4 Mistakes Young Church Leaders Make

Observations of young leaders

I have been in full-time ministry for 24 years. Part of my job is to lead the Watermark Institute, where we train future church leaders.

As I observe young church leaders in the Institute and elsewhere, I notice the same common mistakes being repeated over and over again. That’s not a criticism; I’ve made every single one of these mistakes myself. But to help you avoid making those same errors, here are the top four mistakes young church leaders make, as well as how more experienced leaders can help.

1. Mistaking size for success.

This is probably the most common mistake. People tend to think that if a ministry event draws a large crowd, it is successful, or that if only a few people show up, it counts as a failure.

However, the number of people who show up does not directly equate to impact or life change. Many godless activities draw a crowd. Entertaining events tend to draw large crowds, but the people just leave entertained; they don’t leave changed.

We should all measure our success based on our ability to be and make disciples. A bigger crowd doesn’t necessarily mean you are making more disciples. In fact, if size is your goal, it could cause you to compromise on truth in order to be more attractive to more attendees. Jesus drew big crowds, but when they realized that He was calling them to much more than just free meals, many of them left Him (John 6:22-66).

Our goal is not to be big, but biblical. Get this wrong, and you will end up building your own platform over God’s purposes.

For senior leaders, you can help younger leaders avoid this mistake by not asking about attendance numbers. Whatever you measure is what people will try to attain and is where they will put their energy.

Watermark’s senior pastor, Todd Wagner, has been a great example of this. I remember when our then-new student pastor held a large fall kickoff event for all students, complete with a worship band. Only four students showed up. Four. When the student pastor told Todd the number, Todd’s response was, “So?” He didn’t care about the number, because being big isn’t the goal. In the 18 years I’ve been on staff at Watermark, I can honestly say he has never once asked me how many people showed up to anything.

2. Mistaking giftedness with preparedness.

There are many gifted young leaders in the church today, which is great. But too often, people rely on their gifts and natural abilities instead of faithfully putting in the work to prepare.

When you are gifted, there can be a temptation to just “wing it,” because in some situations a gifted person can get away with that. You can succeed for a while based on natural talent. Eventually that will catch up with you. And regardless, you will never reach your full God-given potential unless you combine your giftedness with preparation.

One of the most gifted residents we ever had at the Watermark Institute had to learn that the hard way. Twice a year, we do an oral exam where each resident has to stand and answer questions for a full hour. At his first oral exam, this gifted resident clearly hadn’t prepared. He tried to wing it, and he was really struggling. 30 minutes into it, I stopped and asked him how he thought he was doing. “Not very well,” he said. So I told him, “Let’s hit pause and let you sit in the back and listen to the next one.” That person, who was less gifted but far more prepared, knocked it out of the park. The gifted resident learned his lesson. With his talents and his newfound respect for preparation, he now has significant influence and ministry responsibility. He often refers back to that moment as a key turning point in his life.

The real danger is that, if you get this wrong, you stop listening to the Lord. Your ministry becomes personality-driven. You operate on your own strength and ability, and you eventually burn out.

If you’re a seasoned leader, don’t be afraid to talk about how much work it takes for you to lead well. People only see the end result; they don’t see the hours of study and practice each week. Make it clear that you’re not just relying on yourself.

3. Mistaking knowledge for maturity.

Knowing the Bible isn’t the end goal; it’s just the means to an end. Information is only helpful if it leads to transformation.

Of course, knowledge is a good thing. I would hope you have a desire to study your Bible and learn more. But the goal of study is not to become a smarter sinner; it is to grow more in love with Jesus and become more like Him. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up (1 Corinthians 8:1).

We do a lot of studying at the Watermark Institute, but we also train the whole person. It's not about learning how to write papers; it’s about learning how to love and lead people.

If you get this wrong and focus on gaining knowledge for knowledge’s sake, you will become what Larry Osborne refers to as an “accidental Pharisee.” We all know people who perhaps know the Bible and know theology, but they aren’t people you really want to be around, because they’re not mature. They are not rightly responding to the knowledge they have.

For mature leaders, you can help model this by always talking about the application when studying and teaching Scripture. One thing that I practice, and that I try to teach others in the Institute to do, is to always write down at least one sentence of application every time I study God’s Word. Ask yourself, what does God want me to do with this? In light of this information, what should be my next step? That’s how you turn knowledge into maturity.

4. Mistaking position for influence.

People like titles, and they tend to think, “When I have this title, then I’ll be influential. When I have this position, then I’ll start doing this work.” But you don’t have to wait until you have a title to start influencing people and furthering God’s kingdom.

Position seekers care about titles, and they wait to be given permission before doing anything. True leaders care about how they can influence others and make a positive difference in people’s lives, regardless of what their title may or may not be.

Instead of striving for a title, strive to serve faithfully where you are. Live out the role you feel called to. For example, you don’t need the official position of “outreach pastor” to be out there evangelizing right now (and you wouldn’t make much of an outreach pastor if it took a job title to get you to share your faith). Skillful workers will not go unnoticed (Proverbs 22:29), but they have to be doing the work to be seen.

Get this wrong, and you will lose credibility with people, and lose out on opportunities to lead.

For senior leaders, this should influence how you hire. Look for someone who is already doing the role in their own life.

Living It Out

If you are a young church leader, don’t use size to measure your success. Don’t try to “wing it” without God. Don’t study to become a smarter sinner. Don’t strive after titles.

If you are an experienced leader, you are not immune to making these mistakes. Don’t read this just to learn how you can correct the younger leaders you work with. Make sure you’re not making these “rookie” mistakes yourself. The best way to train others and help them avoid common mistakes is to live it out yourself. Be an example that younger people will follow (1 Corinthians 11:1).