Hey leader.

Yes, you.

If you’re reading this post right now, then I have a question for you.

Are you ready?

Are you ready for someone to come along and exceed what you have done?

I’m serious. I know you’re great and all, but are you ready for someone to do your job better than you?

Believe it or not this is a real goal I have for myself. I want to setup the next person or team of people that will take over our youth ministry to go way beyond what I dreamt was possible.

I’ve been thinking about this question a lot lately and it’s easy to answer on the surface.

“Well, sure I am.” We say to reassure ourselves.

All the while we keep looking to build our thing, never giving a thought to the next generation and what they’ll need to succeed.

Here are a few steps we must take if we really want to see the next generation hit it big:

• Share with them your most valuable resource… you! Spend time with the up and comers. Talk with them. Listen to them. Make yourself available to them. Share your success stories and your embarrassing failures.

 

• Believe in them. Nothing communicates belief in a person/group more than trusting in them to get the job done.

 

• Empower them. What good is belief if you don’t put it to the test? It’s not enough to say I believe you can do _____. You’ve got to release them to do it. Give them real responsibility.

 

• Invest financially in them. It’s one thing to say I really want my kids to go to college and do well in life. It’s another thing entirely to invest financially to ensure that it happens. We must invest in the next generation now if we want them to reap the benefits later.

 

• Celebrate with / Correct them. I don’t know about you, but my kids need both. They need to know when I’m proud and when they’ve missed it. Create boundaries, raise the bar and watch them rise to the challenge.

 

You know this is all Biblical right?

Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these…” (John 14.12, NIV).

I can’t believe He really said that. I’ll take Him at His word though.

I want to be ready. I want to pave the way for future leaders. I want them to exceed and go beyond what I have done.

How bout you?

Are you ready?