CHC Youth: Our Church of Today—Our Leadership of Tomorrow

     Deuteronomy 4:9 “Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons.”  Israel’s survival as a nation depended on two important principles: obedience to God’s Word and the communication of the Word of God to the next generation. God saw the big picture and knew that the younger generation would one day take the reigns of leadership of Israel. God knew that the next generation had to be trained and prepared. God knew that Israel’s future was directly linked to their young.  Deuteronomy  6:6-7 states, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”  The future of the CHC is also directly linked to its youth and its commitment to its youth. The greatest treasure that the CHC now possesses is its youth and children.  And the greatest investment that the CHC can make for its future is an investment in the lives of its youth and children. We cannot wait until the need for leadership arises to begin to train leaders. Investment and training must begin now.  If Jesus tarries, who will be the leaders of the Congregational Holiness Church of tomorrow? Who will be the future pastors, deacons, Sunday School /youth teachers, Women’s Ministries directors, Brotherhood presidents, and other workers in the local church?  Who will be our future District and General leaders?  Our future leadership now sits in the pews of our churches.

     Developing youth for future leadership begins with a serious investment of the local church to its youth. Youth Investment: Prayer, Time, and Money is more than just a theme; it is a real way to retain, train, and prepare our youth for future leadership.  As adult Christians we must spend time on our knees praying for our youth. God said to pray and He would answer. Specifically we should pray and ask God to save lost youth in our church and community. We should pray that God would sanctify and fill our youth with the Holy Ghost and fire. All Christians must develop the daily habit of calling out the specific names of our youth in intercessory prayer and asking God to protect them.   As adult Christians, we must find the time to spend with the youth of the church. Programs and ministries which reach out to our youth and train them require time, time, and more time. The Adopt-A-Youth program (Youth Awareness Packet 2001) is a way to spend one-on-one time with youth. Leaders of today often credit people in the church that spent extra time with them as the number one factor in influencing their lives and encouraging them to become leaders in the church.    Investment in youth also requires money. Churches must release finances or find innovative funding to finance effective, life-changing youth ministries in the local church. Souls are eternal, whereas the material things of life fade away. Financial investment in youth reaps present rewards and eternal consequences in the lives of our youth.

     Developing youth for future leadership involves training our youth. Training involves many things. Obviously training involves directly instructing our youth in the Bible and the basic doctrines of the church. Training also includes teaching by example and by involvement. Adults must strive to allow Jesus to live through them in a way that everyone sees Him. Youth can detect a “phony” a mile away, but they also can see the genuine and are drawn to it. Most present leaders state that as a youth, there was an adult in the church that they looked up to and who influenced their lives.  Youth must be allowed to get involved in the church. Once a year Youth Day is not enough.  Such weekly hands-on experiences in local church ministries such as working as assistants and helpers are laying a foundation for future leadership. Pastors and other church leaders who allow youth to help them regularly are wise indeed. Training must include helping our youth become prayer warriors and powerful witnesses for Jesus. Training involves teaching youth the importance of faithfulness to God, the church, and to jobs that they have been given. Training involves guiding youth to discover their talents and abilities, and helping them to utilize them in the Kingdom of God now and in the future.

     Developing youth for future leadership requires patience and the ability to listen.  It is said that those artists who were willing to spend the most time and apply the most patience completed the world’s greatest masterpieces.  This is definitely true for our youth. Not only in patience do we possess our souls, but also in patience we possess our youth and develop leadership within them. True patience never puts our youth down; it simply helps them until they get it right.  Listening to our youth lets them know that we feel what they have to say is important. Listening allows us to understand how youth think and feel.   It is important that we listen to their ideas and carefully consider what they are saying and not simply say that it can’t be done. As never before the CHC must capture the moment and begin to train and invest in our youth as never before.  We can do it. We must do it. CHC Youth: Church of Today-Leadership of Tomorrow. ----------Reverend Danny Jones, General Christian Education Director

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Revised: April 01, 2003