Power Sharing in Youth Ministry: Letting Teens Lead

GUEST WRITER: SARAH LEER

The teenage faces stared back at me on the Zoom screen. They were hesitant. One (let’s call her Hailey) said, “Umm…it’s not like we don’t like what you have written…it’s just…” And the rest of the group nodded enthusiastically, agreeing. “No, of course! We like it; it’s just that…”  

“It’s okay. You can tell me,” I said. 

Hailey sighed and continued, realizing she was the group’s de facto spokesperson, “It’s just…well, we don’t like acting out the scripture.” 

There it was. The hard truth. Was it hard to hear? At first, yes. They were asking me to change the curriculum I had worked on for months. Was I upset or offended? No. This critical feedback was exactly what I was looking for. 

What is Participatory Action Research?

I had assembled a group of high schoolers to be my co-leaders on the curriculum I had written, and I chose Participatory Action Research (PAR) as my methodology. In its simplest form, PAR is founded on the premise that I am committed to sharing power with my research group and viewing them as my co-leaders in this project. In doing so, as my advisor and teacher Dr. Christine J Hong continued to remind me, I needed to follow what they said every step of the way and then adjust the project according to their feedback and leadership. 

Why Power Sharing Matters in Youth Ministry

Young people are often ignored or patronized in the spaces they occupy. In school settings, they follow a particular system and schedule. In their homes, they may also follow particular rules and schedules. By offering a third space, a faith-based third space, we can set up a different system and create a collaborative environment for shared leadership. 

In advocating for power sharing and creating a system supporting a flattened hierarchy, we are creating space for youth to bring their gifts into the community with minimal adult interference. This is not a free-for-all system but a system with collaboration at its core. Youth, of course, need supervision and direction. Their prefrontal cortex is still developing, and they need guidance. Power sharing is one way for the body of Christ to honor their gifts and keep them engaged.

Reimagining Youth Engagement in the Church

Youth often drift from the community when staff turnover occurs because they feel connected with that particular staff member. Yet, when we offer a system that incorporates power sharing with youth, we create space that does not depend on a particular staff or clergy person.

We talk about the “silo” of youth ministry, but when we incorporate youth into the larger body of an intergenerational congregation, we create a space for youth to thrive in the faith community because they are truly part of the body of Christ. It is important for the entire body to recognize how young people’s voices are integrated and respected, rather than patronized, ignored, or devalued.

Beyond Empowerment: Toward Shared Leadership

As youth workers, we often aren’t accustomed to sharing power with the youth we serve. We’re trained to empower, but in empowering youth, a power imbalance still remains between ourselves (the ministry professionals) and the youth. 

It is worth asking the questions: 

• Instead of carving out a service or a particular role for youth, what does it look like to engage youth (appropriately) as co-leaders throughout the entire life of the faith community? 
• What would it look like if faith communities adjusted their visions, programs, service opportunities, relationship-building, and worship based on insights and ideas from adolescents in their midst?

What Does Power Sharing Look Like in Practice?

Sharing power means when Hailey told me they didn’t want to act out the scripture—an activity I was excited about and would help kinesthetic learners engage the story in a new way. I listened and readjusted. I made a different plan with my adolescent co-leaders. Not only did it take practice to learn this skill, but it also took ego adjustment. In the end, they were right. The resulting curriculum was stronger, the participants in the class were more engaged, and the teenagers experienced more ownership in their roles as leaders.

Power-sharing is a ministry practice, a skill to be honed, and a way to remind faith communities that young people are integral members of the body of Christ.