Developing Student Leaders: Training and Instruction

While leadership experience and the role of a mentor and a community can be significant, at some point developing student leaders is going to require some training and instruction. These “leadership classroom” experiences can be interactive, engaging and linked to their leadership experience.

What might these training and instruction sessions focus on?

Foundational concepts and principles. There are some topics that are useful for Christian leaders to explore regardless of their particular context or skills. These include topics such as:

• The role of the leader. This could involve exploring the images the Bible uses for leadership, such as a steward and a shepherd.
• The character of a leader. What qualities does God expect that leaders are developing in their personal, social and spiritual lives?
• Communication and teamwork skills (eg. conflict resolution, facilitating discussions).

Specific knowledge and skills. Depending on the context you are working in and the gifts and interests of the students you are mentoring, there will likely be some specific skills or knowledge that your students need to engage in the leadership tasks that they feel called to. These could include topics such as:

• Mentoring.
• Christian witness (evangelism, apologetics).
• Public speaking.
• Preparing and teaching Bible (or other) lessons.

What important training or instruction topics would you add to this list? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.