Leadership conferences are a staple for pastors and youth workers. Leaders especially need to be reminded of the biblical truths of leaderships or we can quickly move from selflessly serving into self-defense. Pains and disappointments cause leaders to drift into self-protection.
NNYM both creates these gatherings and attends these gatherings. Nationally our team convenes top leaders for national youth organizations each May called the Youth Ministry Executive Council. This gives executive leadership a chance to gather, pray, build relationships, and learn together how to avoid self-protection and unify in the work they do through their ministries.
This month I also attended a local leadership seminar. The content was amazing, the sessions were well-planned, the caliber of leaders who attended was impressive.
After each session, the leaders of this event planned breakout sessions for attendees to apply the truths to their context. Each session was met with lively discussion and candid leadership conversations. It was truly refreshing to hear the honest, God-pursuing conversations that were generated in each of these breakouts!
After the last breakout a lead pastor pulled me aside. As a staff member of National Network of Youth Ministries, I'm usually asked for youth ministry advice toward the end of these conferences. My gears were turning in anticipation of his question.
"There has been a ton of great stuff at this conference, but the greatest impact on me today was how quickly you invited people into the breakout circle. You pulled up a chair."
You see, each of the breakouts started as a small group of focused pastors quickly assembled themselves to talk over the session content. As other leaders wandered in from their bathroom break, I noticed that they were looking for a place to sit. I made eye contact and invited them into the circle as I pushed my chair back and pulled another chair into the mix. The group leader quickly caught the straggler up on the discussion at hand and included them into the group.
My friend went onto explain, "It was so simple. Each time I wondered why I wasn't doing it."
Truth be told, what we do at NNYM isn't rocket science. We strive to live out these simple servant-leadership principles and apply them to underserved people: youth workers.
We see youth workers,
we invite them into the circle,
we include them in conversation
all because THEY MATTER!
It's true that sometimes leaders need a great leadership sermon to inspire them but most of the time, they simply need to be served. Don't get so locked into your tasks today that you miss the straggler.