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The Two Types of Leaders Every Child Needs

The Two Types of Leaders Every Child Needs

Which phase of a kid’s life do you think is more important?

There are actually two answers to that question. . .

Answer 1

The phase that should matter most is the one you are working with now. In other words, you should learn to champion the age group you work with so you can become a specialist. That’s why churches need age-group pastors or directors. Specialists provide focus, and focus gives a ministry momentum and relevance. The difference between a stagnant swamp and a flowing river is focus and power. Which one do you want to characterize your ministry?

A specialist stays focused on what a kid needs now.

Answer 2

The phase that matters most happens before and after this phase. Hopefully, this sounds confusing. Why? Effective ministries know how to focus on a specific age group and see this overall vision for a kid’s life. That means as an age-group leader, you need to develop the skill to be a specialist and a generalist, simultaneously.

A generalist owns the vision for where a kid is going.

Specialists will champion a few phases. Generalists will champion every phase.

It’s okay to be 80 percent specialist and 20 percent generalist, as long as you know how to take off the specialist hat occasionally and think like a generalist. It forces you to think about the master plan so a kid keeps moving in the right direction.

Just remember:

Some leaders are better at being generalists.

Some leaders are better at being specialists.

But every leader needs to get better at both.

This article is an excerpt from the book It’s Just A Phase—So Don’t Miss It: Why Every Life Stage of a Kid Matters and 13 Things Your Church Should Do About It. Read more about the book and order your copy here!

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