After a year of being a Young Life leader, I found myself loving the ministry but still unsure about where God was calling me. I was invited by Joe Graham, the man who got me involved with Young Life in the first place, to try out something called Student Staff. Having graduated from Hope College over a year earlier, I wondered how much a guy like me would fit in with a bunch of college students but decided to give it a shot. Quickly, I discovered that the Young Life Student Staff Program exists for invested leaders to help them learn how they are wired, to discern God’s calling on their life, and to be equipped to lead teams and reach out to the kids in their communities.
Today I find myself on the other side of the program as co-leader of the regional Student Staff Program with Jay Lindell. It’s a joy to be able to meet with the very gifted college students enrolled in the program and see how they process their experiences as Young Life leaders. Whether or not all of them consider applying for Young Life staff after graduation, my hope is that the Student Staff experience educates them on a leadership that can be translated into any career.
The program is intended to create a framework of experiences that allow each participant to reflect on their leadership and how God is moving in their life. Student Staffers are given a list of possible tasks ranging from a meeting with a school principal, reflecting on regular meetings with a mentor, or engaging specific spiritual practices. The program is more than just checking off a list of assignments, they also have dedicated meeting time with their Area Director to discuss what they are learning through these experiences.
Once a month, we come together for a communal training session to discuss topics such as professionalism, self-care in ministry, or the theology behind the work we do. Just the other week, we looked at a few songs popular among students and discussed the meaning of the lyrics. The perspectives that were shared on how we interpret the messages coming across and how we have engage our high school and middle school friends on the topic was very enlightening. There is a lot of wisdom in this group of Student Staffers.
They are a group of college students who are asking the right questions and seeking guidance as they lead their peers. They are seeking discernment about what career God is calling them to and discovering the gifts God has given them. Our Student Staffers show great willingness to learn and be led.
I get excited to think about the future of each Student Staff that graduates and I am so thankful for the time I am able to spend with them.
For more info about student staff email Josh at dehaan (dot) josh (at) gmail (dot) com.
Josh DeHaan is our student staff trainer as well as an Associate Area Director in the Greater Holland Area. He was loosely involved with Young Life in high school but really appreciates the faithfulness when he reflects on that season of his life. In Holland, he stepped into leadership after college and fell in love with how Young Life equips leaders to do ministry. The emphasis on showing up in the lives of kids incarnationally gives every action a purpose. Young Life offers a community where a diverse group of people can come together and model the kingdom of God. In his free time, he loves cooking with his wife, Tiffany, going geocaching, drinking coffee, and enduring target practice with pureed foods while feeding his daughter, Evelyn.
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