Today our poster is Rick Hand, lead pastor of Church 29:11. Add him on facebook and follow him on twitter: @rickhand.
So here it goes!!!
An Oxymoron?
Bad luck, civil war, uninvited guest, confirmed rumor and government intelligence are a few oxymorons. How about Young Leaders? I mean, you can’t be young and be a leader, can you? Being young and being a leader are counterproductive, aren’t they? That’s what a lot of people think. But I’m not one of them.
I learned the benefits of young leadership a long time ago. And I still treasure it. I’m not old, plan to never be, but I’m also not as young a leader as I used to be. So I seek out young leaders. I want to hear what they have to say. Yeah, people younger than me. There are some things they possess that I need. But I know this blog is supposed to be about what I have to share today that you need. So let me see if I can bridge the two.
Young Leaders Have Energy
I don’t just mean having more late night get up and go than their older counterparts. They have more emotional energy, too. When others are ready to throw in the towel, young leaders with a dream or vision have what it takes to keep pressing, to keep fighting.
Seeing the uprisings in the streets of Cairo reminded me of the many other times in history, recent and past, when change took place because of young leadership. Look at the faces in the crowds. It’s university students and even teenagers taking the stand and risking being labeled a rebel to birth a dream.
What dreams do you have? What changes need to take place in your “community”? Keep up the energy! Don’t let others around you, young or old, get tired while doing good (Galatians 6:9). Keep pushing!
Young Leaders Seek Wisdom
Like Solomon. It was his defining characteristic. One day God offered him a blank check. He told Solomon to ask him for whatever he wanted. He could have asked for money or a dozen other things. But without wisdom it wouldn’t have lasted (just google “lottery winners where they are now” and you’ll see). But he asked for wisdom, the thing that would give him the ability to gain all those other things and maintain them, too!
I know, it’s not true for everyone. There are some who think they don’t need wisdom, they already know it all. But a truly wise person knows they don’t know it all and seeks consistently for more wisdom. Once they stop, they’re no longer leaders.
As a Lead Pastor, I like it when a young leader has an idea. But I absolutely love it when they are willing to place it on the public square for others to take potshots at. It’s not just because that process improves the idea, which it does. But I love seeing a young leader with confidence enough in their dream to say to another person, to their mentor, to their peers, “I have a great idea. Help me make it awesome!” Confidence enough to let it be picked apart, then pick up the pieces and reassemble the new, better and improved dream.
Young leaders, you are the idea people. You are the connected people. You know more of what’s going on in culture, the culture we are called to reach, to engage, to impact for Christ! And you know better what it will take to communicate and connect with them. You already have so much untapped wisdom. Be wise with it, and seek more.
Young Leaders Are Fresh
This is probably the best thing about you. Young leaders are always going to have more fresh ideas because, well, because they are young. They don’t have any old ideas yet. That’s one of their greatest assets, maybe their defining characteristic.
But it’s coming. One day you’ll have kids of your own. They’ll laugh at the way you pronounce a word or your skinny jeans – because JNCOs could come back in style. But even in little ways, too, you’re going to get old. Fight it! I certainly do. You can always get older tomorrow but you can never get younger.
You have to purposefully stay fresh. If you don’t, you’ll get 2 or 3 good ideas and run them in the ground. You’ll have a favorite verse that you quote too often, a pet peeve sin that comes up in every sermon/lesson, or a story that you tell. And tell. And tell. And those who follow you, your Wednesday night kids or whoever, will quote that verse, rebuke that pet peeve and tell that story behind your back – in parody, just like you do your Lead Pastor.
Your greatest value to us, the church, your community and the world, is in WHO you are, your young leadership. So develop it, work it, use it! (1 Tim 4:12) A young leader who has become stale is nearly worthless. Don’t become a clone of anyone. Fight to stay out front, in the “lead.” You can learn to play shuffleboard and horseshoes later. So above all, keep it fresh.
R
0 comments:
Post a Comment