Passing on the Keys of Leadership to Younger Generations

In their book Growing Young: Six Essential Strategies to Help Young People Discover and Love Your Church, authors Kara Powell, Brad Griffin, and Jake Mulder studied churches that were highly successful in engaging emerging generations. They define keychain leaders as “pastoral and congregational leaders who are acutely aware of the keys on their keychain; and intentional about entrusting and empowering all generations, including teenagers and emerging adults, with their own set of keys” (53).

Even though “keychain leadership” is a relatively new term in ministry, the concept has been around for many years as churches develop and equip young leaders in their congregations. Here’s how keychain leadership was modeled for me:

 During college while studying youth ministry, I was involved in a ministry internship program through my university. Students were partnered with local churches and expected to work 10-15 hours each week in active ministry in exchange for scholarship funding. While we learned ministry theory and Christian theology in the classroom, we gained crucial practical experience through our internships. These local churches were willing to pass on the keys of leadership to inexperienced but eager college students.

In seminary, I signed on to be an unpaid youth ministry intern at a local church in exchange for mentorship and ministry hours toward my ordination. Each week, I met with my ministry supervisor over coffee to discuss ministry, my classes at seminary, and general matters of faith. Over time, he gave me more and more leadership responsibilities at the church, beyond even my role in the youth department. My supervisor trusted me and equipped me to lead in key areas of the church. This mentor—who had become a close friend—handed me the keys to his own ministry and gave me a set of my own ministry keys too.

Giving away the keys to ministry to emerging generations comes with risks:

1.     When you give away leadership to younger generations, it means that you give up control to a group of people who may not think like you, look like you, or act like you. Sacrifices will need to happen in order to allow others to share ideas and cast the vision.

2.     Things might not always go as planned, and events will not be perfectly executed. I imagine that many of the church leaders who partnered with the college students in my university’s internship program had moments of doubt when they wondered if this free labor was worth the hassle!

3.     Giving up the keys will probably create extra work for yourself; keychain or shared leadership is often more challenging than doing ministry alone. Doing ministry alone is quicker and faster, and you can do things the way you want them done.

Because of these risks, it can be tempting to hold on to the keys and keep leadership power away from emerging leaders. However, churches that make the extra effort and practice keychain leadership are rewarded with young people that stick around and continue to invest in their churches well beyond high school graduation. When the Growing Young authors asked churches what made them successful with young adults, passing on the keys to leadership was a top answer: “When we asked hundreds of leaders what accounts for their effectiveness with young people, over 30 percent mentioned that they entrust young people with opportunities to lead and contribute” (67).

Take a look at your church: How’s are you doing at passing on the keys of leadership to the next generation?