God’s truths.
Seek out their company, enter into their interests, learn what this particular group already enjoys. Recognize and honor differences in
interests and seek to help them also learn to enter into each other’s interests. Then use these interests to embody the lessons you wish to
impart.
You can often find good resources online using keywords like “team building activities on [faith, or teamwork, or kindness, or whatever you
wish to teach at the moment].”
Don’t forget one of your best resources is your youth themselves. Ask them what would be a good way to actively embody the lesson for
the day or week. You will be surprised, not only at the creative ideas they come up with, but at how much you will learn from them.
One of the most important things we can learn from coming close to our youth is that they are each unique, very different from each other,
and each require different treatment.
Education, page 280, points out that the vacillating and ease-loving will need encouragement and assistance; the discouraged need
sympathy and appreciation to create confidence. The stern (though never harsh) treatment that a strong-willed rebellious one needs would
be seriously destructive to a timid one.
5. THE YOUTH LEADER AS MONITOR
A Youth leader is a monitor of the club members in spiritual, physical, health & social growth of the members.
6. IN THE STEPS OF THE MASTER
“The youth need more than a casual notice, more than an occasional word of encouragement. They need painstaking, prayerful, careful
labor.
He only whose heart is filled with love and sympathy will be able to reach those youth who are apparently careless and indifferent.”
(Gospel
Workers, p. 208)
The call to senior youth ministry leadership is not one to be taken lightly.
Whether novice or professional, employed or volunteer, lay leader or pastor, each hold a responsibility before Jesus and His community.
Ellen White, in Counsels to Parents, Teachers and Students, emphasized:
“Upon Christian youth depend in a great measure the preservation and perpetuity of the institutions which God has devised as a means by
which to advance His work. Never was there a period when results so important depended upon a generation of man. Then how important
that the young should be qualified for this great work, that God may use them as His instruments! Their Maker has claims upon them which
are paramount to all others.” (p. 99)
“Never before was there so much at stake; never were there results so mighty depending upon a generation as upon these now coming
upon the stage of action.” (p. 536)
Leadership is the most-sought-after talent in the world today. History records the deeds of the world’s great leaders, many good and many
bad. Each had the ability to influence, inspire, and galvanize into action masses of people. They were able to transfer their ideas and
concepts into the minds of others and to encourage their followers to become dynamic forces for good or for evil. Today the same
processes are being used to effect similar goals and results and, for this reason, leadership stands as a most powerful force.
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high
officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and

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whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a
ransom for many.” —Mark 10:42-45
For the Christian, leadership can and must assume a servant role as demonstrated in the life and ministry of Jesus. Therefore, whether we
are officially appointed leaders or not, we are only leaders because we serve others. And because we serve, we should always portray a
positive influence with the intent to transform the lives of the youth and young adults and guide them to strive for something better.
1. Role of youth ministry leader
A Christian senior youth ministry leader has some special and specific functions in the church, and although the leader should delegate
responsibilities, he or she must also be sure that the functions are being fulfilled.
The leader should direct the senior youth to Christ and strengthen them in the faith. We are all inexperienced in facing the snares and
tricks of an enemy beyond our ability to resist without the help of Jesus. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the leaders to help them rely on
the power of the Holy Spirit.
The leader needs to connect senior youth in the broader matters of the church.
We should engage them at all levels of church administration. Jim Clifton, in The Coming Jobs War, suggests that too many companies
today are undercutting entrepreneurs instead of cultivating them, thus creating the future job wars. We take the same risks in church. Too
many senior youth are disengaged from church and lost because their gifts have not been developed and used; it is part of the leaders’
duties to cultivate a passion in the local church community.
The leader needs to create opportunities for the senior youth to live out their faith. Through acts of service and daily sensing the voice of
Jesus in their lives they can also experience the energy of the present. It is through the leader’s influence for good that senior youth will
together change this world. Learning to live for others is the way forward.
Ultimately there are five basic needs of the senior youth ministry leader. First, to know Jesus as their personal Savior, daily taking up the
cross and seeking His will in their life, and developing rich habits such as Bible study and talking with Jesus in prayer. Second, a leader
must try to understand the problems, perspectives, needs, conflicts, and aspirations of the youth and young adults and be able to help
them cope with the pressures they encounter in daily living. They must grow a loving heart for those they serve like the good shepherd
from Luke 15 who actively left the 99 and went out to find the one lost sheep. Third, the leader should be spiritually and emotionally
mature. They should have a pleasing personality, a good sense of humor, the correct hope and aspiration, self-control, stability, honest,
good judgment, a good sense of order, and a capacity to organize.
In order to guide and lead the church’s senior youth in their own Christian maturity, the Christian leader must be sensible and emotionally
well balanced.
Fourth, the leader needs to have the ability and time for the work ahead. Where possible, the senior youth ministry leader should not have
other responsibilities in the church so that all of his or her time may be dedicated to this ministry.
Working for senior youth has a basic requirement—to sacrifice personal interest for the benefit of others. Because senior youth are
developing and constantly discovering new horizons, they claim more time from the leader to help guide them into bringing their
discoveries in harmony with the expected Christian experience. In addition, the leader must keep up-to-date in knowledge and leadership
skills by participating in seminars and administrative programs offered by the conference/mission and by using a good library equipped
with pertinent materials that will permit him or her to be informed in the needed areas.
2. Resources
The General Conference Youth Ministries Department has many resources and links to others that can help. Resource materials must be
collected and studied in order to keep abreast of the latest developments and research discoveries in youth ministry. The leader should
keep in contact with the conference/mission youth director, who can help the youth and young adult leader in his or her development. This
contact also will help the leader to keep informed on the latest denominational programs and plans. The final and fifth basic need of the
leader is the ability to make friends, counsel, and communicate. The leader must be deeply committed to the senior youth and their needs.
Friendliness will make him or her the choice counselor for senior youth. This special characteristic should be enhanced by trustworthiness
in order to be able to give counsel and advice. The leader must have the capacity to listen to their needs and the ability to help them
identify their problems and find their own personal solutions based on sound Christian principles.
Jesus, of course, was a brilliant example of what any leader should be like. He led by His life, making it an example, thus He lived what He
taught. In the book Education, Ellen White writes:
“What He taught, He was. His words were the expression, not only of His own life experience, but of His own character. Not only did He
teach the truth, but He was the truth. It was this that gave His teaching, power.” (p. 78-79)
The Gospel of John also reports on Jesus’ powerful leadership example:
The words of Jesus overwhelmed the officers sent by the priests to arrest Him. They reported to the priests that no one had ever spoken
as He spoke. —John 7:46
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In Ministry of healing “bore with them a convincing power, because they came from a heart pure and holy, full of love and sympathy,
benevolence and truth.” (p. 469)
She adds that His voice conveyed appeal and power. When He called, men left all to follow. The world’s enchantment was broken.
“At the sound of His voice, the spirit of greed and ambition fled from the heart, and men arose, emancipated, to follow the Savior.” (p. 25)
“He went about lifting up the bowed-down and comforting the sorrowful. Wherever He went, He carried blessing.” (p. 24)
Jesus understood people and was deeply sympathetic. As the apostle Paul declares in the book of Hebrews, there is a reason Jesus is our
High Priest.
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,
Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our
weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne
of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. —John 4:14-16
In Desire of Ages, Ellen White explained how Jesus attracted huge crowds because His face and words contained a sweet, sympathetic
spirit:
“Had it not been for the sweet, sympathetic spirit that shone out in every look and word, He would not have attracted the large
congregations that He did.” (p. 254)
She also adds that those who were afflicted felt as though Christ linked Himself with them as a faithful, tender, and loving friend. They
loved to be in His presence and wanted to hear His eternal words.
“The afflicted ones who came to Him felt that He linked His interest with theirs as a faithful and tender friend, and they desired to know
more of the truths He taught. Heaven was brought near. They longed to abide in
His presence, that the comfort of His love might be with them continually.” (p. 254-255)
Jesus was ever kind and thoughtful. Without a doubt His patience, kindness, politeness, and the sound of His voice were the compelling
factors that made Jesus such a powerful leader as He dealt with people individually and in groups.
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. —Ephesians 4:32
“If Christ dwells in us, we shall be patient, kind, and forbearing, cheerful and frets amid frets and irritations.” (The Ministry of Healing, p.
487)
“He was never rude, never needlessly spoke a severe word, never gave needless pain to a sensitive soul.” (Steps to Christ, p. 12)
Jesus understood His “why” and saw everyone as a possibility for heaven.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. —John
3:16
The fullest meaning of John 3:16 is amplified in what Jesus saw in every individual—a chance for heaven! He saw infinite possibilities of
what a person might be when transfigured by His grace. This achieved the following:
� His hope inspired hope
� His confidence in them inspired trust
� He was man’s ideal and awakened desire and faith for attainment of victory
� To the despised and fallen He brought inspiration and a desire to prove themselves worthy of His regard
� To the apparently spiritually-dead heart He brought an awakening of new impulses
Ellen White notes:

“In His presence souls despised and fallen realized that they still were men, and they longed to prove themselves worthy of His regard. In
many a heart that seemed dead to all things holy, were awakened new impulses. To many a despairing one there opened the possibility of
a new life.” (Education, p. 80)
Jesus cared for every person, regardless of his or her station in life. Most of His ministry was on a one-to-one basis because this, He
knew, was the best approach.
He inspired with hope the roughest and most unpromising. He gave individual assurance that His hearers might become blameless and
could attain characters that would make them children of God. He met those who were under Satan’s control and had no power to break
away. To these discouraged, sick, and fallen
He spoke tender words that could be understood. Those who were fighting the adversary, He encouraged to persevere, giving them hope
that they would win and have the victory. As Ellen White shared in Ministry of Healing:
“Others He met who were fighting a hand-to-hand battle with the adversary of souls. These He encouraged to persevere, assuring them
that they would win; for angels of God were on their side, and would give them the victory.” (p. 26)
Jesus saw in the children, men and women who would be heirs of the kingdom. In speaking to the children He came down to their level.
He planted seeds of truth that in later years would spring up and lead to eternal life. “In the children who were brought in contact with Him.

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Jesus saw the men and women who should be heirs of His grace and subjects of His kingdom. . . . In teaching, He came down to their
level.
He, the Majesty of heaven, answered their questions and simplified His important lessons to meet their childish understanding. He planted
in their minds the seeds of truth, which in after-years would spring up and bear fruit unto eternal life.” (p. 42)
Finally, Jesus understood His mission and goal as a leader as demonstrated in these passages of Scripture:
“Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” —Luke 2:49
“You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king.
In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” —John 18:37
Adding further commentary in Ministry of Healing, Ellen White shared:
“In everything He subordinated His own life and needs to His mission.
His will and His Father’s will were one. “In all things He brought His wishes into strict abeyance to His mission. He glorified His life by
making everything in it subordinates to the will of His Father.” (p. 19)
“There was never one who carried the burden of sin and sorrow of the world, or who worked with such self-consuming zeal for the good of
men, as did Jesus. “Jesus was an earnest, constant worker. Never lived there among men another so weighted with responsibilities. Never
another carried so heavy a burden of the world’s sorrow and sin. Never another toiled with such self-consuming zeal for the good of men.”
(p. 51)
7. PSYCHOLOGY OF THE CHRISTIAN LEADER
To be mature is to see differences, know differences, and be able to live and work with people who are different from ourselves. Human
beings are not objects. Each person has his or her own personality, and we should not expect others to change their individuality and be
transformed into our image. Leadership is knowing how to deal with different personalities and bring them together for the benefit of the
organization. The intelligent leader will have the maturity to accept people just as they are, to work with them, and to help them to see and
recognize Jesus as the perfect example for their own lives. Such maturity is achieved by getting out of one’s own point of view and trying
to understand others—not expecting others to conform to your views—but accepting and appreciating those contributions that each
member brings to the group.
A. Know yourself
Knowledge of self is the ability to know that one is growing and changing. The saying, “This is the way I am, and no one can change me”
should never be part of the vocabulary of a leader. Rather his or her prayer should be, “By God’s grace, I can become like Him. I can grow.
I can learn to treat others well and not be misled by their weaknesses.”
Those who can recognize their own weaknesses are strong. Knowing ourselves will help us to apply the golden rule in dealing with others.
We all live within our own worlds, but sometimes we must leave our worlds so that we can another way of being, making an effort to
understand how others think. Do not look for, nor interest yourself in, the weaknesses of others.
B. Know others
Leaders must know the life circumstances that have caused people to act and to be as they are. The saying, “You can’t please everybody”
is not license to mistreat or offend those who do not think and act as we do. We must have an open mind to accept and work together with
those who do not always agree with us. If others don’t understand certain concepts as we do, we must pray that through example and
precept they will be lifted to a higher plane of understanding. Leaders must realize that they are not working with perfect people, that many
can say, “Be patient with me. God is not finished with me yet.” Allow for development of character that is modeled after Jesus.
If we dedicate ourselves to looking for weaknesses—in ourselves or in others— we will find so many that we will become discouraged. The
only one who concentrates on the weaknesses of others is the one who is a failure. It has been said that, “He who has failed in everything
is successful as a critic.” He who seeks to know the weaknesses of others is to accuse them and be judgmental.
Remember, when you point a finger at someone accusingly, your other fingers are pointing back at you.
It is important to look for the virtues in others and magnify them, elevating them to a more excellent plane. Such an attitude will lift the
discouraged. One problem that exists among young people is a lack of self-esteem. The youth leader can do much to help build
confidence and self-worth in each individual. It is said that even a broken watch is accurate two times a day (when it shows the correct
time).
Even the most negative person has some good that must be discovered. Always look for the good in others.
C. Be a courteous servant
True courtesy makes no exception of persons. The leader does not pretend, but under all circumstances will demonstrate true courtesy to
all. Ellen White, in Ministry of Healing, stated,

