First of all, hello!  How cool is it having a place where YL leaders can discuss, learn, and grow together?  Up until this point, the only redeeming features of the web were Homestar, Gmail, and Drudge.  Needless to say, I’m stoked to be a part of this great site.  I look forward to meeting all of you and sharing ideas.

As I mentioned in my brief and poorly writing biography, I am pursuing a Masters in Counseling.  This is a great degree for someone like me who is all touchy feely and likes to say things like, “Tell me about your dad.”  In this program, I have truly seen how being a YL leader prepared me to be a therapist.  Sitting with a kid at Steak n’ Shake  is a counseling session, and campaigners is group therapy (kind of).  It’s all the same, we’re pooling our knowledge of God and ourselves to further our lives and grow in a community.  Having said that, I want to share with you one of the best ideas I have heard so far in the counseling program.

“You’re not the expert on the client; the client is the expert on the client.”

I wish I would have heard this earlier.  I distinctly remember getting prepared for Campaigners a few years ago and getting slightly panicked.  I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to lead that awesome Campaigners group that all the other leaders seemed to talk about.  I was nervous that the kids would see right through me and realize that I had as many questions as they did.  Mostly however, I was fearful that I would be solely responsible for the making or breaking of their Christian walk.

We, as leaders, are not the experts, we are facilitators.  The kids know more about themselves than anyone else.  I would encourage you to release the idea that you are going to be the one that’s going to change a kid.  You may have a front row seat to their change, but the reality is that God is going to work through you. Additionally, the kid is going to do the hard work of becoming the person God has envisioned them to be.

Continue to work hard in being the best leader you can be, but take comfort in knowing that there’s only one savior - and it’s not you or I.

Peace and good things,

Eddie