It becomes quite important when the state of the present world is considered to prepare the next generation for leadership. It has been said on more than one occasion and in many ways, the importance of the youth of today and tomorrow. As we look through the streets of “anytownusa” we see the remnants of a generation that allowed popular culture to play a significant part in the lives of their youth. Let’s face it, if you are reading this blog you probably didn’t grow up wearing your “pants to the ground”. But any effort you may have made to thrwart it has not been taken serious enough, either due to lack of urgency. And somewhere along the line it became less and less important to enforce proper modes of dress and behavior and more and more important to allow “free expression”. Let's get a CLUE: Our mission as Christian leaders is to “perfect the saints for the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:12) this must be perpetuated in order to insure future generations continue to stay the course laid out for us by the Holy Scriptures.
The result of a Transformational Leadership (see previous posts) environment on future generations is of paramount significance. A transformational leader seeks to cast vision for the future. He is a futurist. The vision of what can be must be passed on to the next generation. Considering the power relationships within leadership (Downward power of leader to subordinate, Upward power of the subordinate to the leader, Upward power of the leader to his superiors, Lateral power of the leader to his equals, and Downward power of the superiors over the leader), the leader will inculcate his philosophy of life and leadership downward to the coming generation. When the “vision” is caught and ingrained in the minds of those subordinate to the leader, a powerful thing happens, the progression and perpetuation of the organization is realized.
The great apostle Paul instructs Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2 “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” In reality he is saying “The way I lead you into transforming your life is the way you are to lead others in transforming their lives. They in turn will lead others in transforming their lives, etc.” The potential is endless and awe inspiring. Each leader should be concerned about his/her legacy. A good leader is someone who makes their organization as strong as they can and prepares a successor to carry on. The leader must possess the understanding that “No matter how good he is, no leader can do it all alone.” He must begin to think of his finish soon after he begins and if possible begin to seek out and train his successor. This was strong point with Moses and his leadership in choosing and mentoring Joshua.
To gain a better “clue” of which I am speaking, all you really have to do is study the young people and children of a particular congregation. This will help you understand how they see congregational life. I challenge you to follow the children through the full life of the congregation … it will give definite insight on its future. Do they sit in total boredom? Do they leave the church after their eighteenth (18th) birthday? How are they handling situations that come up in their lives? How do they face death and suffering? The fact is, they face these issues based on how effectively the leaders (Ministers, teachers, parents) have instructed and prepared them. Are the leaders transforming their lives? Are they leading in a way that helps the children to grow and learn and adapt to life situations?
In a very similar vein, what level of commitment do our young people show to the congregation? Are they merely attending services or are they actively participating in them. A Transformational leadership will seek to involve them in the life and direction of the church. They must invest in them in order to perpetuate the goals, aims, and objectives of the congregation. This will have a tremendous impact on their affective commitment to the congregation.
They will learn from a transformational leadership model that “People matter.”
Now you've got the CLUE!
No comments:
Post a Comment