How does everyone feel about having young ppl taking on leadership roles in churches and ministries? Everything from Pastoring to Worship Leading being Youth Leaders, Small Group Leaders, etc.
Do you think there should be an age limit?
What are your opinions?
Replies
If the young person is confident in their faith, then by all means, I have a son who gave his life to jesus and was baptized withoutme doing it for him. When he came to me I told him it sounded good but he would need to seek out what it took to do what he was asking and he scheduled himself to be baptized and he was eight years old. He has been encouraging others now to go to church and bible studies and at the age of 11 is asking to start his own bible studies for neigborhood kids. Soon he will be able to do that, is he old enough to lead? I think so.
Eddie, I encourage you to read "They told me their Stories-Azusa Street".
In fact, biblically speaking, children are to be under authority, not exercise it. How could a 16-year-old boy counsel a 56-year-old man about his marriage or his porn issues? Children are untested, untried, unrefined in the fire (so to speak). Spiritual maturity is, to some
degree, a requirement for one who is to lead others into spiritual maturity.
So pastor? A pastor should be spiritually mature. The requirements for pastor are clearly laid out by Paul for Timothy.
Worship leader? If a child is godly, and has a heart and anointing for worship, that child might (as we do in many of our churches) be invited to be on the worship team--the team leads the worship, not the child.
Youth leader? A youth minister must be able to work with parents, understand parents, communicate with them. One would rarely find a teen who would be mature enough to "spiritually oversee teens" and effectively work with parents. How could a sixteen-year-old "youth leader" reveal a sin-issue to the parents of a 17-year-old? Any miss-step and he or she would be accused of being too young to understand. The same with small groups.
A youth leader assistant? Quite possibly. A worship leader of the youth group? Again, yes. Finally, I know 30 to 50-year-olds who are not spiritually mature enough to pastor a church. However, social adulthood and spiritual maturity are quite important.
Some of the major leaders who have fallen were gifted, talented young people who came to know Christ and where thrust into leadership, public ministry, etc. without being tested. They knew enough Scripture to preach a sermon, but not enough to live a life! In time, even with their good intentions, they fell.
What I've tried to say is summed up here:
Hebrews 5:12-14 (KJV)
12For when for the time ye ought to be teachers (leaders), ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. (Implied, a leader eats spiritual meat.)
13For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.(Implied, a leader is skilful in the Word. )
14But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Full age=Developing leadership qualifications takes time) (By reason of use=Developing leadership qualifications requires experience) (Discern both good and evil=Developing leadership qualifications requires a clear knowledge of right and wrong)
1 Timothy 5:22, "Lay hands on no man suddenly." Doesn't suggest laying hands which is assigning authority on children.
My take.
Eddie Smith
http://USPrayerCenter.org
Dave Knauss said:
The Apostle Paul told Timothy 2 very important things concerning the learders in the Church. 1. not to lay hands on no man suddenly (1 Timothy 5:22) - just because someone says they are called to do a job does not mean they are or if they are that they are ready to do it. Paul went on to tell him to Prove his mininstry (2 Timothy 4:5). 2. Paul warned about ordaining a Novice (1 Timothy 3:6)
I do not believe in age limits, but we need to make sure that they spiritually mature enough to understand what they are getting into and that they are qualified to do the job in question.
How about two questions to answer your question? How else will young people LEARN to be leaders? Want to know the teaching / learning steps?
STEP 1: Teacher demonstrates--Student watches
STEP 2: Teacher demonstrates--Student takes part--Teacher and Student are working as a Team
STEP 3: Student demonstrates--Teacher takes part--Student and Teacher are working as a Team
STEP 4: Student demonstrates--Teacher watches
At the end of the four steps, Teacher and Student sit down together, while Student leads the dialogue on what went right, what went wrong, and proposed remedial actions.
I'm a life-long school teacher and adjunct college professor. In my realm I simply change the words "demonstrates" and "working" to "teaches a class." These steps have been successful for all my decades of student teachers. :)