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“Christ was courteous, even to His persecutors; and His true followers will manifest the same spirit.” (p. 489)
Always be ready to help. Christ came to serve, not to be served. He is our example
in everything. The true leader will always be ready to serve, to help the person whom society considers most humble.
D. Make others comfortable
We naturally choose our friends from among those who make us feel good and comfortable. The leader has to learn, however, to live with
the strident voices of some youth and, though it may be difficult, he or she will do all that is possible in good conscience to create an
environment where free expression can be practiced. All group members must feel free to speak even though their views may differ with
others. They must feel accepted and appreciated and wanted. Do not complain of difficulties and problems.
E. Be tactful
When we deal with others, we should do so with kindness, courtesy, and tact. It is better to ask them to tell, to listen than to accuse, to
focus on the problem, not the person. By asking questions rather than “pointing fingers,” help the other person recognize the real problem,
then seek solutions together. Avoid trying to “blame” someone. What is done, is done. Seek ways to avoid the problem in the future.
Ask, “What can we do so this does not happen again? How can we avoid this in the future?”
F. Understand different temperaments
We must recognize that most people have bad days. Different situations may cause a temporary change in the emotions of others.
Problems at home, school, work, and in relationships abound. The leader should know how to relate to these situations, recognizing that
by modeling he or she can help group members learn to be patient, longsuffering, and accepting.
G. Seek understanding, spirituality and knowledge
Of the scores of leadership attributes appreciated and desired by most youth, three almost always surface as the favored qualities and are
usually given in the following order: First, understanding. Without understanding it is impossible to help, guide, or instruct one who is in
need. Everyone needs to be understood. Ask questions instead of presenting all the answers. Seek first to comprehend all the facts.
“The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” —Proverbs 4:7
It is the genuine spirit you offer that will be rewarded. Show compassion and love with all your understanding. Second, spirituality. The
most spiritual leader cannot help a youth or young adult who is not seeking. But if their heart is open, your spiritual journey and relationship
with Jesus is going to be great news for them. Bring understanding and spirituality together and the most amazing conversations can
happen, all leading to a stronger person in Jesus.
“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” —Romans 8:6
Third, knowledge. Senior youth want leaders with experience and knowledge.
They want to be part of something bigger and on the path to a life that makes a difference.
“Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it.” —Ecclesiastes
7:12
This requires time and actively seeking Jesus—hearing His voice and knowing that in the quiet hour Jesus is ever present.
8. LEADERSHIP THEORIES, STYLES, AND FUNCTIONS
The concept of leadership has long been debated, and conclusions have varied with time. A popular definition of leadership is that it is
influence. If that is the case, leadership has three important factors.
� Leaders know they have influence and they use that influence to the benefit of the organization or group.
� Leaders recognize that the situation in which they are involved may make a great difference.
� Influence is exercised through verbal and nonverbal communication.
1) Theories of leadership
One cannot discuss leadership without considering leadership theories that have influenced the world. During the eighteenth and
nineteenth century it was believed that leadership was based on the “Great Men.” This is linked to the trait and circumstances theories.
Trait theory teaches that leaders are born, not made. According to advocates of this theory, people are born with certain physical or
personality traits that make them stand out as a leader. Physical traits include things like height, weight, physical attractiveness, and body
shape. Personality traits thought to be associated with leadership include self-confidence, dominance, enthusiasm, assertiveness,
responsibility, creativity, originality, dependability, critical thinking ability, intelligence, and ability to communicate effectively.
It is true that many of these traits are found in effective leaders, but most researchers agree that the possession of these traits does not
necessarily make someone a leader.
“Although leaders differ from followers with respect to various aspects of personality ability and social skills, tests of such traits have been
of limited value for the selection of leaders.” (Ralph M. Stogdill, “Historical

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Trends in Leadership Theory and Research,” Journal of Contemporary

Business, Autumn, 1974, p. 7)
While certain traits such as those mentioned above can be helpful to a leader, there are also a variety of factors that will hinder effective
leadership—regardless of physical or personal attributes. These include:
� Being uninformed about the problem under discussion
� Being non-participative
� Holding to extremely rigid ideas
� Having an authoritarian attitude
� Using offensive and abusive language
The circumstances theory teaches that a leader rises according to a certain ideal set of circumstances; he or she can be effective in one
circumstance while totally in effective in another. According to this theory of leadership, the circumstances make (or break) the leader.
The function theory teaches that leadership consists of certain behaviors or functions that groups need performed. These functions are
identifiable behaviors that can be learned by any person; therefore, all can improve their potential as leaders by learning to perform these
key functions more effectively. The trait and circumstance theories hold that unless you have certain traits or you are in a given
circumstance you cannot be a leader. Function theory opens the door to anyone to become a leader.
Two important factors that are consistently associated with the function theory of leadership are: (a) task orientation, and (b) people
orientation. These two concepts are not separate, and the good leader knows how to use both to balance his or her leadership approach.
Task orientation emphasizes something (the task) that has to be accomplished, but people orientation balances this emphasis with the
social and emotional conditions required to accomplish the task. Task orientation functions in an initiating structure, but does so with
consideration prompted by people orientation. Task orientation seeks to achieve a goal, but is ideally balanced by the group interaction
required to accomplish that goal (achievement orientation). In function theory:
“Designated leaders perform a variety of important functions. They provide liaison with groups or other individuals in the surrounding
environment. They furnish a central point of responsibility . . . that demand[s] a clear line of accountability; they represent a central point
when there are problems, changes in plans, and complications.” (Phillips
Wood et al. Group Discussion: A Practical Guide to Participants and
Leadership, p. 180)
Function theory shifts the emphasis away from the leader as a person and toward the specific behavioral acts that facilitate group success.
Task- and people-oriented behaviors help to achieve the goals of the group, but they also help to maintain the interpersonal relationships
within the group.
2) Leadership styles
Other studies have identified three basic leadership styles:
� Autocratic
� Laissez-faire
� Democratic
The main difference among these styles is the matter of control—who controls and what is controlled.
1.1.1. Autocratic leadership style

The autocratic or authoritarian leader has a high need for control, often to the point of being obsessed with it. This obsession can manifest
itself in various types of behaviors.
� Avoids contact outside the structured setting and relates mostly to the task orientation. Arrives at a meeting place just in time for the
meeting to begin in order to avoid contacts.

� Long winded. Makes long introductions, not to facilitate the process in the group, but to let others know how much he or she knows and
how informed he or she is.

� Structured to the limit. The authoritarian leader will outline procedures in discussion in order to facilitate the work. For example: person A
will present item 1, 2, 3. Person B will present item 4, 5, 6, etc.

� Puts people on the spot. Authoritarians specialize in directing questions to specific persons and seldom allow questions to which anyone
in the group may offer an answer.

� Hates to waste time. Authoritarians cannot tolerate pauses in discussion.
They need rapid verbalization from others or they will take over and speak themselves.
� Interrupts others frequently. This is done to satisfy three basic needs:
—To correct errors—whether major or insignificant

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—To keep the person talking about what the leader desires
—To show who is in command
� Encourages “communication noise.” Authoritarians encourage members to
discuss unrelated matters as long as this is in harmony with their design.

� Manipulates. In clarifying contributions from others, authoritarians change the intent of statements to make them more acceptable to
themselves (See Sattleg, William, and N. Miller. Discussion and Conference. p 250-251).
1.2. Laissez-faire leadership style
Although this is accepted as a leadership style, in reality it is no leadership at all.
There is no concern for direction, control, task accomplishment, or interpersonal relationships.
The laissez-faire leader just holds a position, and by design or by default simply does nothing. This “style” of leadership behavior permits
the members to do whatever they want to do. No policies or procedures are established, and every one is left alone; no one attempts to
influence anyone else.
1.3. Democratic leadership style
The democratic leader tries to find a balance between authoritarian and laissez-faire leadership styles. The democratic leader provides
direction in task and social leadership functions. This, however, must be done carefully in order to avoid dominating the group with
personal views; it is believed that it is very difficult to lead without exerting some kind of control.
Leadership, regardless of style, is situational in that the situation demands different actions. For example: if a house is on fire, a
democratic style is not appropriate. The situation calls for an authoritarian style, by someone who knows what needs to be done and how
to do it quickly. This, however, does not provide an excuse to act in an authoritarian mode all the time.
So which leadership style is the best? Perhaps this can best be answered by considering various factors. Steward Tubbs, in his book A
Systems Approach to
Small Group Interaction, presents the following factors and says they will determine the type of leadership required in a given situation:
� The quality of the group output
� The time required to accomplish the task
� The satisfaction of the group members
� The absenteeism of the group members
� The independence developed in group members (p. 158)
Some research (White and Lippit, 1968) has demonstrated that:

� Quality of group output is better under democratic leadership style.
� Group member satisfaction is greater under democratic leadership style (hostility was 30 times greater under autocratic leadership).
� Democratic leadership style produces less absenteeism.
� Democratic leadership style fosters more independence. A negative aspect of democratic leadership is that it takes more time to get the
job done. However, even though autocratic leadership gets faster results, the quality and durability of the result is less than under
democratic leadership.
3) Leadership functions
Leadership has many functions. Because leadership affects changes in people, these functions will facilitate the work of the leader in his or
her interaction with the group. A clear understanding of these functions by leaders and others will help the process of getting the work
done. These functions can be classified into three groups: general, maintenance, and organization.
 General functions
Some of the general functions of leadership are to:
Initiate. Propose tasks and goals; define problems of the group; give suggestions and ideas to be submitted for consideration. The leader
does not wait for things to happen in order to react, but initiates actions and guides the group to achieving pre-approved objectives.
Investigate. Ask for data on problems; look for pertinent information; ask for suggestions and ideas. Either the leader does it or gets the
cooperation of others in doing the investigation.
Inform/report. Offer data and provide pertinent information; express opinions; give suggestions or ideas. The leader must realize that
information means understanding and thus better cooperation. He or she will give pertinent information to the group in order to facilitate
better understanding and cooperation.
Clarify and elaborate. Interpret ideas or suggestions; clear up confusion; indicate alternatives and points of dispute before the group;
supply examples. Many cases of conflict are due to lack of understanding and can be reduced. The leader must help clarify issues, allow
others to explain themselves, and if possible, find alternatives for problems affecting the group.

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Summarize. Group ideas that are related; summarize the suggestions after group discussion. During discussion many ideas can be
floating, but the leader must bring ideas to focus and help the group reach conclusions, and if possible, consensus.
Text public opinion. Submit the ideas to public opinion in order to determine how correct the conclusions of the group are; and be alert as
to when a majority consensus of approval is reached. According to the systems theory of communication and leadership, no one group
exists in a vacuum, and all are affected by or affect the environment and help the group to be the society conscience. For church related
sub-groups, the leader must be aware of the larger body and guide the group to operate in harmony with the total body.
 Maintenance functions
Some of the functions of maintenance are a guide to help the leader in his or her task of helping others discover their potential and, as a
united body, achieve the goals of the group.
Encourage. Be friendly, caring, and sensible toward others; accept them for what they have to offer. Be a good listener; show interest and
concern, giving others opportunity and recognition.
Express the sentiments of the group. Perceive sentiment, state of courage, and relationships within the group. Share your own feelings
with the other members.
The leader must be aware of the climate in the group, and through his or her leadership create such an environment that members are
willing to be identified with the group because it represents their feelings and satisfies their needs.
Harmonize. Attempt reconciliation in case of dissension. Reduce tensions and encourage others to examine their differences of opinion.
Help to solve conflicts.
Because each group member has different social environments, these will impact relationships in the group. The leader is called to
recognize this and strive to keep harmony in the midst of diversity in the group.
It is a fact that each group member brings to the group the influences received from other groups of which he or she is a member.
The overlapping area is the limited area of coincidence in a group, therefore, the potential for conflict is very large. A member coming with
influences from home, school, work, etc., tends to contaminate the group with these influences. The leader must be cognizant of this and
help to reduce the possibility of tensions and conflicts in the group. This delicate task of harmonizing requires great skills from the leader.
Be Fair. Be careful to see that everyone has an opportunity to express themselves, and that the discussion includes the whole group. Do
not permit one or two individuals to impose their views without consideration of feelings and opinions of other group members.
Establish Objectives. Establish objectives to help the group reach what is proposed.
Apply these standards to evaluate the group’s productivity. Management by objectives is to help the group establish its objectives and stay
on course. The leader acts in harmony with the group decision and guides the group to reach the objectives.
 Organization functions
An important aspect of leader is to organize. A leader has to decide what tasks are to be accomplished and define the relationships of
authority and responsibility among the persons who will work toward the goals. Planning and organizing are interdependent activities.
Give Directions. The leader must motivate, instruct, and supervise. Motivation is not something outside the person. It is the ability of the
leader to help the person, or group, realize what can be done, what is possible, and create the will to do it.
In motivating, the leader must help the person, or group, to realize their potential.
To motivate is not enough, the leader must provide instruction and supervise the completion of the task, helping the subject to make
corrections as progress is achieved.
Coordinate. The leader considers coordination a vital part of the successful operation of the organization. This function permits all to work
in harmony. It means leaving the channels of communication open. The leader prevents and impedes possible conflicts so there may be
cooperation among those who make up the organization.
9. SERVING AS CHAIRPERSON
I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice. –Proverbs 8:20
The role of chairperson is critical to the success and engagement of leadership across the church. The larger the committee the more you
will need to follow set procedures such as those laid out in this section. It is good training to practice these skills in smaller committees, but
do not feel the pressure to follow procedures slavishly if there are only two of you on the committee! The key is to use a system that
facilitates safe engagement, that prevents individuals hijacking agendas, and that encourages all members to contribute. Generally
speaking, the church as a whole follows the following protocols.
Rules of order
Public meetings, to be conducted in order, must operate on accepted rules of procedure. Therefore, every leader should possess some
knowledge of the customs and rules of parliamentary order. Usually, only the most elementary rules are required. A brief statement

