A seemingly simple question. It’s the person who looks after the young people.
But what are they supposed to do? Whether they are salaried or volunteers, youth leaders need to have some idea of the expectations of the church they serve. If they are told to simply ‘look after’ the young people, the church’s expectation is probably close to babysitting. Keep them amused while the adults have a proper service.
Teach, disciple, care
Whatever the level of the appointment, your youth leader (or even better ‘youth minister’) is one who is set apart to teach, disciple and care for the young people of the church. That may sound obvious but, increasingly, in my conversations with youth ministers, I find that they are not clear about their role. They feel they have been given a role and left to get on with it. What can be done to counter this feeling of isolation?
