I wonder what qualities you would be looking for in the new small group leader you were choosing to mentor?
How about some of the following qualities: Impressionable, teachable, humble, enthusiastic, having faith to believe God for the impossible, loving people unconditionally, quick to forgive, and loving Jesus with all their heart. If you found someone like that, many of us would be ready to pour our lives into them and raise them as leaders.
In many small groups, there are people like that who are completely ignored and overlooked as potential small group leaders. How can this be, when we are crying out to God to raise leaders and to equip us for today and the years ahead?
These potential new small group leaders are overlooked because they are children! If we start incubating new leaders from childhood, we will be equipping not only for today but building a strong foundation for the future!
So how do we do this; in much the same way that we raise up adults!
I believe one of the key components of mentoring is how much we are prepared to give to the relationship. Children are so responsive that they are ready to receive our love and attention within the context of a relationship. Within that, they absorb much of what we are. Each time I was home from trips abroad, I spent a little time with a young boy. This was while he was between the ages of 8 and 14. I just chatted with him at his favourite eating place, and brought him back coins from different nations—small things that made a difference to him. One day, he said to me, "Daphne, I want the real thing. Will you take me to Indonesia or India? I want to go where people really need me." He had caught my passion just by my spending time with him. What a privilege to see a child grown into a teenager with a passion to take Jesus to the nations. In the same way, as you build a relationship with the child, they will catch your passion. The challenge is: are we prepared to spend quality time with them, and do we have a passion to give them?
Are we inspiring them with the privilege and challenge of leadership? Children are ready to aspire to the "office". They do not enter it with the foreboding of adults, but full of faith and vision. While they need to have some awareness of the challenges that they will face, if we support their enthusiasm and walk beside them, they can become the most creative, inspiring leaders that any small group could possibly want.
In what Context do we raise them? Children can be mentored into leadership within the context of a small group. As members of the cell, they embody much through modelling and experience, as do many adults. Throughout their childhood and within the context of a small group, they copy, mature, and grow in every area of their lives. That small group is called "family." In the same way, they will learn about leadership both by observing other adults in the environmental context of an Intergenerational cell, and in the context of their children's cell. If each potential leader is raised within the context of good modelling, much of the task will be done.
Who can be raised as a leader? Leadership is not a title given, but a quality shown. One way leadership is evidenced is whether or not the leader has followers! With this in mind, age is not an issue. Many children are leaders of those older than themselves, while others lead those of their own age or younger. Observing these dynamics will help you release the child to lead from the place of success. They will be leading others who want to follow them!
Where and how do we release them? Children's cells are ideal for this. They rise to be leaders of their peers in a safe environment, supported by an adult with whom they have a safe and trusting relationship. As they gain experience in the reproducible model of the cell, they can gradually take some ownership of leading that cell. Coaching is best done as things arise. In the meeting, other children actually "learn" from the experience as well.
How can we support them as we raise them? Within the context of the local church, children should never be left unsupported and unsupervised. This is for child protection reasons, but also because they may need our support for reasons of discipline. As those who are mentoring, we need to be observers, listeners, encouragers, and coaches. Many mentor children from the perspective of adulthood because we quickly forget our childhood. It is only by being good listeners, that we are able to connect with the child and help them through.
Most of the skills needed for leading a small group are the same for any age group. Children will use these skills in leadership naturally when they have been in the context of good modelling.
Where can they lead a small group? Children love to be part of a club. They love to form clubs and include their friends. As they are raised into leadership within the local church, they will become excited, and take that model into their streets, their homes, and even their schools. It will not just be those we appoint as leaders, but those God raises up with a passion for their friends. Such children will not wait. We will find them leading and their success will be measured by the way we support and mentor them in the situation where they are already doing the job!
I am excited about mentoring small group leaders like this. It is not just a children's ministry task. It is the task of every parent and adult small group leader to pass on to the next generation all that they have. It is our task to receive from them all the enthusiasm, faith, and childlike qualities we are commanded to possess. As we mentor them, they will mentor us!
