How To Shape Preteen Leaders In Your Church

If you manage a church, you will probably want to identify future leaders to pass on the baton. After all, the mission has to live forever, and the only way to do it is to have people carry the responsibility of disciple-making. Finding young people with leadership potential requires a keen eye. But developing them is an even more daunting challenge, specifically when you start early. You may have qualms about doing it for preteens, but it is an excellent time to begin because kids learn and adapt easily at this age. You only have to find the right ways to teach them. Here are a few tips to shape preteen leaders in your church.

Give a head start

When it comes to church leadership training, it is never too early to start. In fact, sooner is better because young people have an inherent ability to grasp leadership concepts. They also demonstrate their leadership skills when given a chance. Surprisingly, kids of this age are capable of true leadership. You can pinpoint the ones with the potential in your children’s ministry and give them a head start.

Invest in cognitive development

The preteen years are perhaps the most decisive from the cognitive development perspective. Children require little effort to understand abstract concepts and reason them during this phase.  These capabilities have much to do with leadership as leaders need to understand and manage several factors to bring people together. You can get them ready for the role by investing in cognitive development. It prepares them for complex thinking and problem solving and empowers them with emotional intelligence.

Create age-appropriate learning opportunities

Cultivating church leadership is not just about picking youngsters with the right traits. Providing them with age-appropriate learning opportunities is equally crucial. You can start with moral development classes when they are young. Enrolling them in disciple training programs down the line is the next step. Although such programs happen much later, setting the stage for preteens makes them comfortable with learning.

Use experiential education

The best way to imbibe leadership skills in young people is by training them with experiential education. They learn well by experiencing leadership situations instead of imagining them. You can try creating mock projects in your ministry’s programming. Create teams, set goals, and let young people take turns leading their groups. Simulate challenges so that real leaders can address them with their inherent skills and gain confidence in themselves.

Connect kids with leaders

Connecting potential leaders with real ones is an excellent way to inspire them. Invite community and church leaders to visit your church and talk to kids. Hearing them speak about what they do and how they follow their faith while making decisions motivates the young ones. You may even create mentorship opportunities for preteens to get them to interact closely with people in leadership roles. Inspiration shows them the way ahead.

Shaping preteen leaders in your church is a moral responsibility for ministers and pastors. Fortunately, you can do it easily by following these simple steps.