I have been immersed in Jim Collin’s book “Good to Great” recently which examines what makes good companies become great ones. The book is the result of intensive study of businesses but says much about leadership and the core issues that drive vision to reality. So, being stimulated by it, I have begun a series of articles translating the good to great concepts to youth ministry. The first is on “The Pied Piper” a common misconception by churches as to what they need for a youth minister. It has been published in the Jubilate Deo (http://www.dioceseofsc.org/august_september_07_web_jubilate_deo.pdf) and hopefully stimulates a few thinkers. I hope to put further articles in there as they emerge. Here is an excerpt…
My first youth minister (as a teen) was a pied piper whose charisma attracted hundreds of kids to youth groups. When he left the church, so did the masses of youth. We literally saw numbers immediately drop by 75%! The trouble with pied pipers in youth ministry is the typical aftermath when they leave. I wish I could report that my youth minister was an isolated example, but the truth is that I have seen the pattern time and again. Since no youth leaders carry on forever, we need leaders who will build ministries that will last. Relying on charisma is not only unwise it is not biblical. Our call in ministry is to draw students to Christ not to a youth leader. While youth ministers need to have strong interpersonal skills and be enjoyable to be around, they ought not be the main attraction. While it is desirable and even advantageous to have youth leaders who are winsome, the expectation that a good youth leader be a pied piper is dangerous.
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