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regarding these rules is given in the following pages, focusing on a large committee such as a business meeting or the AYM committee in
a large church.
Opening the meeting
Presiding officer
Whoever is to preside at a business meeting or a meeting of the AYM committee is usually called the chairman or the chairperson, though
if any other term is adopted by the organization, such as president, the presiding officer is known by that title and is addressed, for
instance, as “Mr. President” or “Madam President.”
In many instances the formality is dropped, however, speakers address the chair in order to avoid development of personality conflicts.
The term chairman is still widely used and should be considered in the generic sense, that is, meaning both men and women. There are
some locations where it would be more appropriate to refer to a female chair as “Madam Chair.” In some parts of the world, the term
chairperson is more appropriate. It is also common to use the term chair when referring to the person who leads the meeting. It is usually
best to determine local custom and follow it, lest you offend someone.
Calling the meeting to order
Promptly at the appointed time, the chairperson should call for the attention of the members (if necessary, by rapping sharply) and say,
“the meeting will please come to order,” or “the time has come for our meeting to begin,” and then introduce the first item on the agenda. In
the case of a religious meeting, church board, or any other meeting in which religious influence is dominant, the first item on the program
will probably be a congregational song, and the second a prayer. Therefore, you (the chairperson) will announce:
“Let us open our meeting by singing number _____,” or any similar form of announcement. After the song the chairperson calls for the
prayer by saying, for example:
“Elder Smith will now offer prayer”; or “We will all join in prayer with Sister
Jones”; or “Let us have a number of sentence prayers this evening, asking God’s blessing on our meeting. Let ________ lead, after which
let others join.” The announcement may vary as the occasion indicates. The smaller the group and the more informal the atmosphere, the
less formal the announcements should be. The chairperson asks for the roll call by saying:
“The secretary will now call the roll.” Whereupon the secretary reads from his or her record sheet, name by name, and marks the record as
the members answer, or fail to answer, “Present.” This can be bypassed by a simple head count in order to establish quorum for the
meeting. (See notes on quorum.) It can also be established by passing a sheet of paper around with all the members’ names.
Approval of minutes
The secretary’s report is called for in much the same way by saying, for example,
“The secretary will now present the minutes from the last meeting.” After the minutes have been read, the chairperson asks, “Are there any
corrections to these minutes?” If any member raises a question, it is decided by the agreement or the dissent of all, or by a majority
present, and correction is made or not made accordingly. If there is no correction offered, then the chairperson concludes the matter by
saying, “The minutes will stand as read.” In some places, a motion is called for to accept and/or approve the secretary’s report. This is the
signal to move on to the next agenda item. (See section titled “Making a Motion.”)
These are the main features of the opening of a business meeting.
Introduction of business
The business to be transacted at the meeting comes next. The presiding officer introduces this section of the meeting by saying, for
example, “We shall now take up the business of the meeting.” Then he or she asks, “Is there any unfinished business to come before us?”
Whoever is in charge of that business (the secretary, if no one else offers) will state it. After this unfinished business has been taken care
of, the agenda (previously prepared by the chair and sponsor) should be distributed.
Committee reports
If committees are active and have been instructed to report to the business meeting or AYM committee, the chairperson calls for those
reports saying, for example, “Are there any committee reports?” Whereupon the person chairing such a committee (or that committee’s
secretary) introduces its report. Any report may be discussed by the group and a vote to accept the report should be called for by the
chairperson.
Privilege of speaking
Getting the floor
As items on the agenda are discussed, any member or person in the meeting has the right to speak and should address the chair and be
recognized. This parliamentary procedure prevents the confusion that results when several people try to speak at the same time. In a
group of any size, the member desiring to speak should rise and address the chair saying, for example, “Mr. Chairman” or “Madam Chair.”
He or she must then wait to be recognized, that is, until the chairperson speaks his or her name—“Mr. Terry” or “Miss Terry.” (In the youth
group people are usually recognized by the first name). Again, the principle in all these interactions is to err on the side of respect. This is

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the safest method in all cultures. The one addressing the chair is then free to speak, but the content should pertain to the matter under
discussion.
Maintaining order
If any other person should attempt to talk while the person recognized by the chair is speaking, it is the duty of the chairperson to repress
the disorder by saying, “Miss Terry has the floor.” If there should be considerable confusion, say,
“Order, please,” or “Please come to order.” If necessary, rap sharply to call the meeting to order. If the chairperson fails to uphold this right
of the one having the floor, then that person may address the chair and say, for example, “Mr.
Chairman, do I have the floor?” (This should not be necessary if order is maintained by following the rules.) When the person finishes
speaking and sits down, another may obtain the floor by a similar procedure. In a small meeting, people wishing to speak may rise or
remain seated, as preferred, but in any case should “obtain the floor” by addressing the chair.
Motions
Making a motion
Any business placed before the meeting for action must be presented as a motion.
Every motion must be seconded by another person. In the case of a committee report, the person chairing the committee or the secretary
of that committee usually presents the report and concludes its reading by addressing the chair and saying, “I move that this report be
adopted.” (Say, “I move,” not “I make a motion.”)
Seconding a motion
The report is usually seconded when someone else says, “I second the motion.”
If no one seconds the motion, the chair should inquire, “Is there a second?” and then wait until someone responds. If there is no response,
the chair may choose to ignore the motion, or say, “Since there is no second, there is no motion before us.” The way is then open for any
other motion to be made.
Discussion
After the motion to adopt the report has been made and seconded, the person says, “The report is now before you for discussion.” Then
anyone who wants to speak about the report is free to do so, after addressing the chair and being recognized.
Calling for the vote
When the motion has been discussed sufficiently, the chair calls for a vote by saying, for example, “All who are in favor of this motion, say
‘Aye’”; whereupon those who favor it speak out, “Aye.” The chairperson then says, “All who are opposed say,
‘No.’ or ‘” Voters who oppose the motion should not say, “Aye”; nor should the chairperson ask them to say, “Aye,” for aye means “Yes,”
and No means “No.”
Calling the question
If the discussion is too prolonged, the matter may be brought to focus by anyone who wishes to speak out and say, “Question on the
motion.” This means that the one speaking desires the discussion to end and the motion to be put to vote. The chairperson then says: “The
question is called. All who are in favor of closing discussion, say ‘Aye,’” etc.
It is not obligatory to “put the question,” as we say; that is, to put the motion to vote, when someone calls, “Question.” Discussion may go
on after the question is called. When the question is called, it is an indication that some desire to have the discussion cease, especially if a
number of people call, “Question.” In that case, the chair should recognize that it is time to cut off the debate and call for a vote. If in his or
her judgment it is time to vote, and no one calls “Question,” the chairperson should ask, “Are you ready for the question?” In response, one
or more should say, “Question.”
Announcing the result
After the vote is taken, the chairperson announces the result. If the majority have said aye, the chairperson announces, for example, “The
motion is carried.” If the majority have said no, the announcement is, “The motion is lost.” If it is carried, of course, whatever the motion
provides for is to be done. If it is lost, no further action is taken.
Methods of voting
Voting by voice is called “voting by acclamation,” or sometimes viva voce (vi-va vose), and is decisive only when a considerable majority is
evident on one side or the other. If, after taking the vote by acclamation, the chairperson is uncertain from the response whether the “ayes”
or the “no’s” have it, he or she may call for a vote by a show of hands or by standing. Or if any member is dissatisfied with the
announcement of the vote, that member may call for a “a show of hands” or “a standing vote.”
In either case the chairperson then says, “All who are in favor, raise your right hand,” or “All who are in favor, stand,” and a count is taken.
When the count is complete, voters lower their hands or sit down. The chairperson makes note of the number, and then says, “All who are
opposed, raise your right hand,” or, “All who are opposed, stand,” and counts those who thus show their vote.

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Now that the vote has been counted and the exact number has been determined on each side, the chairperson announces the vote thus:
“There were twenty-three in favor and nineteen opposed (or whatever the number may be); the motion is therefore carried” (or vice versa).
Another form of voting, which provides exact reckoning and at the same time secrecy, is voting by ballot. In this case, either prepared
ballots or blank slips of paper are passed to each voter, who records his or her vote on the paper. The ballots are then gathered and
counted, usually by tellers appointed by the chair.
One of them then announces the result, and the chairperson declares the vote.
This form is used mostly in voting for nominees to office.
The most formal and exact method of taking a vote, which, however, is used little except in legislative bodies, is by calling the roll. In this
case the chairperson directs the secretary to call the roll of members, and as members’ names are called, they vote, “Aye” or “No.” As
each one votes, the secretary records the vote opposite his or her name, and at the conclusion of the roll call counts up the “ayes” and
“no’s” and gives the result to the chairperson, who then announces the results. But this form of voting will rarely be found necessary in our
assemblies.
Secretary’s record
It is the secretary’s responsibility to record the exact form of every motion that is made and seconded, and to record the vote, whether for
or against. In writing this report, however, the secretary is obligated to record only such motions as were passed, or as the term is, “actions
taken.” However, if desired or if the business meeting or Adventist Youth Ministries Committee so directs, the secretary may record all
motions, whether carried or lost, and state what the vote was. Minutes containing these actions must be kept safely by the secretary to be
used for reference at any time the business meeting or AYM committee may call for them.
Kinds of motions
In parliamentary law there are different classes of motions, some of which take precedence over others; but we shall discuss here only the
most necessary and simple of these. It is prudent, however, for persons who may be called upon to preside or who wish to be intelligent
about parliamentary order to familiarize themselves with these rules. In legislative bodies and in organizations that make a great deal of
parliamentary law for the sake of securing or blocking legislation, the knowledge and practice of all these rules is essential. And even in the
AY Societies
a good knowledge of them may be valuable.
Main motion
Of the two or three classes of motion with which you will have to know how to deal, the first is the main motion. This is the original motion
proposing a major action. How to deal with it and when it is unhampered by other motions has already been described.
Amendments
A second class of motions is amendments. An amendment is a motion to amend or change a motion already made and under discussion.
A motion to amend must be voted upon and settled before the main motion can be voted upon. A motion to amend may itself be amended,
and of course the same rule holds that the secondary amendment must be disposed of before the primary amendment can be acted upon.
Whenever a member wishes to change or amend a motion, he or she may offer to do so after obtaining the floor by saying, “I move to
amend this motion by adding the words (whatever words are desired), or by inserting the words (indicate the place and the text).” If this is
seconded, the chairperson calls for discussion, just as for a main motion, and puts it to vote in the same way. If the amendment is passed,
it changes the main motion only in the way indicated. It does not dispose of the main motion, which is still before the house and must be
acted upon in its amended form, just as if no amendment has intervened. After the amendment is carried, the chairperson says, “The
amendment is carried. The motion as amended will now be read by the secretary.”
After the secretary reads the main motion as it is now worded with the addition of the amendment, the chairperson says, “Are we ready
now to vote on the amended motion? Is there any further discussion?” If not, a vote is then taken as described previously.
Subsidiary motions
The third class is subsidiary motions, or motions to deal with the motion before the group. Probably the only such motion you will
encounter is one to table or “to lay upon the table” a motion being discussed. The phrase “to lay upon the table” is, of course, a figure of
speech that comes from the idea of carrying a written motion out of the hands of the chairperson and laying it away upon a table, there to
wait until it is taken from the table and put back in the hands of the chairperson. Of course, no such action takes place; it is only figurative.
But it signifies taking the motion out of consideration by the assembly, and it has the effect of stopping all action on it. It cannot be
considered again until it is voted “to take the motion
(designating it) from the table,” which again places it in position to be acted upon.
A member wishing thus to dispose of the main motion says, after getting the floor,
“I move to lay the motion upon the table,” or “I move to table the motion.”

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The motion cannot be debated and it cannot be amended. The chairperson must immediately put the motion to a vote, thus: “It is moved to
table the motion. All who are in favor say, ‘Aye‘all who are opposed say, ‘No.’ It is carried, and the motion is tabled.” After this, any other
motion may be taken up. Or, if the vote indicates that the group does not wish to table the motion, the chairperson says, “The motion to
table this action is lost. The main motion is still before us.”
Privileged motions
A fourth class is privilege motions, of which we need to mention only the motion to adjourn. This motion is not debatable, nor can it be
amended (except by a motion to fix the time at which to adjourn), and must immediately be put to a vote.
The motion to adjourn can be made and is in order at any stage of proceedings, either when all business has been finished or while
business is proceeding and another motion is pending, or when nothing is being done. A member simply says, for example: “Mr.
Chairman, I move that we adjourn.” Someone else must say,
“I second the motion.”
The chairperson then says, “There is a motion to adjourn. All in favor say, ‘Aye’; all opposed say, ‘No.’ The motion is carried, and we are
adjourned,” or “The motion is
lost, and we will continue our business.”
When the motion to adjourn is carried, that is the end of the meeting, unless there are some necessary announcements or concluding
ceremonies.
When there is any motion or any matter of business pending at the time adjournment is voted, that motion or business becomes the
unfinished business to be taken up first at the next meeting.
The motion to adjourn may be called for by the chairperson whenever the business has been finished, when, if no one voluntarily moves to
adjourn, the chairperson may say, “Our business is now completed. Is there a motion to adjourn?”
Appointment of committees
There are two classes of committees. The first is the standing committee, which is appointed for a definite term and is empowered to
conduct its business as designated during that time. The second, a special committee, sometimes called an ad hoc committee, may be
elected or appointed for temporary and specific duties. Either kind of committee may be instructed to report to the body appointing it or be
empowered by that body to take action as designated.
Creating committees
A standing committee may be, for example, a committee on library or a committee on entertainment or a program committee. Whatever it
is, its duties must be defined. It is thereafter expected to function without instruction, though the AYM committee may, whenever desired,
refer pertinent matters to it for action.
However, the AYM committee should appoint standing committees only when their need is evident and there is something to be done that
requires continuous attention. Otherwise a special committee may be appointed for a specific purpose and, when the duty is performed,
the special committee makes its report and either automatically ceases to function or may be dismissed by vote. For example, a special
committee may be a nominating committee, a committee on constitution and bylaws, or an entertainment committee for a special occasion.
Standing committees are usually established by the AYM committee at the time the new officers have their first meeting, but they may be
appointed at any time there is a need. In some instances they may be appointed by the AYM committee in a business session, though this
is not usually the case. Special committees are appointed in the way provided for in the motion creating them. Very often the person
making the motion provides that the committee shall be “appointed by the chair,” or that it “be appointed from the floor,” in which case
members may nominate the committee members one by one, and each name is voted on by the group. It is possible for the person making
the motion to name the committee members in the motion, though this is rather arrogant and is not commonly done.
The most common way is for the chair to appoint.
Special committees are expected to report their findings to the body that appointed them, unless power to act is voted at the time they are
established (and even then they should report that they have acted as directed). If power to act is voted, terms of reference, that is,
reference to the authority given that committee, should be clearly outlined in the motion that grants the power.
Appointment
After the motion to create a committee has been passed, the committee must then be appointed or elected as the action indicates. If the
chairperson is to appoint the committee, he or she may take a little time while other business goes on to consider candidates before
announcing the committee membership. If the AYM committee is to elect the committee, the chairperson should call for nominations, and
each name should be voted upon.
Chairperson
The first member named is to chair the committee, unless otherwise stated by the appointing power, and is responsible for calling the
committee together and for seeing that its business is conducted. At their first meeting, the committee members should select a secretary

