Your youth ministry needs women leaders. No matter what your theology is regarding women leading entire ministry areas, you need strong adult women to help form the young women and the young men in your group.
Girls need women leaders.
Young girls need to have examples of women leaders in order to help them feel empowered to lead in their own lives. The people leading on stage should be a reflection of who you have in the audience in terms of gender, race, socioeconomic status, etc. So if 40% of your group are girls, 40% of the people leading from the front should be female.
If you teach your students that they should advance the gospel, then they need to see that modeled by someone who looks like them.
Young girls need examples of women actively advancing the gospel in order to do so in their own lives.
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And because all girls are different, they need to see many different women doing this in order that they might picture themselves in that role.
Boys need women leaders.
I know many ministries have it set up that only men can lead boys and only women can lead girls. However, there are things boys need from both men and women, just as girls need both men and women to play a role in their development.
When I began my first youth ministry position, a mother came to me and told me that her son was going to be my toughest student, because he didn’t respect women in leadership. With tears in her eyes, the mother told me that this disrespect of women included her. I still remember the first night of youth group—this eighth grader challenged me by asking every tough question he could think of on women, homosexuality, and president Obama. But because this was a small church, I was the primary spiritual influence in his life. When I left two years later, that student’s mother said to me that her son had changed—not only did he now respect women, but he also valued them as leaders in his life. He became more sensitive, more respectful, and more affectionate toward his own mother.
When boys have women as leaders, it can teach them to hold women in higher esteem.
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Male leaders need women leaders.
Although I’m totally egalitarian, I do believe that men and women complement one another. In fact, I believe we all complement one another and that it’s important to have many different types of people leading in ministry.
If I use only my skill set and students only ever see me leading, then I exclude many of my students. But when I include other personality types in my youth ministry, we highlight each other’s strengths and fill in each other’s weaknesses. Male ministry leaders need women leaders for this reason.
Women leaders need women leaders.
When I first stepped into ministry, I felt alone because there weren’t many examples of women rocking it in youth ministry. I needed support. As I began being mentored and mentoring other women, I saw great fruit grow out of those relationships.
Women thrive in discipleship and community. But when women go to youth cohorts, they often feel alone. Where are all the women? I know they’re out there, but they’re often so busy balancing youth ministry and their families that they don’t have the time to put their voices out there or to join cohorts. Women, I encourage you to let your voices be heard—encourage other women. You can also join this Facebook page for support!
God needs women leaders.
God doesn’t discriminate against who can lead—he uses people no matter their gender, age, race, or background. From Abel to Moses to Deborah to David to Esther to John the Baptizer to Jesus to the woman at the well to Paul . . .
God has a knack of loving and using people who just don’t fit the standard mold.
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God has a very special love for women who lead—which is why when the rest of the culture shut women down, God raised them up.
So, women, rise up! Youth ministry needs you.
HEATHER LEA CAMPBELL is a Junior High Director in Indianapolis, working with a talented and diverse team of staff and volunteers. Heather has the privilege of writing on various youth ministry platforms across the interwebs, but you can find her blogging about her life in ministry over at HEATHERLEACAMPBELL.ME.