Activating Future Leaders Through Their Questions

I had the privilege of serving at one of our church’s student ministry retreats. It left me bleary-eyed and craving sleep.

But it was worth it. No matter who we are, we must always proactively look for ways to invest in the next generation of leaders.

I’m grateful for Kara Powell’s and Brad Griffin’s book 3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager. They write that almost every question students ask begins with one of these three questions:

1. Who am I? (identity: our view of ourselves)

2. Where do I fit? (belonging: our connection with others)

3. What difference can I make? (purpose: our contribution to the world)

Empathy = Notice + Care

The authors’ words are equally intriguing and haunting:

“Every teenager is a walking bundle of questions… We will never activate this generation if we do not understand their most pressing questions” (21).

Also:

“One of the reasons young people are drifting from faith is that churches aren’t focused on the questions they care about most. Instead, we are pitching answers to questions that aren’t anywhere near the strike zone” (33).

I learned a lot from students 3 decades younger than me by asking questions and listening. I was reminded: we must meet them where they actually are, not where we want them to be.

May we always invest in future leaders, even if it means a sleepless weekend every now and then.