So far, Youth Emphasis week has been very eventful. Saturday, we arrived and got settled in. Sunday, we went to Shively Baptist Church, and then we had a meeting and spent some time with our friends.
Monday was the first day of classes. We spoke on “Strategies that work in the US and Internationally.” We talked about sports, music, drama, and other youth ministry activities that work. We also talked about some transferable principles that work in all places such as relationships, loving students, etc.
We also went to Nashville, Tennessee, and talked to some leaders from Lifeway. We talked about contextualizing studies and working together to resource youth workers overseas. Then we taught a class to an extension of Southern Seminary. The students in the class are all youth pastors, and I really liked being with them and sharing with them what’s happening both in Cuba and in Mexico.
On the way home, we got a present. It snowed!!!! We had a long drive home in the snow with the bad roads, but we made it. We saw at least 10 cars that had spun out because of the snow. It was pretty, but dangerous.
In January, Randy Smith, the president of Youth Ministry International, came to Mexico to teach a week and a half intensive course on youth missions. He came as a favor to me because I was going to be teaching in another part of Latin America for two weeks, and it would have been very difficult to teach three week-long intensives in three weeks.
Today, I had the opportunity to talk with the students at the seminary about the class, and they told me that it was a great class, and that they had a great time, despite the large project that is due at the end of the quarter (they have to plan a mission trip to another country, including all the details).
I could really sense that there is now a bond among the youth ministry students, and they have a great attitude right now. I can’t really explain what I sensed as I spoke with each of them this afternoon. It was great to see them again, and I look forward to spending more time with them and talking about what they are learning and doing.
Ah, leadership. Leaders. Liderazgo. It’s a great subject. But what are some qualities of effective leaders in youth missions? Let me give you one.
The first quality of leadership that I believe is essential to effective Youth Missions Leadership is to learn as much as you can about the context and culture. Rosabeth Moss Kantor siad, “Leaders are more powerful role models when they learn than when they teach.” It’s true. You can lead people much farther if you strive first to understand them.
You cannot lead if you do not understand the culture and context of those with whom you are working. The first thing you must do as a leader anywhere, but especially in missions, is try to understand the situation. If you cannot spend time observing the culture and the people, you will find it difficult to lead them.
The fact that you have a position of leadership does not mean that you are a leader. You may arrive to a situation with the title of leader, but that does not mean they will see you as a leader. Sure, in many cultures, they will hold you up on a pedestal simply because of your title. But to win the respect of the people you wish to lead, you must first try to understand them.
Before I went to Mexico, I did as much as I could to try to understand the culture and context. I read books about culture and history, talked to people, and tried my best to understand the context of youth ministry in Mexico. There is still a lot I don’t understand about Mexican culture, but I feel that this time of learning (that continues today) has helped me in the ministry.
So, here are some tips for learning the context and culture:
- Read all you can about the culture.
- The first few months (first year if you can), don’t do ministry. Just observe. That doesn’t mean you aren’t ministering. You just aren’t participating in a formal ministry.
- Ask lots of questions about the culture (family, history, language, way of doing things, relationships).
- Spend real time with real people. Watch how they interact with each other.
- Write down your observations.
This is part of a series on leadership for Youth Emphasis Week at Southern Seminary.
