#2 Facilitate a Trusting Culture (Jn. 17:21)

While the content of your youth ministry is important, it can’t be delivered properly if your ministry’s culture is dysfunctional. All too often we find ministry culture ridden with lack of trust, self-preservation, and personal agendas.

If we ever hope to see the insanity within youth ministry stopped and bring about focus, integrity, and godly leadership, youth pastors must lead well. Youth Pastors should set the standard for functional, biblical leadership. That means living and ministering in unity.

Stephen Covey mentions thirteen behaviors of high trust leaders. He writes, “when you adopt these ways of behaving, it’s like making deposits into a ‘trust account’ of another party.”

1. Talk Straight

2. Demonstrate Respect

3. Create Transparency

4. Right Wrongs

5. Show Loyalty

6. Deliver Results

7. Get Better

8. Confront Reality

9. Clarify Expectation

10. Practice Accountability

11. Listen First

12. Keep Commitments

13. Extend Trust

Youth Pastors, it’s time to lead. Stop waiting on someone else to do it. Stop giving excuses…just lead. Work on these behaviors daily. Make it your personal goal to use the list as a personal checklist for your leadership development. In doing so, you will expand your leadership capacity, create trust, and most importantly…facilitate godly, safe environments where students can encounter Christ and be discipled by godly men and women.