Author: Pastor Steve Duffy
I’m grateful for the large number of graduating seniors who were committed to our regular youth gatherings, and specifically those who stepped out in faith to be equipped to lead and carried it out faithfully. This past week there were two experiences that were helpful in thinking through next step conversations to address the leadership gap that is naturally occurring as graduating seniors transition out of the youth group season of their lives. What has occurred both intentionally and naturally is an example of what multiplying disciplers looks like
As I was talking with a graduating senior this past week, they made the comment that they'll be using their graduation as the transition point out of youth group related gatherings. Their reasoning was because they were intentionally taking their next step which is a young adult (18-20 somethings) gathering that Pastor Keith & Haley have started on Thursday nights at Stonebridge. I'm grateful this is available now to fill this gap of having another connection point for these natural life season changes for graduating seniors!
Honestly though, May has crept up on me. And when it clicked that this specific senior would not be with us at our Sunday night high school Bible study, I knew that meant we would have a student leader void for Sunday nights. In fact, the four primary student leaders on Sunday night all graduated this year! However, what we have done throughout the past year is invited younger students to step out in faith and lead and a few have. I believe seeing their older peers leading consistently and setting that example has been a help to them and has encouraged them to do the same. In addition, we (adult leaders) have given the needed support to equip them to prepare and lead as well as encouraging them while leading and after with feedback.
So with the intention of the Sunday night group to be to equip students to prepare and lead, an initial wave of student leaders emerged from the beginning. Then we slowly added to this capable younger high school students to do the same. This naturally led to a conversation last Sunday night to invite a few additional young people to try leading. This conversation resulted in four younger students affirming they'd give leading the study a try! That number matches the graduating seniors who led the past two years. I'm thanking God for what has developed intentionally since starting the Sunday night study in January of 2023, but also somewhat organically as younger students watched and were led by their older peers.
With all of the previous, the temptation for myself and the other adults that participate is to overrun what the students are doing and create a dependency on us. It has been a good exercise in patience and encouragement to allow these young people to try (and fail at times) leadership. But it also has been rewarding as this is the way it is supposed to be. There were those that came before us, who gave us the chance to lead by calling us to it and helping us along the way. What a joy to watch those who join on Sunday night show gospel fruit (e.g., commitment to gathering, engaging in the study, and prayer for one another) and to witness some take a step in faith by learning to lead their peers!
Consider praying the following for these young people to grow in the gospel of Christ and to call others to do the same!
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. - Colossians 1:9-12
Photo by Baim Hanif on Unsplash