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from their number, who is to keep a record of their work and, with the chairperson, prepare a report to present to the AYM committee (or
other body as designated by the AYM committee).
Committee report
If a committee is ready to report when the AYM committee chairperson calls for committee reports, it is customary for the committee
chairperson to rise, address the chair, and say, “Our committee is ready to report.” Whereupon the committee secretary presents a report
and moves its adoption. If the secretary does not move that the report be adopted, any other member of that committee may do so.
Quorum
A quorum is the number or proportion of the organization membership that is required to do business. Any organization may fix its own
quorum as less or more.
A quorum is not necessarily the majority of members, but the number of members that the organization determines as adequate for
business transactions to be legal.
Any action taken by the AYM committee when there is no quorum is invalid.
However, in order for it to be recorded as invalid in the secretary’s records, the matter must be brought up at a meeting when a quorum is
present, and the point made that no quorum was present when that action was taken. The action is then declared invalid, either by the
chairperson or by vote of the AYM committee. In some cases, the AYM committee members may want the action to stand—that is,
declared valid. If the action is to stand, the common consent of the society must be given, which means that no one objects to the point of
“no quorum.”
To avoid this problem, the chairperson should always determine that a quorum is present before any business is conducted.
Ruling upon order
The chairperson is sometimes called upon to decide whether a motion or some person talking while a motion is being discussed is “out of
order.” According to parliamentary law, this means, in the case of a motion, that the particular motion is not permitted at that time. (One
reason, for example, is that another motion may be on the floor for discussion.) In the case of discussion of a motion, it means that the
person who is discussing it is not talking to the point, but is discussing something else.
Anyone wishing to make this point of order rises and says, for example: “Mr. Chairman/Madam Chair, I rise to a point of order.”
The chairperson then says, “Please state your point of order.”
The member replies: “I think this motion is out of order because. . .” and gives the reason, or says, “I think the gentleman (or the lady) is
not talking to the question.”
The chairperson then makes a judgment and says, “The chair rules that the motion is in order” or “not in order.” Or “The point is well taken.
The gentleman (or the lady) who has the floor will please confine his (or her) remarks to the question under discussion.”
Of course, the chairperson, in order to be able to rule upon points of order, must be familiar with parliamentary law, and that is one reason
why the AYM leader is advised to study fully into this subject. We recommend Robert’s Rules of Order by
Henry M. Robert as the authority on parliamentary law, and his Parliamentary
Practice is very helpful.
10. HOW GOD PREPARES LEADERS
Qualifying
“Your service in the cause of God must be more hearty, full, and thorough.” (Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 215)
All of us should prepare our minds and hearts so that we will be knowledgeable in regard to the work for this time, preparing ourselves to
do that of which we are most capable.
A mysterious change
A change that occurs or takes place through the Word is one of the greatest mysteries of the Word of God. “We cannot understand it, we
can only believe that as declared by the Scriptures it is ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory.’ A knowledge of this mystery furnishes a key to
every other. It opens to the soul the treasures of the universe, the possibilities of infinite development.” (My Life Today, p. 26)
God works through simplicity
“But in these words spoken by the greatest Teacher the world has ever known, there is no parade of human eloquence. The language is
plain, and the thoughts and sentiments are marked with the greatest simplicity. . . . He taught them as one having authority, speaking the
words of eternal life.” (Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 254)
“If the youth would become strong in mind, pure in morals, firm in spiritual power, let them follow the example of Jesus in His simplicity.”
(Sons and Daughters of God, p. 132)

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“Carry forward your work in humility. Never rise above the simplicity of the gospel of Christ. Not in the art of display, but in lifting up Christ,
the sin-pardoning Redeemer, will you find success in winning souls. As you work for God in humility and lowliness of heart, He will
manifest himself to you.” (Gospel Workers, p. 355)
Vitality in small things
The work to which as Christians we are called is to co-operate with Christ for the salvation of souls . . . . But in order to accomplish this
work we must follow His example of faithful, conscientious attention to the little things. This is the secret of success in every line of
Christian effort and influence.” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 358)
“Great truth must be brought into little things.” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 359.
God requires promptness
“. . . If anything is accomplished to the purpose, it must be done at the golden moment. The slightest inclination of the weight in the
balance should be seen, and should determine the matter at once. Long delays tire the angels. It is even more excusable to make a wrong
decision sometimes than to be continually in a wavering position; to be hesitating, sometimes in one direction, then in another . . . “
“I have been shown that the most signal victories and the most fearful defeats have been on the turn of minutes. God requires promptness
of action. Delays, doubting, hesitation, and indecision frequently give the enemy every advantage . . . ” (Gospel Workers, p. 134)
The way in which He has led
As we review our history, after contemplating the stages of our growth and seeing the progress that we have made and where we are
today, we should praise the Lord! Ellen White offers this encouragement: “As I see what God has wrought, I am filled with astonishment,
and with confidence in Christ as leader. We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us”
(Testimonies to Ministers, p. 31).
God Guides
� Psalm 43:3
� Proverbs 8:20
� Isaiah 42:16
� Isaiah 48:17
� Psalm 25:9
� Psalm 73:24
� Isaiah 58:11
� John 16:13
The finite with the infinite

“Whatever line of investigation we pursue, with a sincere purpose to arrive at truth, we are brought in touch with the unseen, mighty
intelligence that is working in and through all. The mind of man is brought into communion with the mind of God, the finite with the infinite.
The effect of such communion on body and mind and souls is
beyond estimate” (Education, p. 14).
These Bible text also offer helpful perspectives:
� Philippians 2:5
� Hebrews 8:10
Cultivation of the mind

“It is the true elevation of the mind, not an affectation of superiority, that makes the man. The proper cultivation of the mental powers
makes man all that he is.” (Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 438)
“Mental culture is what we as a people need, and what we must have in order to meet the demands of the time.” (Gospel Workers, p. 280)
“The highest culture of the mind, if sanctified through the love and the fear of God, receives His fullest approval.” (Fundamentals of
Christian
Education, p. 47)
“For the mind and the soul, as well as for the body, it is God’s law that strength is acquired by effort. It is exercise that develops. In
harmony with this law, God has provided in His word the means for mental and spiritual development.” (Education, p. 123)
“The human mind becomes dwarfed and enfeebled when dealing with commonplace matters only, never rising above the level of the
things of time and sense to grasp the mysteries of the unseen. The understanding is gradually brought to the level of the subjects with
which it is constantly familiar. The mind will contract its powers and lose its ability
if it is not exercised to acquire additional knowledge and put to the stretch to comprehend the revelations of divine power in nature and in
the Sacred Word.” (Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 546)

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Mental development
“God is displeased with those who are too careless or indolent to become efficient, well-informed workers. The Christian should possess
more intelligence and keener discernment than the worlding. The study of God’s word is continually expanding the mind and strengthening
the intellect.”
(Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 545)
The Holy Spirit and the mind
“The Holy Spirit has brought decidedly to your minds the important, vital truths for this time. Is this knowledge to be bound up in a napkin
and hidden in the earth? No, No. It is to be put out to the exchangers.
As man used his talents, however small, with faithfulness, the Holy Spirit takes the things of God, and presents them anew to the mind.
Through His Spirit God makes His word a vivifying power. It is quick and powerful, exerting a strong influence upon minds, not because of
the learning or intelligence of the human agent, but because divine power is working with the human power. And it is to the divine power
that all praise is to be given.” (Testimonies, vol. 8, p. 55)
Discipline of the mind
“To keep your heart in heaven, will give vigor to all your graces, and put life into all your duties. To discipline the mind to dwell upon
heavenly things, will put life and earnestness into all our endeavors.” (Review and
Herald, March 29, 1870)
� Colossians 3:2
� 1 Peter 1:13
Today there is a never ending battle for the mind. Whoever controls the mind, controls the person. The media has a tremendous influence
on all society and has advertised, legalized, glamorized, and popularized sin so much that the continual bombardment of the mind results
in imperceptible changes. Peter counsels, “Gird up the loins of the mind”
(1 Peter 1:13), and Paul gives us subjects upon which the mind should dwell in Philippians 4:8. (See also Messages to Young People, p.
285).
Mental courage
� 2 Thessalonians 2:1, 22
� Timothy 1:7
� Isaiah 26:3
Esteem for others

� Philippians 2:3
� 1 Peter 3:8
Especially for senior youth
“They may reach to the highest point of intellectual greatness; and if balanced by religious principle they can carry forward the work which
Christ came from Heaven to accomplish, and in thus doing be co-workers with the Master.”
(Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 48)
11. TRIBAL LEADERSHIP
Dave Logan, John King, and Halee Fischer-Wright produced the transformative book, Tribal Leadership, which provides vocabulary to help
leaders not only lead but manage their teams. These principles can all be transferred into senior youth ministry leadership and the support
of the these key leaders in the local congregation.
First, two key terms need to be defined: tribe and tribal leadership. A tribe is any group of 20-150 people. Second, tribal leadership focuses
on the language and behavior of your tribe.
When leading your senior youth group or team (tribe), listen to the language used and help them decide what level they are at and how to
move to the next level.
There are five stages.
Stage 1
This represents 2% of professionals, when they cluster together they display behaviors that express hostility. Gangs would be a class
example. They cut off social ties.
Stage 2
This represents 25% of professionals, they seem to be surrounded by people who have some power they lack. They believe other’s lives
seem to be working. When they cluster together their behavior is characteristic of being apathetic victims.
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Stage 3
This represents 49% of professionals, usually connected to people in a series of dyadic (two-person) relationships. While they believe they
are great . . . they also believe that you are not. When they cluster together they attempt to outperform one another and put others down.
Sometimes with humor, each time striving for dominance.
Stage 4
This represents 22% of professionals. They form person structures called triads, in which they build value-based relationships between
others. When they cluster together . . . their ethos implies that others are great too, but they express group pride.
Stage 5
This represents 2% of professionals. Non-profits would fall in this area. The Church should be in this zone. Very similar to stage 4 but there
is no “they”. They form networks with anyone who shares the same values. Competitors are irrelevant and they have innocent
wonderment.
Senior youth ministry has the potential to operate at stages four and five easily, simply because of the call from Jesus and the motive for
ministry.
The authors suggest that everyone must journey through all five stages to truly experience the stage four and five potential. Stages four
and five rotate around the idea that we do things for a higher cause. If you as a leader are struggling to motivate and influence change, ask
yourself and seek counsel from others about the authenticity of the goal or task. If Jesus is the cornerstone of your ministry— not yourself
or personal gain—then you are in stage four/five.
Jesus called you to lead the present and future of His church. It exists to shape the world and to show that Jesus is the source of life and
only hope for total restoration. Keep yourself as a leader in check by aiming for stage four/five quality.
Do that by following Jesus. He is the higher cause and noble quest of all we do.
Resolve all conflicts by going to Jesus and seeking His wisdom with an open heart.
Keep the passion and honest love for your youth and young adults ever present in the forefront of your mind and heart and Jesus will bless
your leadership.
Remember, it is not about you; it’s about the one, true cornerstone, Jesus Christ.
12. LEADERSHIP PARADIGM SHIFT
Shifting paradigms is not for the light hearted. What appears in the text below is for your honest consideration. It will not work for everyone.
Leonard Sweet, in one of his most thought provoking books, I Am A Follower, suggests that we consider leadership outside of the regular
realm—focusing instead of followership:
The first words Jesus’ disciples heard? ‘Follow me.’
The first words Jesus spoke to Peter? ‘Follow me’
The last words Jesus spoke to Peter? ‘Follow me’ (p. 19)
Jesus wants followers. Jesus does not need leaders who have their own path.
He needs followers who connect with Him.
“The Jesus paradox is that only Christians lead by following.” (p. 21)
For far too long we have used leadership as a tool to get others to do tasks we don’t have time or a desire to do. This often creates leaders
who are stuck in stage two or three, never feeling the freedom of stages four and five that Jesus has called us to. We have made
leadership our king instead of Jesus.
“Its time we owned up to the false category of leader and its idolatry. Leadership is a function. Followership is an identity. If we don’t
recognize this, we are no different from the ancient Israelites in this exchange with God in 1 Samuel 8:
People: “We want a king (leader). Give us a king (leader) like the other nations have.”
God: “They have rejected me as their King (leader).” (p. 34)
When Jesus defines the leader and follower relationship to His disciples, His simple call shows us that He is the one who calls and He is
the one we follow.
This is a leadership paradigm often missed. It is too easy to forget that we should be tied to Jesus each day. To rely on Him as the leader,
to lift Him up instead of our accomplishments, would be the follower spirit. Anything we accomplish is all to His glory. It is wise to embrace
this text in our leadership as a true follower:
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. —John 14:6
There is a simple progression of following Jesus in these three key words, which should not be mistaken for being a linear approach to
discipleship or leadership as they all can and do occur simultaneously. “First belonging (way), then believing (truth), then behaving (life).”
(p. 92)

