QUALITIES OF A GOOD YOUTH LEADER #01 – SOMEONE WHO LOVES

If you think about the expectations that are placed on today’s youth leaders, it is sort of overwhelming: management, public relations, graphic design, party planning, marketing, theology, professional speaking, and, of course, being a talented musician and worship leader. When many parishes are advertising a job opening for a paid youth leader, they are often looking for someone with a degree in catechetics and/or theology, maybe two years’ missionary experience and four years in a parish.

 Other parishes are hoping to find a parent who enjoys working with youth or just someone who is young and relatable. What really makes a good youth minister?  This is the first post of many that will help you evaluate the important qualities of a good leader.

The first quality is simple but easily escapes us. Love is the single quality that makes a good youth minister. Love for God and love for the youth, and the desire to bring those two loves into collision.
I’ve worked with all types, and all had good intentions: the “brains” who could share unending theological truths without planning or referring to notes, the “experienced” who have the perfect resumes, the “moms” who pull from all their parenting and counseling resources, and the “relevant” ones who look great, know pop culture, and send out the cool vibe. Each bring their own niche and skill set, but nothing ever trumps love.

Time and time again, it’s the people who have a burning desire for souls, the people who spend as much time on their knees with Jesus as they do planning and researching their youth nights, the people who are humble enough to change their plans and programs to meet the needs of the real people sent their way. These people move me and inspire me to bring Jesus to teens.

For most people, the truth can be hard to hear. Teens, like anyone else we hope to share the gospel with, need to know that we care about them, that we love them, and that we want them to be happy. They must have a sense of this before they will be able to readily receive and live the gospel in an authentic way. St John Bosco, the patron saint of youth ministry, when asked about the secret of his immense success with the young, simply said “Love.”

“This was the method that Jesus used with the apostles. He put up with their ignorance and roughness and even their infidelity. He treated sinners with a kindness and affection that caused some to be shocked, others to be scandalized and still others to hope for God’s mercy. And so He bade us to be gentle and humble of heart.” – St. John Bosco

We can only love when we are receiving love.  We can only receive love from the One who is love.  His name is Jesus Christ.

http://catholicyouthdiscipleship.org