Leadership Cup
“WHY I’M PASSIONATE ABOUT YOUTH MINISTRY”
- Nate Dame - Chicago, IL
I believe it was John Maxwell who first coined the phrase “leadership cup.” (This is the same John Maxwell that was arrested for bringing a handgun through security at an airport. Don’t believe me? Google it. I dare you. Funny story. It’s true, and it was an accident.)
A person’s leadership cup is their capacity to lead others. Some people have a huge leadership cup. John Maxwell has sold over 13 million books and trained 2 million leaders worldwide. His leadership cup is massive (although we all make mistakes now and then). Other people have leadership cups of various sizes. How big is yours?
The great thing about your leadership cup is that you can grow and make it bigger. Some people are born with big leadership cups and a natural ability to lead others. But if that’s not you, most of the skills and traits of a good leader can still be learned, and that’s good news for all of us. That means we can always grow our potential.
Man do I love youth ministry. (Did I mention I’m bad at transitions?) I love fighting for students, blessing them, serving them, walking with them, and showing them what it means to know Christ’s love and walk with Him. I love getting together with youth pastors because we have so much in common, even if we’ve never met. Nothing needs to be said: We’d give it all for students.
And I love youth ministry because, unfortunately, we are sometimes the last line of defense for students. If there is nobody else praying for the students in our communities, we won’t give up. We’ll keep praying, keep loving, and keep serving, in Jesus’ name. What’s that got to do with your leadership cup? One of the hardest parts about being a youth pastor is balancing your passion for the “one” and for the “multitudes.” Jesus said He would leave the 99 for one lost sheep (Matt 18:12). Another time, when crowds of followers were begging him to say, He told them He must continue on to preach the good news to the other towns too (Luke 4:43).
As disciples of Christ and student leaders, we often have to make similar hard choices: How much time do I devote to individuals, and how much time do I devote to the “multitudes”? You can grow your leadership cup and reach more students. As a youth pastor, I understand that you are giving everything you have to reach and disciple the students you have today. But you also have a heart to impact the hundreds and even thousands of students in your town that still don’t know the Lord. God’s heart also yearns for both those in your group and those that don’t yet know Him. The good news is that you can grow your leadership cup to make an even greater impact in the future.
Be encouraged. Through prayer, learning, and practice, you can grow your leadership cup—and help grow the leadership cup of your leaders—to reach more students tomorrow. And as we grow closer to Him, we will better understand and fulfill God’s heart, “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
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If you have ever been blessed by my blog we have a couple people to thank. God for grace, my parents for upbringing, my wife who loves me and our first guest blogger - NATE DAME. Thanks to him, he helped design my blog and periodically, I will have friends share what is on their heart and what God is doing through them. Nate is a youth ministry guru, loves God, and a consultant with National Network of Youth Ministries. He lives in IL and his website is www.EffectiveYM.com
Friends, please keep me in prayer. In the next seven days I am scheduled to preach NINE times! Yesterday, (Sunday, April 26), I preached twice (AM & PM) at Oxon Hill Baptist Church to “kick off” their five service, four day revival. My daughter, HANNAH GRACE SHELTON had her 9th birthday on Sunday sandwiched between both services and we had a blast! She is starting to love basketball like her Daddy and my thighs and calves are certainly sore! Today (Monday, April 27), I am officiating a funeral at Cheltenham Veterans Cemetery at 11 AM and then back to preach Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night for the ongoing revival. My special guest on the radio show “FRANKLY SPEAKING” this Thursday, April 30, is ANDY WILLIAMS - drummer past five years with Grammy Winners & Group of the Year - Casting Crowns! Andy, also just stepped out in faith and left CC to tour with Soul Sister Sally!
