Leading with the Next Generation

Much is being made these days about the next generation. In most church circles I’m in contact with, focuss on young people is high on all priority lists. Whether it’s gearing the praise&worship toward being relevant to younger crowds or speaking about current affairs and giving our youth a hope and a vision for the future, so much is going towards leading young people to God and back to church.

I am in one such movement. I love working wih young people. I love their idealism and big vision dreams. It inspires me and cures me of the ever increasing cinisism that comes with getting older in a real world. I appreciate how it forces me to stay young and stay hopeful about God’s plan for us. In fact you cannot lead young people if you don’t one-up their hopes and faith.

So we lead young people and many movements lead young people. This is awesome. But the title of this blog is, “Leading WITH the next generation.” That little addition makes a world of a difference. Many are willing and even passionate about leading young people, but few actually even know the difference between leading them and leading with them. The latter is a complete focuss shift. Leading with the next generation is to do a couple of things different. It’s not enough to do things they enjoy and to harbour their energy towards accomplishing our plans. It’s not enough to be relevant to their socio-cultural experience but stop short of shifting the focus toward raising them up, not only as the leaders of tomorrow, but as present day leaders. Leaders not only for their generation but for all generations.

Those who lead with the next generation, lead them different:

1. They allow them into the decision-making circle and teach them how to function within it.

2. They allow them to see their (NextGen’s) plans succeed and fail and work with them to deal with both without threat of judgement.

3. They prepare them to do 1&2, if they are feeling incompetant and activate them when they are fearful to try. They call them in. They encourage them to participate.

4. The first generation allows the next generation to see their (1stGen’s) mistakes and how to deal with it. They acknowlege their mistakes even when the next generation saw it and called it out before they could see it. They don’t become insecure about their place as others see their failures. They show through their actions how one deals with failure and how God restores and His grace completes one.

To lead with the next generation is no small feat. It’s a commitment to preparing them to lead not just follow. Following is part of leading. In TEAM everyone can lead at times and everyone should follow at times. How we practically work this out is one thing, but we’ll never get to it unless we sacrifice our speed, comfort and pride in a commitment to allow the next generation to come alongside us to participate and close enough to see even our own failures.