I saw a youth ministry related facebook post the other day asking how the collective hive mind selects student leaders. I think this is an extremely legitimate question, but one that needs a quick reframing. Let me start by zooming out. The bottom line when it comes to leadership development …
wes 
What Lurks Beneath
Every teenager has leadership potential. More than potential, however, every teenager has influence. My job, as someone who desires to expand my leadership influence, is to help students learn to do the same. Over my time working with students, I’ve developed a conviction or two. One of those convictions: sometimes …
Check It Out: Reconsider Student Leadership
Have you ever read something from someone else and thought “That’s exactly what I think!”? Well, that happened to me this morning. Doug Franklin at LeaderTreks consistently develops quality student leadership resources, and I got an email in my inbox today that led to pure gold. (Side note, when I …
3 Observations about Developing Student Leaders
Last week I got to spend time at camp with a group of six student leaders. For the last three summers, I have helped develop and grow what we call the Horizon Leadership Camp (HLC). The concept is simple: when a church group comes to camp, they have the option …
The Leadership Invitation
When I was a 8th grader, my youth minister had a conversation with me that helped set me on a path for the duration of my high school career. I went to a small school and a small town church, so there weren’t a plethora of students in our youth …