Lane Palmer
Who am I?
Congratulations! You've chosen to be a leader. Leadership is a difficult but rewarding task - and God honors those who handle it well. If you are like most people, you are probably wondering: "ok - what next?" Well, I'm glad you asked!
Let's start with the basics:
Leader = Someone who leads (duh!)
e-team leader = Someone who leads the youth group in keeping evangelism a top priority. In other words, you da man (or woman) when it comes to keeping the flame burning for lost souls!
What am I like?
Remember the Olympics? One of the coolest things about the ceremony is the lighting of the torch. Wouldn't it be incredibly cool to be the torch-bearer who sets flame to the Olympic fire? In Greek mythology, this person took the fire of the gods from Mt. Olympus and lit the flame to mark the start of the games. In much the same way, the e-team leader is the torch bearer who takes the flame of God's passion for the lost and ignites it within your youth group. Remember to always keep that in mind at every youth meeting!
What am I doing?
So now you know what an e-team leader is - the next question is, "What does an e-team leader do?" Well, get your pencils out - here come the directions:
Energize
You're the bunny - ok? You keep going, and going - you constantly energize the youth group in God's power to reach the lost. You're the one who dares the youth group to invite their friends. And once they bring their friends, then you dare them again - and again - get the picture? An e-team leader not only leads by mouth, but he/she also leads by example. Here are a few questions to test your example: Do the words of your mouth and the meditations of your heart please God? Do your actions inside and outside the youth group reflect the actions of Christ? Does your heart break for students who are destined for hell? If so, do others know that? Also, you need to model the Prayer-Dare-Share strategy better than anyone. If you are not modeling the walk and the talk, the e-team will soon become an ex-team.
Equip
The e-team leader is the evangelism equipment manage or coach for the group. The equipment is the 2.6.2 method of sharing the gospel, and the Prayer � Dare � Share strategy. Everyone in the group needs their equipment! Get a youth group roster and go through the names to make sure that you are equipping the students. A good coach is a combination of someone who instructs on the technical side, but also motivates on the emotional side. Some coaches over instruct, so the players know what to do, but they aren't all that fired up. Other coaches get in your face and get you pumped, but once you get on the field, you forgot how to do it. Your role as a coach is to give students practical training with the 2-6-2 and Prayer-Dare-Share strategy, and also to challenge them. As well, you need to make sure that everyone else in the e-team is on the same page. Get excited and let that excitement spill over to the group!
What else?
So - now you have a pretty good idea of who you are, and what you are doing. Let me just throw a few suggestions your way that might be helpful.
First
Expect the best of yourself, but give yourself room to fail. The Bible says "for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again" (Prov. 24:16). In other words, you are going to make mistakes, screw up, and mess up. But don't stay down - get up and try again. If you as the leader stay down, then Satan wins. Make sure that you have a good relationship with your youth pastor or other adult leader to keep you accountable and to encourage you.
Second
Support your local leader. The rest of the youth group and the visitors need to know that everyone is on the same team. For example, don't talk during the lessons, don't whine about the stupid games that every youth group plays, or the stale refreshments that every youth group eats, and do try to find amusement in the attempts of humor that your leader makes. Also, remember that the youth leader is the youth leader- so he/she is the only one that gets to preach at the students. Your job is to lead, not lecture.
Third
Keep this responsibility a top priority. I know, I know, school, family, friends, sports, and Nintendo are all really important. But wait a minute, as an e-team leader you are making a difference in the lives of people FOREVER. That's a long time. A lot longer than any report card, trophy, or high score will last. You're the leader - seize the day!
For a more detailed explanation of your goals and duties, check out the e-team wheel.
To Summarize
You're the leader - so lead in every way imaginable. Lead through speech, through actions, through modeling.
As a leader, remember to be encouraging and equipping to all the students.
Team up with your youth pastor to make sure you are coordinating your efforts.