Expand Your Impact

Involving Youth in Decision-Making ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ If you cannot see images, please [click here]( [Shop CTA Products]( [Shop CTA Products]( [Women's Ministry]( [Men's Ministry]( [Children's Ministry]( [General Ministry]( [CTA Advantage]( April 2022 [Involving Youth in Decision-Making]( By Kristin Schultz You don’t do ministry in a vacuum. Undoubtedly, you’ve seen the benefits of having different voices to speak into your ministry. Involving youth in leadership and decision-making is a valuable way to ensure your ministries meet all ages’ needs. Of course, there are risks when elevating youth to leadership positions. Teenagers have schedules... [Read More]( [Shop]( tips & trends Involving youth and young people in decision-making is not an all-or-nothing proposition. Depending on the ministry or event, varying ratios of youth-to-adult decision-making is appropriate. Sometimes, giving youth full leadership power is perfectly appropriate, but in other cases it is more appropriate for youth to take a secondary role in leadership. Discerning one situation from another sets everyone up for success. Determining the right fit for the right people is important for success. As you work towards diverse leadership, consider the following types of youth decision-making (sourced from the [U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development]( - Youth-Led—In this situation, youth have a hundred percent of decision-making ability. In this scenario youth could mentor younger children. Adults should be available for support, but youth do not need to consult adults. This is the most empowering situation for young leaders. - Youth/Adult Partners—In this scenario, youth and adults share decision-making. Youth and adults put together a plan to coordinate efforts and negotiate differences. Responsibilities are shared according to gifts and interests. Even though this type of partnership involves adults, it is still very empowering for youth. - Adult-Led/Youth-Consulted—In this arrangement, adults are responsible for all the decisions, but they consult youth for input. Adults might ask youth what’s best regarding timing or event content. This situation is courteous to youth but is less empowering than the first two kinds of arrangements. Consider what is best based on your situation. - Adult-Led/Youth-Considered—This situation is adult-dominated. Adults incorporate assumptions about student needs and incorporate them into their ministry. This type of partnership is less than ideal but tempting for adult leaders. Take care to encourage adults to better involve youth. - Adult-Led/Youth in Token Roles—This type of arrangement is disempowering for youth. People of any age don’t feel valued when they’re assigned “token” roles that don’t contribute meaningfully. Avoid this when possible. - Adult-Led/Youth-Served—It may be necessary, but it is the least empowering for participants. If you’re looking to increase youth leadership, avoid disempowering teens. Engaging youth in ministry empowers them to use their faith in the ways that God has blessed them. Consider how to involve them in decisions that impact your church’s ministry and God’s kingdom. Pray that God would raise up leaders of all ages to do the work that he has called us to do. You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use when you include this credit line and receive no monetary benefit from it: © 2022 CTA, Inc. Used with permission. The external links included in this article are provided for informational purposes only. CTA makes every effort to ensure the information included in these links is accurate and relevant; however, CTA cannot guarantee the content, nor does CTA endorse any of the products or services offered on the external site. bonus And now for a little something extra. . . From articles to devotions to activity ideas and how-to lists, CTA Blog has useful resources to help you and your ministry. [Read More. . .]( [5 WAYS TO KEEP VOLUNTEER ENTHUSIASM SOARING]( [Read More]( [Read More. . .]( [MENTORING IS A GREAT WAY TO SHARE CHRIST’S LOVE]( [Read More]( [Read More. . .]( [THE BEGINNING - A FREE DEVOTION FOR YOUTH]( [Read More]( [Women's Ministry]( [Men's Ministry]( [Children's Ministry]( [General Ministry]( [CTA Advantage]( CTA, Inc. 1653 LARKIN WILLIAMS ROAD SUITE 202, FENTON, MO 63026, United States customerservice@ctainc.com []( This email was sent to {EMAIL} because you've subscribed on our site or made a purchase. [Unsubscribe]( | [Edit preferences](