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Ellen White wrote: “The way to become great and noble is to be like Jesus, pure, holy, and undefiled.” (Letter 7 to J. H. Kellogg, April 26,
1886) Jesus is the model and source of all good we could ever be or do.
13. TOP 11 REASONS YOUNG LEADERS FAIL
If you are a young leader that is having difficulty carrying out your responsibilities, take an honest look at yourself as you read
this list. You may have the best ideas, planning, and organization, but if you make these mistakes you will doom your ministry
before it starts.
learn what’s important and disregard the many small pitfalls along the way.
pitfall# 11. Walk not against the talk.- don’t walk against your talk, live by word, the bible. Jesus lived by his word, the
bible.(walk the talk).
pitfall# 10. You think problems are a bad thing.- Don’t be discouraged by opposition, Jesus faced it all in His ministry.
Critics and unsupportive leaders are always going to exist. Jesus said that we would be persecuted in His name, so you should expect to have
problems as part of a vibrant ministry.
It is when everything is rosy that you have to ask yourself if you are actually making a difference or just killing time. Many ministries go on
for decades without a single problem but never spur any spiritual growth in the church. Although reliable and hassle free, eventually even
these ministries will die out as the members do.
pitfall# 9. You think everyone should be/feel/ think like you.- Only God can separate the chaff from the wheat.
Always strive to be inclusive and impartial, especially if you have not been treated that way. Don’t do to others what has been done to you,
Even if you feel you are right. If what you are doing causes division in the Church community it is not the Lord’s work. Leadership isn’t an all-or-
nothing affair; you must allow people time to grow. Change is very hard for some and fighting over it defeats your holy purpose and
undermines your leadership. Even the best-laid plans cannot work if your congregation will not follow them.
pitfall# 8. You think you know what you’re good at.- The more you give to God, the more He gives you in return. If you take
time to expand your ministry, God will give you talents and develop skills that will amaze you. Too many people never advance past a
certain stage because they only play to their strengths. This type of leader eventually becomes ineffective and burns out. There is always
work to be done and as you mature into new responsibilities, new leaders can rise to learn and grow in your wake.
pitfall# 7. You don’t invest in leadership.-Jesus invested in the 12 disciples and they in turn invested in others. That is how a
movement that started with a handful of average and unremarkable followers exploded into a worldwide church. But there is much that
remains to be done and you cannot do it alone. Always be on the lookout for people to mentor into leadership. More important than ability
is a receptive heart, but no one will be receptive to you unless you are Christ-like to him or her. Remember that investing means that you
give of yourself. You can’t expect people to be excited about leadership simply because you ask them to be, you must be willing to share
time and energy to this venture. People run when they see a leader coming to ask for help with their program, but are much more receptive
to a friend in need of help.
pitfall# 6. You don’t think you can.-The talents that allow you to be a leader were given to you by God for this very function. By
using them to help others, you are glorifying His name! Nothing is more fulfilling than carrying out the purpose for which you were created.
Keep this in mind when you feel inadequate or unsure of your calling to serve.
Before you start your duties, take a moment to reflect on the wonder that is God working through you. Pray with your team for forgiveness
and guidance and ask God to cleanse your mind of anything that may stand in the way of your work. Then go into your task confident in
the knowledge that God made you for that very moment.
pitfall# 5. You think you can help God.-You are to be a conduit for the Spirit to do His holy work, a work you could never do.
This is an important distinction; God can change people, you cannot. Your job is simply to bridge the gap between people and God by
creating an atmosphere that is inviting to both parties—just as Jesus did. You should always go out of your way to craft an environment
that is warm and inviting to all. Keep in mind that not everybody is at the same point spiritually, so try to cater to the basic and advanced.
Remember there are some people that will never be what you want them to be; it is your job to help them find what God made them to be.
pitfall# 4. You think bigger is better. Too often success is judged by the amount of attendees or by the size of the production.
More lives have been changed by a small prayer group with no program at all than by a grand show with professional lighting and staging.

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Starting small and growing a close-knit community is often more productive in the long run than putting on a big show. The important thing
is that you learn to adapt to the situation. Learn to do your job whether you are in a large auditorium or small room. Jesus said, “For where
two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”
pitfall# 3. You live two lives.-You cannot give what you don’t have. This principle seems simple enough but many people don’t
understand that God—although kind and loving, forgiving and long-suffering—can’t be made a fool of. Trying to pretend that you are
something you are not will always end in failure. In order to affect any spiritual progress in the lives of the people you are leading there
must be steady and continuous spiritual progress in yours. A daily devotional routine and strong prayer life are the corner stones of a
strong spiritual leader. You cannot carry out your tasks successfully on your own, so keep God close and learn to depend on His power.
pitfall# 2. You think the program/event is your ministry.- Many people think—and most of our training events and
conferences teach—that leadership is about programming. This is absolutely the wrong focus and leads to the mindset that the word
“church” refers to a building when in fact it is a community of believers. Programming is the means, not the ends. It is a conduit to gather
people together, and is certainly a unifying cause, but not as important as the actual gathering. Too often a program is treated like a
concert or a play. The problem with this is that people attend and depart these events as strangers. That is not ministry. We should view
programs and events like a family dinner, an excuse to be together with the ones you love. If we focus on the event, we lose sight of the
family. Would you rather have a five-star, gourmet Thanksgiving dinner with strangers or your mom’s dry turkey with your family?
The people in the pew are infinitely more important than the program. Everything that happens on stage should be weighed against the
benefit of the group. We can never compete with the world in terms of entertainment, but the world can never compete with the power of
the Holy Spirit to move people through holy gatherings.
pitfall# 1. You think it’s about you.-This is the most common problem that young leaders face; too many leaders confuse their
own ambition with the call of the Holy Spirit. There is simply no room for pride in true leadership. The best, most honored leaders
understand that their competence measured by the accomplishments of those they are leading. It is their ability to bring out the best in
others rather than their own talents that makes good leaders special. A good leader leads the very best and the very worst equally well,
and can guide a unit to become greater than the sum of its parts. You alone could never achieve what a group of people can. Remember
that.
Whether you’re a Pathfinder director or vespers coordinator, you must never forget that the most important person is not the one speaking
up front but the individual sitting in the pew. As such, it is essential that you know whom you are serving. Take time to get to know your
audience and their needs and always put them before your preferences. Chase away the black pangs of jealousy that come when others
succeed with honest and humble prayer. The moment you care more about yourself than the child of Christ in the pew next to you, is the
moment you have stopped being a leader. You may ask God to give you a ministry and be surprised—as I was—when instead, He gives
you a love for people.
14. CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP IS IN TOUCH WITH GOD

Those engaged in the work of God cannot serve His cause acceptably unless they make the best use possible of the religious privileges
they enjoy. We are as trees planted in the garden of the Lord; and He comes to us seeking the fruit He has a right to expect. His eye is
upon each of us; He reads our hearts and understands our lives. This is a solemn search, for it has reference to duty and to destiny; and
with what interest is it prosecuted. —Ellen G.
White, Christian Leadership, p. 4
leadership : networking
Leadership for Today’s Youth
by Hiskia Missah
The Importance of Youth Leadership in the 21st Century
The 21st century is an interesting era, which is known by many as the era of digital technology, the era of information. People
are communicating far and wide with limitless numbers of people around the globe with much ease and amazing speed. There

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are no limits, no borders, and no hierarchical boundaries. People can communicate to anybody in the world without following
any protocol and procedures. This is the era of modern technology where knowledge is in abundance.
Young people are sending and receiving messages through blogging, e-mails, texting, etc. They are continually making
connections and do a lot of networking and sharing of information with everybody else on earth.
But there are several things we need to be aware of:
1. modern technology cannot eliminate all problems in the world, such as the problems of disease, poverty,
financial crisis, crime, drug addictions, etc.
2. The basic needs of the youth remain the same from one generation to another—they need to be loved and
recognized as individuals, yet they love to work together as a group. They need to belong to a group or
organization which can accommodate their aspirations and utilize their knowledge, skills and talents to make a
better world for mankind.
3. With the abundance of information young people get from the internet, they need guidance and supervision.
Therefore, this is a great challenge for youth leadership in the 21 century to lead, guide, and direct youth in the
st
right path.
Profileofthe21st Century Youth
Millennial Generation
The youth of the 21st century are called the millennial generation. They are the youth who were born between the years 1982to 2001. They are a
generation who has grown up with structure and supervision, and with parents who were their role models. They are the youth who are looking for leaders
with honesty and integrity. They are the youth who would like to emulate them and they adapt very well.
Civic Minded People
This millennial generation is the most civic-minded people with high ideals— wanting to eliminate AIDS, raises money to help the hungry, and they want to
see justice prevail. They are ready and willing to be involved in any humanitarian efforts. When they receive information about natural calamities, disease,
or poverty, they are eager to do something and to have their contributions change the world for the better. They have dreams of a world with no more
sickness, pain, and suffering. They readily join themselves in any community service done outside of their own countries.
Internet Society
According to The Pitcairn Journal, December 2009, “There are 190 billion e-mails sent daily—more than 2million per second, by 1.2billion e-mail senders.
About 70 percent (133billion e-mails) are spam and viruses. There are about 1.4billion registered e-mail addresses.” Most of these e-mail senders are young
people. They can easily and quickly come together because of networking through the internet, telephone, SMS, MMS,
Blackberry Messenger, etc. They spend much time in chat rooms, even with people they do not know.
They Are Lovers of New Ideas and New Things
They love to know and try new things—things they have never done before, things that are difficult, new ideas that have to be developed— and they love to
be challenged.
A Networking Society
They love the idea of working together in a group setting. They want to work with people they click with and they like the idea of supporting one another.
This is a generation who believes in putting their minds, talents, ideas, and challenges together. Their key word is “We.” We can work together, we have the
same goal, together we will create a better world. They love to have brainstorming sessions where they can come up with ideas bigger than themselves.
Direction of Leadership is now prone to cooperative involvement rather than an individual one.
This is a generation who believes in putting their minds, talents, ideas, and
challenges together.
Their key word is “We.” We can work together, we have the same goal,
together we will create a better world.
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Strategies for the Youth Leadership in The 21st Century

Develop Role Model of Leadership Dictionary.com defines the term “role model” as “a person whose behavior, example, or success is or can be emulated by others,
especially by younger people.” Leaders should be good role models for youth. Leaders should be trusted. Young people want to see action and not only
instruction. One of the most powerful things you can do is to lead by example. Teach them by showing and not by telling,
because as leaders, we have to practice what we preach. The way you lead and live will be the most you can possibly expect from the youth.
Whatever you do, young people will follow. “The youth should be educated by precept and example that they are to be agents for God, messengers of mercy, ready for
every good word and work, that they are to be blessings to those who are ready to perish.” E. G. White, The Review and Herald, November 21, 1893.
Provide Heroic Tasks for Civicminded Youth Provide activities for this millennial generation in community service. This will benefit the public as well as
the church community. These activities can give much satisfaction to youth knowing that they can make a difference in the lives of others.
In doing these kinds of activities, they gain other benefits such as knowing their surrounding better, making friends with many people, and gaining access
to civic leaders that will prove to be beneficial to them and to the church in the future. There are various community service ideas which can be done by
our youth. To learn more, visit: http://lancaster.unl.edu/4h/serviceideas.shtml.
Have the Ability to Master New Technologies
Leaders should have the ability to master new technologies, especially in the area of information technology. The world we live in has significantly changed.
New digital technology has been introduced to every place around the globe, and the internet has radically changed the way we communicate with one
another in all parts of the world. Young people love and support leaders who are proactive, creative, and innovative.
Technology is developing rapidly every day and people’s lifestyles are changing as well. Leaders should know how to use modern high tech gadgets or at
least learn about them. Leaders should make themselves aware of technologies used by youth pertaining to social networking, blogging, e-mail,
Myspace, Face Book, Twitter, Bebo, Ehow, YouTube, etc.
Learn and Know how to Create new Ideas and New Activities Leaders should know how to create new ideas and new activities for youth in the 21st
century. New ideas and activities are countless. We are living in the modern world where information is in abundance and much information is easily
available. Take time to surf through the immense amount of ideas by using the Internet and learn from many sources how to generate new ideas and
activities for the 21st century youth. Involve young people these goals as well.
Work Together in Shared Leadership
Leaders will work together in shared leadership to learn how to partner with others to achieve goals. In shared leadership, each member of the group
contributes. Sharing visions, setting goals and achieving them together, attract youth to join the group and support its endeavors. A group functions more
effectively when all its members are involved and actively participating.
15. IT’S A WIN-WIN
If we, as youth leaders do our jobs consistently and effectively, our youth will want to step up, and they will be successful and effective. Apollos ended up
becoming a huge spiritual blessing to others and became an effective disciple (verses 27-28) and his leadership grew to become crucially important in the
formation of the early church (1 Corinthians 1:11-12; 3).
You and I want nothing less for our youth. By understanding and effectively applying these powerful principles of youth leadership:
1. Recognizing gifts
2. Building effective and authentic relationships
3. Within the context of those relationships, teaching deeper spiritual truths
4. Allowing youth to own their roles
5. Supporting and encouraging them in those roles
We will not only prepare this generation to effectively, consistently and joyfully lead but also—and more importantly—to lead an effective, consistent
and joyful Christian life. The Christian writer, Ellen White made two powerful observations about our youth:
• “Preachers, or laymen advanced in years, cannot have one-half the influence upon the young that the youth, devoted to God, can have upon their
associates.” (Messages to Young People: 204.1)
• “With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Savior
might be carried to the whole world!” (Education: 271.2)
I know that your greatest hopes and dreams for your youth are the same as the Apostle Paul’s for the Colossian Christians when he wrote: “He [Jesus] is the
one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end, I strenuously
contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me” (Colossians 1:28-29, NIV).

