Coaching and Mentoring for Youth Leaders

In the business world, a significant number of executives rely on coaches or mentors to support their ongoing personal and professional growth. More and more pastors and non-profit leaders are turning to coaches/mentors as well.  Hey, if it works for everyone else, it will probably work for youth leaders too!

In any given week, a youth leader is making decisions on the run. These decisions might be around ministry plans, interaction with students, or conversations with parents. Most of the time, there are not easy right or wrong answers to these approaching decisions, but there is often stress around them. These are not decisions that a person needs to make on their own. If a youth leader had a coach or mentor that they spoke with each week, they could process their options and plan out their actions and decisions.

The goal of coaching isn’t to give a person answers, but rather to help that person process the situation or experience in order to make the best decision. There are plenty of folks out there who have life experiences that mirror where a youth leader might be at any given place and time. How cool is it when a youth leader has the opportunity to reflect on that wisdom as they walk their own journey in youth ministry.

Coaches/mentors listen. They listen far more than they speak.  Building a solid relationship with a coach doesn’t take a lot of time, but it takes plenty of effort to build the relationship and the trust between the two individuals.

So who out there might be a helpful mentor/coach for you? Who would listen and help you process? Who would pray with you and for you and encourage you in your journey. Think about it. And if you have coach training, think about offering that experience to youth leaders around you.