LISTEN UP & Tune in this Thurs on AMERICAN FAMILY RADIO @ 6:30 PM EST on 89.7 FM in Richmond, VA or listen online www.wauq.net to my interview with Andy. It will certainly bless you! Switching gears - Saturday, May 2, I will drive 200 miles to First Baptist Church of Easton, MD and preach and return that night to preach on Sunday, May 3, @ First Baptist Church of Accokeek - www.FBCOA.org
As I mentioned in my inaugural post - I have learned in life (especially business, politics and ministry) that folks are slow to promote others. God laid on my heart to highlight others along the way. Therefore, at least one blog post per month (sometimes two) I am going to dedicate towards promoting friends that I have been blessed to meet on the road of life. God has strategically placed some special people in my path to help me grow in grace and get to the next level with the Lord. It has been said: “If you see a turtle on a fence post, it didn’t get there by accident.” The morale of the story is the turtle had some help. My life is no exception.
Long ago, I learned that we don’t have to be better than those we meet. However, we should hopefully be better because God enabled our lives to cross. God gave me a saying: “The Greats are Gracious.” I have learned that those that have been to the pinnacle of their profession are often decent and down to Earth folks. I have witnessed that winners are often wonderful to deal with. It’s the wannabees you have to WATCH OUT for! Those that have achieved success and have nothing to prove typically desire to help others not only survive but thrive. Mentorship is one of the greatest un-tapped resources today. It has been said: “Cemeteries are the wealthiest places in the world because so many took their dreams and talents to the grave.”
In the next few weeks, months and years (should the Lord tarry), I would like to shine a light on those that have un-selfishly helped me. The world needs to hear their stories and I pray that you can gain insight, wisdom and helpful nuggets to help you in the days ahead for your journey with Jesus. On July 27, 2007, after working 17 years on Capitol Hill; I knew God had transitioned me from “wordly power” to Kingdom power. God showed me that the answers in life are not in the “gifts of government” but the grace of God. So like that Soap Opera show and with “One Life to Live” I walked away “by faith” leaving 401K, health insurance, set salary; knowing full well I would no longer benefit from a retirement from the federal government. The first person that I called after leaving my job in Washington, DC was TONY NOLAN.
Tony, is one of the most powerful Christian communicators in America. He is an author, tour pastor to nearly every Christian Contemporary Musician and has addressed audiences in the largest venues around. Just this year on WINTER JAM with Dove Award Winners Toby Mac, NEWSONG, Brendan Heath & Francesa Battistelli; Tony witnessed over 69,000 adults and teens make professions of faith in Jesus Christ! Without question, I was nervous when I left Capitol Hill. Married and with a mortgage; I knew I had to speak to someone who had been there and could relate to my dilemma. That day while leaving Washington in the rear view mirror, I called Tony Nolan on the cell and fortunately for me - he answered. We talked for several minutes and I shared with him where I was at and he calmly said two statements that have given me much hope and help over the past year and a half.
First, he said: “Frank, when God guides - He provides.” Secondly, “When you’re in God’s Will - it’s on His Bill.” Meaning the pressure is off me and totally on Him! That was so liberating for me. Tony, knew firsthand what I was going through. He also was married, with kids, bills that still come every month and the only certain thing in his life was his salvation. It was really “big” of Tony to help me and many others over the years. Without question, his reward will be HUGE in Glory and he is one of the men in mininstry that I admire most. The blessing is Tony didn’t see all the doors that God was going to open in advance. They didn’t open until He stepped out “by faith” and God did His part after Tony did his. Eventually, “Casting Crowns” came calling; he toured with WINTER JAM and now considered by many to be one of the most respected and requested speakers around. The Scripture is clear: “Without faith - it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God.”
Over the years, I have had my share of “minor league” haters but God in His great grace has also hooked me UP with some “Major League” helpers! Tony Nolan is one of those helpers. Today, both of us made the “leap of faith.” Christ caught us and He will certainly catch and carry you!
Friends, pause and PRAY about what God may be telling you to do in your immediate future and like that Van Halen classic: “JUMP!”
God bless and go with God.