3 Different Types of Care for Small Group Leaders

Josh on October 6th, 2009

I was talking with Katie Edwards the other day around the office (she’s the co-author of the excellent Youth Worker Training on the Go with Doug Fields) and we talked through the needs of small group leaders at varying points in their experience. She probably hates talking to me, since all of our conversations become blog posts, but still – too much good stuff to keep it to myself:

Rookie Leaders -ATTENTION
This part of your team needs the most time. Pour into them, offer trainings, round table discussions, mentoring, encouragement and coaching. This should take up the bulk of your leader time, but that should be expected and will make sense because you are preparing them to mature as leaders into the next two categories.

Experienced Leaders -BELIEF
This group is trained and prepared, and has already seen their fair share of youth ministry successes and failures. What they need most is belief. Belief from the leadership that they can do this. That they are an integral part of changing lives, that you believe in them and what you are doing.

Veteran Leaders – CONTACT
This select group that make it through the attention (newbie) and belief (experienced) levels of experience need occasional contact more than anything else. They have been coached, trained and believed in for years, you just check in every once in a while to lend a hand or offer advice and they’ll be just fine.

Think about your leaders this week – what care do you need to give them today?

JG

Comments (2)

Erik w/a "k" at 9:09am October 6

Did you call us mots?!!?! haha. Anyhow, tell Katie thanx for being your fuel for blog posts. Good stuff. We all need reminders of how to est care for volunteers.

Josh at 12:46am October 7

Thanks! I’ll pass this along to her as well – she’s brilliant for sure! JG