The males and females of our churches have gifts and talents that are important to ministry. This is exactly what Paul was writing about in Romans 12, encouraging the church to see each person’s potential for ministry. God’s Kingdom is built when all kinds of people with different kinds of gifts are working in our churches and engaged in God’s mission. We need one another and we need to be empowering the women already present in our ministries.
As youth ministers, we should be intentional to create an atmosphere to empower the women and men in our ministries as we are each equally important in the Kingdom of God. We need to be willing to accept, speak life into, and encourage the diversity that new voices and gifts can bring to the table. Here are a few simple things that you can do to engage women in your youth ministry.
You Can Encourage Your Female Leadership.
You may not have the financial ability to hire another staff member but as the youth leader, we need to be sure that we embrace new faces on our leadership teams and give role models for students to look up to. If you are a strong male leader, find several female leaders to fill out your leadership team and encourage them to model Christian living for your students. Bring these leaders to the front in your big and small group times. Empower them to encourage your students with notes during the week and provide resources for them to support your students in extracurricular activities. We need to be willing to share leadership tasks and support those who have different gifts, attitudes, and talents in ministry so we can continue building God’s Kingdom in our youth ministries.
You Can Empower Your Young Students.
Many youth ministries have a leadership team composed of students. At the very least, you probably have the 3-4 students that you lean heavily on when something needs to get done or you need to get the rest of your students excited about an event. Make sure that you include both males and females in those that you are encouraging and discipling on a daily basis. Give those student leaders spiritual gifts assessments and encourage them to know that each spiritual gift is important for the church. We also need to be encouraging the young females in our ministries to know God is speaking to them and moving through them in mighty ways. Make sure you are empowering your students and encouraging them to know that their spiritual gifts are important to your ministry.
You Can Engage Everyone in One Vision.
Christ didn’t call the church to have divisions. While we need to encourage all types of people to serve, remember that it is Christ who unifies us and God who created each of us in His image. We can celebrate the different gifts and talents that each of us brings to the table, but remember to pray together and grow deeper spiritually with your team of student and adult leaders. Invite everyone to come pray together for God’s vision for your youth ministry and let Christ be at the center of all you do. Engage all of your ministry leaders and students to pray that they would share a unified vision to build the Kingdom of God alongside their brothers and sisters in Christ, continuing to reach past all social and cultural barriers for the Glory of God.
- Finding Rhythms of Self-Care - December 6, 2022
- 4 Things to Say to Women in Ministry - April 5, 2022
- Four Reasons Your Students Need a Retreat - October 5, 2021