A missional imagination assumes that young people take part in the church’s mission—that every Christian teenager is a missionary called to translate the gospel across boundaries, not because he or she is capable or even interested, but because he or she is baptized and therefore is sent into the world as an envoy of Christ. The more teenagers tell this story, the more it starts to "tell them." In other words, as the Holy Spirit aligns young people’s lives with the gospel and empowers them to proclaim and enact Christ’s embrace, a missional imagination takes root: Teenagers begin to view the world as a place where God acts and to see themselves as participants in God’s action.

Of course, the challenge is that we can only invite young people to think this way when we have fully engaged adults in imagining in such a manner.

Case suggests “(though there is no biblical evidence to support this) that the four men on the roof were probably youth ministers and the man on the mat was probably a teenager. This event encompasses many classic youth minister traits: going out on the roof, demolition of private property — and if  they took a sick kid away from his house, it was most likely without a permission slip or even his parents’ knowledge. Most of all, they went to creative (albeit destructive) means to get a teenager to meet Jesus.”

But, he goes on to make a case for re-imagining relational youth ministry over programs. And, I’d like to suggest we re-imagine even further. The teenager in the scriptures was cared for by FOUR others.  This should be goal!  We don’t set up ourselves as the end-all, be-all source of support for young people in our community, but we ensure that every young person has AT LEAST FOUR adults committed to ensuring that a teenager meet Jesus.

Pure leadership means showing the way for others, either by example or by explicitly promoting a new direction.

We all intuitively know that leading by example is the most powerful form of leadership, but ironically it’s often the most overlooked. As Mahatma Gandhi once said “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Leading by example is something that we can all do, no matter our role, no matter our position. We can all make the choice and take responsibility to be the change we want to see. We can all take initiative, we can all make the decision to “show the way for others”.

Read more on this from George Ambler.  Meanwhile, understand it all as this… 以身作则 (yǐ shēn zuò zé) To set a good example / Set yourself as the standard

I’ve been meaning to write about Chip and Dan Heath book Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard.

I read this a month ago on my Hawaiian adventure and thought that it was brilliant. The stories that illustrate the elephant, the rider, and the path are engaging and make for a great read.

And, while promo video would not suggest that this is spiritual stuff, I would contend that motivation always is spiritual, that change in transformative not only in a psychological way.

We who recruit must also understand motivation… appealing to the elephant’s emotions, equipping the sensibility of the rider to steer the lumbering mammoth of our heart down a defines a set path.  It is both as simple as and as complicate as "”Follow Me.”

Recently, Seth Godin offered a quick list of a few ways to earn that right:

> Be informed
> Be rational
> Pay your dues
> Have a platform where a lot of people can hear you
> Be an impacted constituent, not a gadfly
> Represent a tribe of people with similar concerns
> You’ve been right before
> You’re not anonymous
> You have a previous relationship and permission to interrupt
> Listening to you earns something of value

This is true in business but also with kids, parents, adult volunteers, and pastoral leadership… and, if you ain’t sweating the right to be heard with each of those constituencies, then, I’m sorry, what was it that you were saying???

Tim Schmoyer

But yet, for as many people as Jesus helped, even more people were left unhealed, unchallenged, and untaught. Almost every day He traveled by communities that were full of of people who could’ve been blessed by His time and attention.

Not even Jesus tried to do it all. Neither should your ministry.

Most of us will read this and intellectually agree, but far too many of us are acting like we’re greater than Jesus while leading ministries that are trying to out-perform Him.

> He occasionally spoke to thousands confronting the status quo, refusing to pander to groups.
> He had a group/ tribe (about seventy in number) to whom require major commitment and giving them specific assignments.
> He shared his daily life with a smaller group (12,) entrusting them with power.
> He had an inner circle comprised of Peter, James, and John who were his closest friends and confidants.

Jesus’ leadership strategy evidently worked well. Within a generation, His followers turned the world upside down (see Acts 17:6). Within seven generations (318 A.D.), the emperor Constantine accepted his message and made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. And here we are, almost two millennia later, still discussing it.  For more, read Michael Hyatt‘s observations.

1. Its my way of setting low expectations, protecting myself from being let down.

2. I’m jealous of somebody, so I’m cynical about their success.

3. I’m distrustful of somebody’s motives.

4. I’m not wanting to follow through on the responsibility that sincerity creates.

5. I don’t believe somebody could really like or love me, so I let them know in advance I don’t care. (I do this because I actually care.)

Miller suggests that “Cynicism stunts your growth. There aren’t many great leaders who are cynics, at least not publicly. Leaders have to believe in something, and cynics are too cool to believe. Leaders have to create community, they have to work with their enemies, they have to love and be committed to people, they have to convince people of their ideas, and cynicism doesn’t contribute well to any of this.”

Since 1963, the Magic Castle, a private club in Hollywood California has served as a refuge for professional and amateur magicians. Over the years the membership roster has included celebrities like Johnny Carson, Steve Martin, Jason Alexander and Neil Patrick Harris. In its infancy the club’s marquis member was the legendary actor, Cary Grant.

Grant reportedly spent a great deal of time in the front lobby of the club visiting with other members and their guests. Upon hearing someone arrive, he would open the door and personally welcome them to the Castle. Many of the guests murmured about how enchanting it was to be greeted by a Cary Grant impersonator.

People went to the Castle expecting to see illusions. You could say they expected to be fooled. A Cary Grant impersonator greeting them at the front door met their expectations. The idea of the legendary actor opening the door for them was inconceivable. Consequently, many missed a chance encounter with the real Hollywood star, even though he stood right in front of them.

Too often, we find ourselves defining others or being defined by our first moments or our worst moments. Too often, we miss chance encounter with the best in another person even as they stand right in front of us.

(h/t to Roy Petitfils who lifted the Magic Castle story in Nurture Shock by Po Brosnan and Ashely Merryman)

Last month, we took a look at What Makes a Linchpin (which is certainly something that every Catholic youth ministry contact should be within their parish / school/ diocese.)

What holds us back from this stuff?

Fear of Failure.

And the trick of it all is…  we can no longer risk not failing ’cause if we ain’t failing, they we probably ain’t really trying.

Just start.  Just jump in. Move towards the things that you are passionate about.