When a student in your small group opens up and shares a secret or a sin, for many leaders there’s an instant tendancy to freak out or respond negtively. Here’s 4 quick actions to take (adapted from some HSM training stuff) when you first hear the news:

Calm Down
Don’t panic – set aside your own feelings and and shock and try to make some clear-headed judgements. Stay calm … you can do this. In a weird way, this is what you

Be There
Don’t let a confession spur you to leave this person behind – unintentionally on accident or intentionally because you’re not sure how to handle it. Make sure you follow-up with the student as soon as possible, they will regret sharing their secret with you and second guess opening up to you in the future.

Go to God
Pray, pray, pray. Never underestimate the power of God to work in this situation. Ask Him to reveal what to do and say, and that he would heal the people involved.

Team Up
You are not alone in this – when a student finally revealed their big secret, they probably felt alone. Now that you are carrying it, look to your coach or fellow youth worker to carry the load together.

JG