A Seven Strand Cord: Braiding Together Leadership Development for Mid-Adolescents
Abstract
Tim Martens was in a crisis and he didn't know what to do. He talked to his mom about it and all she said was, "That's nice, dear." When he talked it over with his dad, all George Martens had asked was, "But how will you make any money?" Tim talked with his friends about it and all he got from them was a new nickname, "Rev."
On the outside, Tim appeared to be a typical high school student. He was an 11th grader at Washington high school and was involved in one sport, the Yearbook committee, and the snowboarding club. He was active in his church's youth group, and in many ways it was Tim's relationship with his church that was the source of his problem.
During the previous spring, Tim had attended a national youth conference sponsored by his denomination. While he was there he had listened to a speaker talk about a "call" to ministry. During the talk, Tim's heart had begun to race; he started thinking about times in his life when he felt God nudging to him to consider being a youth pastor. When the speaker finished and an invitation was given for anyone to indicate a willingness to serve God in ministry, Tim's hand had shot up.