I'm looking for some input from anyone who works with the Junior High/Middle School age group. We are in an assessment mode in our diocesan youth ministry.
We are looking at the question of middle school youth in positions of leadership. On one side is the impulse to insure that their voice is heard and to get them involved as soon as they are able to fulfill a leadership role. On the other side are concerns about developmental levels, attention spans and similar issues when it comes to leadership "process". We are interested in your experiences and thoughts on the subject. Any and all insights, thoughts and opinions are valued
Feel free to post in the comments, send me an e-mail, drop me a note of Facebook. Sorry no Twitter at the moment, lol.
Peace
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2 comments:
what kind of leadership---parish, diocesan? And what kind of oversight would there be. I find that the middle school years are such a wide range of maturity levels that any blanket standard is not wise. It seems as if it must be a case by case determination. That said, adult oversight is key as they need a lot of support and direction. How's that for a real non-commital response?
I also think it is about starting small and easing them into it. I think too often, in our efforts to be inclusive, we try to fit kids into positions, responsibilities, etc. that are designed for adults. One key, I think, is to create positions specifically tailored to youth -- ones that perhaps do not have the same level of expectation as for adults.
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