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You and I are only in leadership for a specific season. By following God’s fabulous five principles for youth leadership development, we’ll be working
smarter--not harder- -and making the most of the time (Psalm 90:1 & Ephesians 5:15-16), energies and gifts that God has given us.
Create space for God
If the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy
1. What do you need to stop doing to create space for GOD?

2. What do you need to start doing to create space for God?
Deal with sin: Martin Luther are

said that Christians should set aside time each day to reflect on the Ten Commandments and ask GOD to reveal which they had broken
1. Make GOD your number one

2. Don’t put anything else before him
3. Never use God’s name as a swear word

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16. RECLAIMING OUR YOUTH

youth apostasy and recovery of backslidden youth
Being born into an Adventist family doesn’t make conversion or baptism automatic. Our own young people need conversion
and retention. Today there is an eerie sense that the youth are leaving the church. It’s time to face up to the reality and take
significant steps to reclaim our lost youth.
THE YOUTH OF THE SEVENTH-DAY Adventist Church are its greatest asset and its hope. Consider Ellen
White’s perspective regarding young people:
“With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Savior might
be carried to the whole world!”
“Preachers, or laymen advanced in years, cannot have one-half the influence upon the young that the youth, devoted to God, can have upon their
associates.”
“The church is languishing for the help of [young men and young women] who will bear a courageous testimony, who will with their ardent zeal stir up
the sluggish energies of God’s people, and so increase the power of the church in the world.”
It seems obvious that a church so committed to the Great Commission would put youth at the center of its evangelistic endeavors. Yet most evangelism
in the Western church focuses on adults, not young people. As a result, instead of being one generation from the kingdom, we are one generation from
extinction.
Being born into an Adventist family doesn’t make conversion or baptism automatic. Our own young people need conversion and retention. Today there
is an eerie sense that the youth are leaving the church. It’s time to face up to the reality and take significant steps to reclaim our lost youth. Determining
how many youth really leave the church is difficult. We are hesitant to drop the name of an inactive or missing youth, and the name won’t even be
recorded until the young person has been baptized—a decision a growing number of youth postpone until late teens.
The first serious attempt to discover how many youth are inactive was a 10-year longitudinal study undertaken by Roger Dudley at the Institute of
Church Ministry at Andrews University. Funded by the North American Division,
Dudley obtained names and addresses of 1,523 baptized young people, ages 15 and 16. Approximately half attended Adventist academies, with the other
half attending public schools.
At the midpoint of the longitudinal study, when the original 15- and 16-year-olds were 20 and 21 years old, self perceived standing with the Adventist
Church showed approximately one fourth as enthusiastic members, one half as so-so members, and the remaining one fourth divided between being on
the books but not in heart (16 percent) and dropped out (10 perc e n t ) .Add to this “inactive” one fourth an estimated half of those who dropped out of

~ 28 ~
the study after the first year. This results in a “guesstimate” of 38 percent dropout during the five years between ages 15-16 to 20-21.(This most accurate
statistic to date is still quite nebulous . )
The Value genesis study included a projection of one’s intension for future church participation. The results indicate that 27 percent of today’s 12 to 18-
year-olds are not planning to be in the church when they are 40 years old.
Figures for those who leave the church in many congregations and conferences range between 35 and 65 percent. One congregation claimed that
generating a list of youth who had left the church would be easy, since they didn’t lose many of their youth. After two meetings the youth committee had
compiled a list of 135 names of youth who no longer attended church. In this church 40 percent of the youth had left over a five-year period.
The time that a young person leaves varies from culture to culture and country to country, but some believe the critical period is at the end of high
school, as youth either enter the work force or begin tertiary study.8 As young people assert their independence, one of the ways they do it is by
questioning and often rejecting the values and beliefs of their parents.
1. REASONS FOR YOUTH LEAVING THE CHURCH
In just the past five years a number of studies have given us an insight into what it is that induces, drives, or just encourages youth to sever their
connection with the church. The young adult Value genesis results from the South Pacific Division gave us the following reasons (these are in
descending order, with the reason most often given at the top and the response that occurred the least at the bottom):
• Adult members are living phony lives.
• The church places too much emphasis on nonessentials.
• The attitudes of older members are critical and uncaring.
• Church leaders are preoccupied with organization and not concerned with people.
• Worship services are dull and meaningless.
• I do not want to be a hypocrite.
• The church is too restrictive.
• I’m attracted to a different lifestyle.
• I do not have any real friends at church.
• The church does not allow me to think for myself.
A simple factor analysis of the data revealed five main factors:
• Control: not allowed to think for self, problem with the doctrines, and emphasis on nonessentials
• Lack of caring
• Lack of meaning and purpose
• Personal integrity
• Control: discipline, family problems, too restrictive
In 1973 Ila Zbaraschuk’s research estimated that 50 percent of Adventist adolescents sever their connection with the church for such reasons as:
• Church membership without personal conversion
• Impersonal, uncaring attitude on the part of older members
• Phony-appearing lives of adult members
• No sense of relevance to needs
• Religion not making a difference in own life and not wanting to be a hypocrite
• Absence of thinking for oneself
• misplaced emphasis with nonessentials too important
• Academy (church school) disciplinary methods
• Preoccupation with organization on the part of leaders
• Quality of sermons
A comparison between the two sets of results shows that many of the same reasons are given, but there are some major shifts. Many youth cite the fact of
a lack of friends at church as a major reason for not wanting to attend— an emphasis on the importance of relationships.
Others speak of the irrelevance of the church to their daily lives and also of the meaningless worship rituals.
Others experienced trauma or crisis and felt that the church did not respond to their needs. Still others cite the family as being such that they do not want
to belong to the church. Many use any or a number of these reasons as an excuse to experiment with the world.
Some studies highlight the family as a key in understanding why young people leave or stay in the church.
Brad Strahan has surveyed more than 200 college students in an attempt to see if there is a connection between the relationship that young people have
with their parents and their images of God. He is convinced that the quality of the parent-child bond is a more powerful predictor of whether or not there
will be a positive faith in the child than the religiosity of the parent. The young person’s understanding of God is greatly enhanced when they have a
model of God’s love demonstrated to them.

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The most effective parenting style for building the faith and the psychological and emotional health of the youth is one that is high on care
(shows affection and warmth) and at the same time allows freedom and empowers youth to be independent.
Many Adventist homes are seen by young people as restrictive and not caring. They feel that their parents view faith as more important than they, the
children. Even the temptation to be protective or overly protective, if balanced with warmth and love, can make youth more dependent and less able to
make decisions, and affects sons more than daughters. Strahan is convinced that if the parents use religion to control, the young person will use religion
to assert his/her independence.
2.THE ATTITUDE OF THE LOCAL CHURCH
John Savage has studied what happens in the church when someone leaves. Out of the youth’s personal anxiety, and perhaps from events even separate
from the church, there comes a “cry for help.” This can be obvious and audible, but it is often indirect. If the church fails to recognize and respond to the
cry for help, the hurting youth begins a predictable dropout track that ultimately leads to a self-protective decision to leave the church. If the church
responds at this stage, it may avert the loss; however, the church frequently screens out the cry and the young person. Because of this rejection, the
young person stops coming to church.
The church begins to feel the pain of rejection when the young person continues to skip church. In reaction, the church may punish the young person for
rejecting it.
When this occurs, the young person becomes angry as she/he feels further rejected, hurt, and misunderstood. In the next step, the young person goes into
denial, saying that it doesn’t matter and acting as if she/he doesn’t care.
This whole process can happen in as quickly as six weeks and end in permanent withdrawal or apostasy. If the young person is not visited or if the
problem remains unresolved during this time, she/he will feel that the decision to leave the church is a correct one. Savage has shown convincingly that
visitation by a person with good listening skills any time in this first six weeks can facilitate the return of the youth to the church family.
3. BUILDING A PROFILE OF MISSING YOUTH
To reach and reclaim missing youth it is necessary to know who they are! Youth who have not attended for five years or more may prove harder to
reach. Start with a list of youth who have left the church in the past five years.
If you have been in a particular youth ministry setting for a number of years, you may already have a good idea of who these people are. However, most
local church youth leaders are in the position for only a short period of time, and so the following steps may be useful.
• Step 1. Consult the church clerk’s records—these should have the names of all baptized youth. Sabbath school record cards may include the names of
youth who may not have been baptized. You will need to construct a list of the missing youth. Remember that all youth are not the same and must be
seen as individuals.
• Step 2. Sell the reclamation concept to your youth team and let them know how many youth already have left. Brainstorm to recall other names that
may have been missed.
• Step 3. Involve your youth group leadership team in prayer and strategy for contact with missing youth.
• Step 4. Contact each missing young person—personal contact is best. Let them know that you are interested in them. Invite them to a fellowship
activity first so that relationship can be established. Ensure that their friends at church make contact as well.
The record blank at the end of this chapter will help your leadership team keep up with what is happening and who is being visited.
4. HOW DO YOU MAKE A FRIENDSHIP VISIT?
Roger Dudley’s study has revealed that only about 15 percent of youth who stop coming to church ever receive a follow-up visit or even a call from
anyone at church.
That means that 85 percent never have anyone visit or say that they cared. Some who decide to return to church find it difficult, if not impossible, to
break in. Before your visit, spend time in prayer for the person you are visiting.10 Explain that you have missed the person at church and that you and
the youth team have decided to visit all the youth who haven’t been at church for a while. Your approach may not make much difference if you are
praying for the person and if you are sincerely friendly. One important step: before leaving, let the person know that you have enjoyed the visit and that
you will be back. Try to work out the best time to get together.
The visit at first should never be more than 30 minutes; 20 minutes is better. Do not do all the talking yourself.
Discuss what she/he is interested in, and you will be surprised how soon she/he will bring the conversation to things that have to do with Christ. This
isn’t a “green light” to initiate a Bible study. The purpose of your visit is to create and interest by your friendship so that she/he will want to come back
to church for consistent spiritual involvement.
5. DEVELOPMENT THEORY
There has been considerable research in recent years into the developmental stages of adolescence, providing an understanding of what is happening in
the lives of young people.
An adolescent11 has been described as a person who is no longer a child but not yet an adult.
She/he is caught developmentally between the two stages, with all the confusion of not really belonging to either, sometimes wishing to return to
childhood and at the same time struggling for independence as an adult.

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Erik Erikson, a pioneer in psychosocial development, saw life developing through a series of crises that one must master before progressing to the next.
He identified the crisis of identity as being the major issue for adolescents.
Erikson saw adolescents as being caught between the sense of competence and achievement of childhood and the crisis of intimacy faced by the young
adult.
“Identity” as described by Erikson would give rise to a feeling of inner firmness or of “being together” as a self. It
communicates to others a sense of integration or personal unity.13 The crisis of identity formation involves the adolescent in a number of issues, from
gaining a perspective of his/her uniqueness, to a commitment to a sexual orientation and its associated roles, to a primitive ideological position or basic
philosophy of life, to a vocational direction.
It is part of finding one’s own identity that pushes young people to challenge the values of the parents and seek to incorporate a value system of their
own. It is clear, however, that many youth who question their parents’ values and beliefs ultimately accept them as their own.
John Westerhoff lists four stages of faith, and the primary one that adolescents work through is the third, which he calls “searching faith.” This is
characterized by doubt and questioning, experimentation with alternate views, and the concept of the need for commitment to people or causes. It comes
as no surprise that young people question everything. This can be a particularly hard time for parents and church leaders if they do not understand what
is happening.
The young person needs room to move and stretch, to question and challenge, and the church and the home should work in concert to create an
atmosphere that will enable this. The young person should feel safe as she/he asks questions and seeks answers. Part of the leader’s role is to let youth
know that they do not have answers to every question and that sometimes there are no answers, but faith hangs on to the evidence it has.
Religious educator Sharon Parks provides a model that demonstrates cognitive development for higher education that goes beyond the general field of
formal operational thinking (à la Piaget). This model presents four stages. Because higher education is driven by a search for truth, questioning is the
norm. The model by Parks may not be relevant or helpful for those outside of higher education, but many find it quite descriptive of the higher education
experience.
The four stages move from external authority to internal authority. The first stage can be described as “dualistic”— yes and no, right and wrong—with
no ambiguity.
Truth can always be defined, explained, and applied to every situation. If there are any questions beyond your understanding, a higher (external)
authority can provide the correct answer (truth).
Most idealistic college freshmen that hold to this stage soon find their world attacked on all sides. Almost any professor can (and should) challenge such
thinking.
Most fellow students can provide exceptional situations in which the “correct answers” become inadequate.
For example, consider many of the Adventist lifestyle issues. Nonattendance at movie theaters hardly stands up to video usage (sometimes in college
classes), campus entertainment, and even evangelistic series conducted in the local theater. Dancing is verboten, but the grand marches and skating
sponsored by the college seem similar to some dance forms; gymnastics is a physical education class, plus, the school does recruiting and witnessing
with its gymnastic team; and cultural events at the school include folk dances from various countries.
Some try to contort their comfortable dualistic world to meet every exception, but reality soon exceeds the flexibility available. It’s no wonder that most
collegiate move into the second stage before the end of their first year of school, if not sooner.
The second stage can be described as “questioning.” It’s a world of relativism. Knowing that exceptions abound, the budding young adult is gun-shy of
being certain about anything. The higher education zeitgeist of questioning everything seems far more advanced than the simplistic world of dualism. In
fact, answers are no longer important.
What really matters is questions. The best way to respond to a question is with another question. The annoying adjective “sophomoric” aptly describes
this stage.
The inductive method of education has clever appeal.
Looking back to the first stage, a stage-two person has a certain fondness for the “good ol’ days” of childhood simplicity mixed with a sense of maturity
for shedding that immature skin.
Unfortunately, looking ahead gives a distorted view of reality. Clear perception is only possible looking back. As
a result, those still in stage one perceive those in stage two as rebellious humanists who have abandoned the absolutes of the church, Scripture, and even
God. From the way they talk and question everything, it appears that they have no faith and already have left the church, or at least the church would be
better if they did. It’s a major challenge to keep stage-two people involved in the church. They’re not looking for answers, only questions.
And the questions they ask make everyone in the comforts of dualism uncomfortable. The only Sabbath school class that would welcome them would be
the skeptics, if a particular church has such a class. This is the world of the typical collegiate.
After spending a good deal of time wallowing in relativism, real truth seekers eventually tire of the tossing about and instability incumbent to relativism.
Having crossed many cognitive seas, they are ready to set anchor in an area in which they can place some confidence, although not to the degree of being
absolutely certain. They are aware of other perspectives, but they have enough evidence upon which to make at least some type of commitment.

