Skill Building for Leaders of Youth Ministry: Part III - Spiritual Guidance Skills

In order to be prepared to guide youth in the spiritual disciplines of Bible study, prayer, and meditation, leaders should set aside some disciplined time each day to be alone with God. They should use this time to be more regular about the practice of these spiritual disciplines in their own lives. One cannot effectively guide others where one has not been.

It is recommended that leaders each find someone in their congregation or community whom they trust and respect as mature Christian disciples. Then they should ask these persons to be available for conversations and to act as guides during the time the leaders are seeking to guide the youth. Those who are not being spiritually nurtured soon deplete their resources to nurture others. Adult leaders who are new to youth ministry often are not very much more mature in their faith than the youth with whom they work. Some of these adults will have awakened their spiritual growth while experiencing youth group activities. It is important for these adults to find spiritual growth groups with people their own age. That way they will be able to cope with issues facing them as adult Christians.

Leaders in youth ministry should develop their ability to use the traditional spiritual disciplines: