If you missed part 1…

8. Don’t be the cold water committee on their ridiculously frequent “great ideas”.

Young leaders need to be given enough rope to do creative work, but not enough to hang themselves with it.

I have a new idea about every 20 seconds. Every few years there is a decent one. The elders here at Mars usually laugh a little and then we move on. Its good for my pride, but whenever there is a halfway decent idea, there is a culture of creativity, to do whatever is faithful to scripture, points to Jesus, makes healthy disciples, and reaches more people with the gospel.

7. Show them how to lavishly love their wives above ministry.

Every man’s priorities should be in this order:

1. Worship Jesus in all of life.
2. Love his wife.
3. Love his family.
4. Ministry.

(1 Timothy 3, Titus 1)

At Mars Hill we LOVE our wives! If we are legalists about anything at Mars Hill, it is this! Date nights, romantic vacations, baby moons, quality time, praying for her, providing, and serving. Young guns need to love their wives more than ministry. Leaders need to show them what this looks like. (Ephesians 5)

For a swift kick in the…watch this: Men and Marriage

I just said to Amy, “Guess What?”, very excited. Then I was instantly convicted and realized I don’t pose that question to her in excitment very often and this time it was about the fact that a part just came in for my motorcycle.

What I should have been super excited about, asking “Guess What?”, was the news I got today that a couple students met Jesus in College Mission Community Groups this month.

I am far too easily pleased.

The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak;
they have eyes, but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear,
nor is there any breath in their mouths.
Those who make them become like them,
so do all who trust in them!

Psalm 135:15-18

Some pastors look at rising leaders as a rock in their shoe, forgetting they used to be that rock. My experience at Mars Hill has been the exact opposite. In no way have I arrived, but God has used the pastors here to sanctify me, so that one day I might be one.

Here are my top 10 ways to build up young guns.

10. Pray for them.

I’ll never forget when Pastors Tim, Bubba, Mark, Brad, James, Phil and other Ballard elders laid their hands on my shoulders one Sunday, praying for me and the College Mission, as we launched a mid-week event in the U-District. I’m not sure I have ever been more encouraged for the mission God has called me on.

9. Pull them up and push them out.

I remember 2 things, from when I first began to work at Mars Hill, that changed the way I look at leadership.

1. Pastor Mark Driscoll said, ”I like to create a platform for the Gospel and pull everyone I can up on it with me.” I see this happening all the time, and its in the DNA of Mars Hill. Whenever a leader gets a platform he or she pulls other people up on it with them, to see the Gospel go forward, as broadly as possible, by utilizing as many peoples gifts as possible.

2.  Pastor Scott Thomas (@acts29) told me on my first day working with him: “I will never ever hold you back. When God calls you somewhere either away from Acts 29, above me, beside me, wherever, I will never hold you back.” And he lived up to his word and trained me up and sent me out to start the College Mission. But that promise made me want to follow him all the more and learn everything I could from him.

Part 2 Later 
This series is inspired by this blog post.