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This third stage can be termed “commitment within relativism.” From here a stage-three person can look back with a sense of loss to the simple days of
childhood in which dualism was adequate. Just thinking of relativism can nauseate them, provided they are fed up enough with it. Yet, they are also
grateful that relativism has prepared them to live in the real world rather than denying so much in order to maintain dualism. They appreciate the current
peace of making a commitment with the understanding that much is still relative.
For those in stage one the person in stage three seems to be somewhat correct but slipping toward unbelief. If
only they wouldn’t allow for exceptions they could be “true believers.” For those in stage two the person in stage three seems to be in-between stages
one and two. They aren’t willing to go with each new thought or possibility.
Could it be fear rather than exasperation? But neither the stage-one nor the stage-two person realizes that the stage-three person is more mature than
either of them.
As the anchor of commitment continues to settle, a person can enter the fourth stage of “conviction within commitment.” Here a certainty develops
somewhat akin to the stage one dualism. The marked difference is the understanding and appreciation of relativism and the corresponding tolerance for
having passed through those stages. There is also an embracing of paradoxes rather than an explaining away of them. It is only by giving a person the
opportunity to disagree that they can truly agree. The stage-four person seems at times, a little bit like a mystic. Looking back to stage one, the stage-four
person now understands the difference between being childlike and childish. A look to the stage-two person brings reminiscing of self-absorption in
counterpoint.
The view of stage three seems to signal the possibility of discovering real truth for the heart and soul.
The person in stage one views the stage-four person as a lot like them, only not evangelistic enough and too ethereal. The stage-two person knows a
stage-four person has to be wrong, because no intelligent person could be so certain; yet this seemingly unintelligent person always can tease a question
beyond the relativist’s capabilities.
The stage-three person isn’t sure if the stage-four person is simply a smart stage-one person or possibly a similar stage-three traveler with greater
security.
Sharon Parks’ model provides understanding and a clear mandate for significant changes within Adventism.
Either we should discourage or discontinue higher education of our young people or else make the concomitant makeover for new wine in new
wineskins.
6. LISTENING SKILLS
Because parents and church leaders do not always understand what is happening, youth feel rejected and take their questions elsewhere to be answered.
For those involved in reclaiming youth, one of the major skills needed is the ability to listen, and to listen with empathy.
The place to begin is where the young person is. You will need to understand his/her thinking, world, and dilemmas.
Tony Campolo warns, “There is no single youth culture in the technological urban industrialized societies of the Western world. Instead, there are a
variety of subcultures existing side by side, each with its own language, value system, and worldview.” 1 6 It is best to meet them on neutral ground, and
this may mean away from the home or the church. Joseph Aldrich said, “If you are pursuing lost sheep, you must go where they are. You cannot avoid
every appearance of evil. Our Lord didn’t either. Because of His close proximity to the beer cans and potato chips of His day He was accused of being a
drunkard and a glutton.
Professional ‘weaker brothers,’ suffering from hardening of the categories, delight to criticize those who take the Great Commission seriously.”
Good communication is dialogue. Often youth leaders want to do all the talking. To reach youth that have severed their connection with the church, you
must:
• have a genuine desire to LISTEN
• be willing to read and accept feelings and emotions
• Not have the need to always be right
• be accepting, noncritical, and nonjudgmental
• Let the young people know that you feel honored to share their story
• be open enough to share some of your journey and even some of your struggles
• be prepared to keep in touch and sacrifice enough to support
It is essential to build a relationship, and this will take time and commitment on your part.
Relationships are built on understanding, empathy, and nonjudgmental attitudes. Warm, kind, genuine, and trustworthy people build relationships.
Ask yourself these questions:
• How warm and kind am I?
• How respectful am I of those who act and think in ways that I consider illegal, immoral, or unspiritual?
• How genuine am I?
• Do I feel free to be myself?
• How much of who I am do I hide?

~ 32 ~
• How trustworthy am I?
• Do I keep confidences?
• How well do I listen?
• Does the other person feel listened to and understood?
• Do I check to see that I understand what is being said and felt?
Empathy is of extreme importance in seeking to understand what is being said. Empathy is not sympathy. “Empathy is the capacity to imagine the teen’s
experiences…as well as to express those experiences to show understanding.”
In seeking to read the feelings rather than just reflect the words, the acronym SASHET may help, as it stands for the major feelings experienced by
youth:
S=Scared
A=Angry
S=Sad
H=Happy
E=Excited
T=Tender
You must be prepared to speak the language of the young person and deal with areas of interest to him/her.
Listen to his/her concerns and be prepared to explore them a little. Demonstrate that you have higher esteem for people, and don’t put anyone or any
faith down. At the same time, don’t be afraid to challenge the young person’s thinking.
When you win trust and youth place confidence in you, they will begin to share, and this sharing will become deeper and more intimate as the
relationship grows. Keep a high level of confidentiality, for if you break the person’s confidence, you may destroy the relationship and hinder the
process of his/her return to the church.
7. FRIENDSHIP EVANGELISM
All young people are searching for meaning or endeavoring to make sense of the world in some way. For some it is the pursuit of pleasure. But for many
there is the desire for relationships and spirituality. They want to know where they fit in the scheme of things.
The atmosphere and the attitude of the church are important in bringing youth back to church. There must be a spirit of inclusion as opposed to
exclusion. You must be willing to take a risk and know that sometimes these young people will let you down. You must be willing to meet their needs.
Inclusion
Too often our churches appear to be exclusive clubs where those on the inside are looked after and those on the outside are not really welcome and at
best only tolerated.
This spirit can be seen in such areas as dress and financial support for members. Does your church budget include items to support youth who have not
been to church for a while? Are these youth welcome at all events of the church? Is the church and youth hall/center a place in which youth feel
comfortable and to which they feel they could invite their friends? Does your church actively seek the return of missing youth through its policies?
Is your church actively building a program that will be attractive to missing youth?
Willing to Risk
Are you willing to risk the church facilities and its reputation, or even your own, in an attempt to reach these youth? Think about the people that Jesus
mixed with. Ian
Thomas makes this powerful appeal:
“I simply argue that the cross be raised again at the center of the marketplace as well as on the steeple of the church. I am recovering the claim that Jesus
was not
crucified in a cathedral between two candles but on a cross between two thieves, on the town garbage heap, at a crossroad so cosmopolitan that they had
to write His title in Hebrew and in Latin and in Greek . . . at the kind of place where cynics talk smut and thieves curse and soldiers gamble. Because that
is where he died, and that is what he died about. And that is where churchmen ought to be, and what churchmen should be about.”
Is it possible that we are so involved in church work that we forget the work of the church?
8. MEETING THE NEEDS
What are some of the youth needs that we already know? David Stone highlights what he regards as the five major needs:
• 1 . Self-esteem. An innate need to be important in the eyes of others, especially peers and parents.
• 2. Self-confidence. A need to know that “I can handle it; you don’t have to wipe my nose for me.” A sense of knowing that he/she can use his/her
ability well.
• 3 . Self-regard. A need to care about how one looks, feels, and thinks in relation to others.
• 4. Self-worth. A need to know that one’s comment, feelings, and thoughts really do count and can make a difference.

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• 5. God awareness. A need to have a power, a force or authority, that is ever present or available to eliminate the caustic, inevitable encroachment of
loneliness; a need to believe in a God who is loving and forgiving and always with him/her. Youth need a God who is not a magician but a constant
companion whom they can turn to in an emergency situation and who walks beside them or dwells within them as a friend, confidant, and guide.22
Individual needs will be discovered only in a relationship in which youth trust you enough to tell you what is happening with them.
9. CHURCH CLIMATE
Because of the challenges young people bring to the Adventist Church, our identity and corresponding church climate must be renovated. Currently it
seems that our perspective of being the true church results in a purity preserving climate. We eliminate questioning, especially outside of acceptable
avenues. One needn’t be concerned if it hurts or destroys the person, for people who question are destined to hell anyway. They simply had been serving
as instruments for the devil to infiltrate the bastion of truth. Some have a perverted sense that as long as the investigative judgment is proceeding in
heaven, we might as well keep up-to-date on earth, so that when Jesus comes
He will find that judgment already is complete.
The bastion of truth and the hotel for saints are poor models for the church today. Not only are they irrelevant; more important, they are heretically anti-
Christian. Organized religion has served more as a citadel for tradition than for truth. And even Jesus, who continues His ministry on earth through His
body, the church, came not for the righteous but for sinners. By implementing Christ’s attitude, the church will be characterized by the divine
characteristics of love, acceptance, and forgiveness.
Unfortunately young people don’t perceive it that way yet. Value genesis results showed that with academy
teens, only 54 percent considered their churches to have an atmosphere of warmth and caring, significantly lower than all six other Protestant
denominations that conducted similar studies. When Roger Dudley used the same questions with the 20 and 21-year-olds in his study, the number
dropped to 41 percent. The issue of a warm and caring environment is problematic not only of adult attitudes to youth but also of the way young people
relate to each other. The cliques among Adventist youth isolate them from caring for people, including their peers.
A similar negative trend could be noted in regard to a church-thinking climate from the teens into the 20s.
Value genesis showed that a paltry 34 percent of Adventist teens consider their congregations to have thinking climates.
With Dudley’s 20- and 21-year-olds, the number again dropped, this time to 28 percent. This means that while a questioning mind characterizes the
collegiate-age category, less than 30 percent of Adventist young people find their churches to be a place conducive for their approach to truth. When
they question existing truth, they easily could encounter reactionary insecurity. In reality, they are beginning to internalize their faith, not to give it up.
But a remnant theology doesn’t permit the luxury of developing faith or processing truth. Questioning is misunderstood as unbelief rather than the
pathway to belief.
Faced with such options, most young people opt for the integrity of growing in their faith and discovery of truth, even if they are squeezed out of their
religion.
10. PROGRAMS TO ATTRACT AND INCORPORATE YOUNG PEOPLE
Many seek that all-encompassing program that will attract and keep young people in their church. No such universal program exists. In fact, what works
with one church or one community may fall flat with another. It would be wise to program variety for those within the church and to attract those outside
of the church.
Overtly religious programming such as Friday evening vesper programs and weekend retreats will reach some. In North America recreation in the form
of volleyball and basketball seem like favorite activities for many, including those wary of religious activities.
The need for social activities continues to be strong, especially when young people graduate from Adventist school programming and an increasing
number marry later. Service activities are “in,” and will continue to have appeal to a number of youth, since these are years of heightened horizontal
expressions of spirituality.
Have the young people provide input on specific programming ideas. Be prepared to do something traditional or something totally out of the ordinary. In
general, the “three F’s”— friends, food, and fun—tend to attract people. Involvement is a key to maintaining interest, but remember that young people,
especially collegiate-age, flee commitment. That means that their involvement must be in manageable amounts and backed up by more stable leadership.
11. A FINAL WORD
If a person has been inactive for a while, realize that to get involved again requires battling a number of fears. Of course, there will be a fear of
acceptance. If their current lifestyle isn’t completely in harmony with Adventist practices, there may be a fear of behavioral changes, which the person
may or may not want to be changed. There is also a fear that should they become involved with the church again, there will be a loss of most of the
friends they’ve made outside the church.
At the same time, being fearful that the church hasn’t
changed much since they left, they probably expect a fair amount of criticism for being away, as well as possibly not fitting in if and when they return.
While no environment is germ-free, a congregation’s overall attitude and behavior toward returning young people must be primed periodically.
Featuring young people, including returning in actives in the church newsletter or on the platform for various duties or sharing church life can serve as
reminders of the church’s ongoing ministry to young people.

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Frequently some of the young people remain in contact with inactive youth. Knowing the church will welcome them back and having something to
invite them to equip them to restore the inactive back to the life of the church.
17. New Millennial AY
FOUNDATION STONES FOR FUTURE YOUTH MINISTRY

Foundation Stones for Future Youth Ministry is found on pages 97-106 of THE AY STORY: a brief history of youth
ministry in the Seventh day Adventist Church. This is a must-have for all Adventist Youth leaders.
To purchase this book contact your local ABC or go online to youth .gc.adventist.org
As we look ahead to the future, my vision for Seventh-day Adventist youth ministry is challenging and yet very promising “We have nothing to fear for
the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past [youth ministry] history.” Testimonies to
Ministers by Ellen G White, page 31. Youth Ministry can be a huge blessing to the church and society, a catalyst for change, and a refuge fortress for
young people who are looking for some help other than the dying world. The challenges demand a degree of openness and risk taking not seen in the
church for years.
Looking into the future of Seventh-day Adventist youth ministry we need to be inspired by the past to shape a stronger future ministry for our youth. The
Same vision that inspired Harry Fenner (17) and Luther
Warren (14) in 1879 must continue to guide youth ministry in the future.
Our challenge now, is to build on what these pioneers started to meet the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s generations. The approaches may be different
but Biblical principles should never be compromised, and the main reasons for having youth ministry in the Seventh-day Adventist Church must always
remain the same.
Youth Ministry today in some quarters of the church face a great shake up. Some churches have questioned the need and purpose for youth ministry.
Some churches have completely done away with it or made some radical changes to accommodate the few youth who do not like to be challenged.
Churches have turned youth ministry into a program to baby sit youth in the church. But it should be remembered that the future belongs to our youth. It
is time for the elderly to step aside, with our deepest gratitude and thanks. We must keep on asking ourselves, how might our youth organize for the
future while handing on the best of the past?
12. Reaffirmation
Youth Ministry in the future will continue to reaffirm the basic reasons why Youth
Ministry was founded in the Seventh day Adventist Church—saving youth and involving them in the mission of the church. Every church youth ministry
program must be a refuge place for saving our youth and challenge them to participate in the mission of the church. The church must create opportunities

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for the youth in which they can share the love of God to the dying world. The mission of “proclaiming the third angel’s message to every kindred,
tongue, and people”, must be given much emphasis.
We have taken a short glimpse of our past. We have opened our present for assessment by the future. We have tried to see ahead through the fog of finite
eyes. What will Jesus find when He comes? “The Lord has appointed the youth to be His helping hand.” T7 64
“With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon coming Saviour might
be carried to the whole world! How soon might the end come.—the end of suffering and sorrow and sin! How soon, in place of a possession here, with
its blight of sin and pain, our children might receive their inheritance where “the righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever”; where the
“inhabitant shall not say, I am sick,” and “the voice of weeping shall be no more heard.” MYP 196
“Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come
with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.’ ” Isa. 35:3, 4
11. Molding vs. Entertaining
With the fear of losing the youth of the church, some churches will be tempted to introduce into the Youth Ministry entertaining approaches to hold
youth in the church and not to rock the boat too much. This fear will create dangerous inroads into the Youth Ministry that this church has enjoyed in the
last 100 years. In the future
Youth Ministry must not be seen as an entertaining ministry or baby sitting.
Youth Ministry in the future should continue to challenge youth to be like Jesus. Molding the character of young people into the image of Jesus must be
the key reason of having an Adventurer Club, Pathfinder Club, Senior Youth ( ambassador and Young Adult) programs in the Seventh Day Adventist
Church. To achieve this objective, dedicated and Bible based youth leaders and youth ministers will be needed to lead the way, who will keep the focus
of youth ministry on recreating the image of God in Seventh-day Adventist Youth. Youth will need to be challenged continuously to love God and be
like Him.
10. Cultural Trends
The church will be called to minister to youth with an awareness of cultural trends and their effect on youth. The driving forces in our society will look
much like they do today, only magnified. We will live in a secular, materialistic, relativistic and self-absorbed culture. Adventism as we know it will be
an alien world to them, and they won’t know much about the Bible’s story or message.
Our denominational history and the place of the Spirit of Prophecy within the Seventh-day Adventist church will need to be given ample emphasis in
Youth Ministry.
Life will grow even more complex, fast paced, desperate and violent.
Because of this, the transition from childhood to adulthood will be longer, more treacherous and full of risk.
The church is under attack and the only way we can confront that is by way of building a strong youth ministry to face the cultural trends that will
threaten to destroy the church.
Seventh-day Adventist Youth Ministry must be the vehicle to assist the church to produce strong Adventists with a strong Biblical foundation.
If you don’t give youth a “road map” to help them find their way in life, someone else will. And there is a good chance that “someone else,” will not lead
youth “in the way they should go” (Proverbs 22:6).
09. Digital Age
The pace of technology will continue to move very fast in future. Mobile phones, PDA, e-mail, web, wireless gadgets, iPods, mp3s and digital cameras
are just some of the tools that youth leaders will have to be aware of. Despite the technology advancements of our world, young people will always need
relationships. This is crucial and may be enabled by technology but will never replace face to face connection with another human being.
But as youth leaders for the future, we need to be aware of the changes and embrace them in a meaningful and positive way. The future will certainly be
fast and visual and media will be extremely accessible to everyone, so leaders better start thinking about how they can engage effectively with it. High
technology will occupy a great part in Youth Ministry. Young people naturally engage with visuality, this is their time, their culture and the present and
near future is and will be very visual. Youth Leaders will need to spend time with high tech to get acquainted with today’s ever changing gadgets in this
area. A youth leader without a clue in high tech will be lost in working with young people. High tech will be the future language for youth within and
without the church.
08. Service
Many young people will desire to participate in service oriented programs within their communities or even beyond. More and more youth will find joy
in serving others. Youth Ministry at the local church will need to make service one of its top priorities. Salvation and Service go hand in hand. In the
future a youth ministry without this component to augment the component of Salvation will be seen as a ministry not for the youth. Youth will be
challenged to take part in service events, some will set aside time to teach their friends basic life skills while telling them about Jesus Christ. The future
will witness the deep satisfaction of serving others filling up empty places in the hearts of youth. Youth Ministry will become more and more community
based.
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07. Discipleship
This word has become an icon in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. And in the future it will be more and more used than ever before. Un-churched,
secularized young people will need youth ministries that focus on the basics of the Christian faith and the fundamentals of leadership.
Young men and women will be seekers. And the gospel message will be foreign and intriguing. So small group Bible studies, life-support groups, issues
research or skills training seminars, outreach activities and public advocacy will give kids the chance to care for one another, mature in their faith and
prepare for leadership. Youth emphasis must underscore the importance of developing youth in the image of Jesus Christ. A Christ-like character must
be the focus of discipleship.
Youth should not only know about God but experience Him in their daily walk. This must be a balanced combination—experience and knowledge.
06. Youth-Friendly Churches
Churches will need to be “youth-friendly”. Youth will either experience life in a church’s worship and mission or, as one teenager I know put it, “do that
which doesn’t matter, using language and activities we don’t understand.”
Youth-friendly churches will have a conspicuous youth presence. Young people will both lead and participate in worship, using their music and their
symbols and addressing their concerns. They will get involved in intergenerational Bible Studies, life-issue seminars and community events.
Youth-friendly congregations will value young people. They will listen to them and support them with prayers, time, facilities and money. These
congregations will respond to youth’s needs and see them as a critical component in the body of Christ.
05. Youth and Family Ministry
Families in the future will still be critical to our youth’s psychological, social, moral and spiritual development. And since facilities will be more
exhausted, overextended and fragmented than they are today, successful youth workers will have to draw families under their ministry umbrellas.
For some young people, friendly congregations will be the only real “family” or intergenerational community they will ever know. Caring adult church
members and peers can become surrogate grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, cousins, sisters and brothers.
Though difficult, one of the most important tasks in ministering to Seventh-day Adventist youth will be equipping their parents for parenting. Nothing
will shape the faith and attitudes of young people more than their parents’ self-esteem, parenting styles, moral stances and faith. Youth ministries can
offer events and programs that strengthen family well-being, marriage relationships, family communication, discipline, faith-sharing and moral values.
04. Music Ministry
The church will continue to face the issue of music in the local churches especially among young people, with the introduction of “nontraditional”
Seventh-day Adventist music within the church. The only way the church can help its youth discriminate between good Christian music and destructive
music is to be informed. This is how the church will help them learn how to think about what they listen to – to evaluate it against the values they cling
to as Seventh-day Adventists.
The church will need to give youth the chance to use contemporary Christian music to share their faith with their peers but will need guidance from the
church as a whole. In all programs and events the traditional hymnals and contemporary songs should have a place in worship.
Youth will need to be reminded where the church has been, and how the Lord has led us, and where the church is now.
Youth Ministry will need to help youth appreciate the breadth of church music and to avoid the limitations provided by some contemporary chorus
styles.
Youth Leaders themselves will need to be knowledgeable in good Adventist music.
Principle guidelines that have been deliberated on and voted on by the church must always be referred to.
03. Relational Ministry
Young people will live in a world which does not trust any relationship.
Most of the youth will be psychological orphans. In their short life they would have seen their parents divorce and living with single parents. These will,
need caring, listening, stable people and communities to help ease their “adoption” into Gods’ family.
Youth Alive (Youth to Youth) ministry will be the most important vehicle that helps youth stick with the church as they mature. Youth who model
positive values, attitudes and behaviors will create a counter-culture community for their spiritually hungry peers.
Meanwhile adult faith-mentors will be more important than ever. When youth go to a youth group, they must receive significant contact with adults.
Every church will need to appoint mentors for young people growing up in a world of no guidance. Youth Ministry will be the father and mother of these
youth.
02. “Incarnational” Ministry
As we face the future, young people will be fully secularized, personal experiences will be their sole measure of reality. They will all have little sense of
what’s holy, but its absence will drive them toward what’s spiritual.
Adventist Youth Ministers who successfully reach these kids will be trustworthy and accepting. And they must prove these graces in concrete,
everyday experiences. Communicating the gospel will mean risking oneself – ones’ dignity and ones’ comfort. You will have to let go of some

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familiar faith symbols and traditions and use youth symbols, issues, challenges and schedules to reach them. But in the midst of it, Jesus Christ – his
story, his life, his work
– must continue as your ministry’s focal point. Salvation and Service will continue to be the motivating force in Youth Ministry! No compromise.
01. Importance of Youth Ministry
If the church believes in its youth, and that they are the church today
and tomorrow, then a top priority in how we lead Senior Youth, Pathfinder and Adventurer ministries must be seen. We must walk the talk. Youth
Directors should be given only one assignment of taking care of youth.
Youth Leaders at all level will need to be given maximum support from administrators.
The Youth Department should not be an appendix to other assignments. Professional youth leaders must be provided to serve as spiritual youth leaders.
18. A YOUTH LEADER SHOULD DRESS CHRIST LIKE (BE A SERMON IN DRESSING)
“but Your iniquities have separated between you & your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2
“ye have heard that it was said by them of old time. Thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a
woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Matthew 5:27-28. If you cause to sin then are also a sinner.
“I made a covenant with mine eyes, why then should I think upon a maid?
 “obedience to fashion is pervading our SDA Church and is doing more than any power to separate our people from God,-
4T647.2=EG WHITE”
“But are a chosen generation, royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who hath
called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 peter 2:9. Allow no man or woman to see your inner place of your body, but only he
or she, given to you in marriage is the high priest to unveil the inner place of you.
 “A person is judged by his style of dress. Ed. 348.5.
19. SENIOR LEADER YOUTH UNIFORM
PREAMBLE
The new Senior Youth Leader logo mirrors the Master Guide logo to ensure consistency with regards to the two leadership programs of
Youth Ministries.
SYL PIN
• Mandatory
• Two stars: representing the two Ministries: Ambassadors and Young Adults
• World map: leaders are prepared serve the world field
SYL SCARF
• Optional (Division to Determine)
• Yellow and Blue Lines to represent the Young Adult Colors
• Maroon and Black to represent the Ambassador Colors
SYL SCARF HOLDER
• Optional (Division to Determine)

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20. CONCLUSION
I Eddie Ng’andu kasensa, invested senior youth leader in 2018 December, To summarize, I say, a youth leader who has a strong
commitment to Christ, who embraces and embodies biblical and spiritual disciplines, and who leads by clear and honest example will be a
model that will inspire young followers to commit to Christ as well. This is the most effective form of leadership. Practice these things and
devote yourself to them so that your progress is seen by all.
This was what Paul sought to convey as a principle of leadership to the young Timothy when he wrote: “Recommend and teach these
things. Do not let anyone despise you for being young. But for those who believe, be an example in the manner of speech, in the way of
acting, in love, in faith, and in purity. As you await my arrival, devote yourself to public reading of the Holy Scriptures, to the preaching of
the gospel, and to Christian teaching. Do not neglect the gift that you have, which God gave you when the prophets of the Church spoke,
and the group of elders put their hands on you. Take care of yourself and be careful what you teach. Keep doing this, for thus you will save
both yourself and those who listen”(1 Timothy 4:11-16).
ACTIVITIES
Individual:
A. Write/Record down and keep the three things from this lesson that you find most helpful in your own situation.
Group:
B. Gather with three or four others and brainstorm ways to improve your local youth ministry using the principles outlined in this lesson.
RESOURCES
1Visit our website: youth.adventist.org for mentoring, devotional, and other resources.
2 E. G. White, Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students,
3 White, Messages to Young People,
4 Education
5 Ibid.,
6 Some of this material was originally prepared by Barry Gane and Steve Case for publication in Ministry magazine.
7 senior youth manual

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CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP- EDDIE NG’ANDU

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP- EDDIE NG’ANDU

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP- EDDIE NG’ANDU

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP- EDDIE NG’ANDU

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP- EDDIE NG’ANDU

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP- EDDIE NG’ANDU

� His confidence in them inspired trust

� To the apparently spiritually-dead heart He brought an awakening of new impulses

Ellen White notes:

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP- EDDIE NG’ANDU

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP- EDDIE NG’ANDU

� Influence is exercised through verbal and nonverbal communication.

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP- EDDIE NG’ANDU

Trends in Leadership Theory and Research,” Journal of Contemporary

� Holding to extremely rigid ideas

� Having an authoritarian attitude

� Using offensive and abusive language

1.1.1. Autocratic leadership style

meeting to begin in order to avoid contacts.

how informed he or she is.

will present item 1, 2, 3. Person B will present item 4, 5, 6, etc.

in the group may offer an answer.

—To correct errors—whether major or insignificant

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP- EDDIE NG’ANDU

discuss unrelated matters as long as this is in harmony with their design.

� The time required to accomplish the task

� The satisfaction of the group members

� The absenteeism of the group members

� The independence developed in group members (p. 158)

Some research (White and Lippit, 1968) has demonstrated that:

� Democratic leadership style produces less absenteeism.

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP- EDDIE NG’ANDU

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP- EDDIE NG’ANDU

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP- EDDIE NG’ANDU

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The finite with the infinite

Cultivation of the mind

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Esteem for others

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP- EDDIE NG’ANDU

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP- EDDIE NG’ANDU

14. CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP IS IN TOUCH WITH GOD

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP- EDDIE NG’ANDU

Strategies for the Youth Leadership in The 21st Century

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP- EDDIE NG’ANDU

Create space for God

1. What do you need to stop doing to create space for GOD?

Deal with sin: Martin Luther are

1. Make GOD your number one

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP- EDDIE NG’ANDU

16. RECLAIMING OUR YOUTH

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP- EDDIE NG’ANDU

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP- EDDIE NG’ANDU

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CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP- EDDIE NG’ANDU

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17. New Millennial AY