Readiness To Change
Youth workers are in the transformation business. We make change happen. Like the light bulb in a chicken egg incubator, we’re charged with helping students mature to become self-feeders, spiritually speaking. So we run activities, develop small groups, and build relationships, all to share the transformative truth of Scripture. Some youth workers have the innate ability to produce change in the lives of students, parents, and adult volunteers. They get to the heart—teaching, mentoring, and inspiring others to make permanent changes. Other youth workers do the same programs and teach the same lessons but see little to no change. Students may have a great time and love the youth worker, but they’re the same when they leave the ministry as when they entered.
What went wrong? Why can some youth workers make change happen while others can’t? It never came easy to me. I struggled with it for years. Once I learned that ministry was about cultivating real change, I started studying why and how this change happens. What I learned has proven invaluable because LeaderTreks is a leadership development organization; no change means no leaders.
A few years ago, we started looking at the “Readiness to Change Factors” in students’ lives to identify who was ready to change. These factors are:
ATTITUDE
Loving God and wanting to emulate his character in your thoughts and actions.
AWARENESS
Accurately identifying your character strengths and areas needing further development.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Seeking feedback from others on matters of character and acting on it.
When students embrace these factors, they are ready to make fundamental life changes. So, we focus on developing these characteristics in students. We challenge their attitude about a relationship with God. We help them “know themselves” so they are aware of their strengths, and we use positive evaluation to encourage them to desire accountability. Instead of running programs with the goals of everyone having fun and getting home safe, we use programs to determine who is developing these factors. When we see students whose attitudes show that they love God, we challenge them to change their thought lives or encourage them to serve other students in new ways. We know from experience that they are ready for this kind of challenge. When we see students making tough choices, we challenge them to consider how God made them and which option best fits who they are. We celebrate the unique ways in which God created them. We challenge them to serve God using their unique spiritual gifts and abilities.
We teach evaluation as a way of life, consistently asking, “Is there a better way?” When a community works together, everyone grows. Think about your students: Do you see these factors in their lives? If you do, challenge them to grow and make changes. If you don’t, work to develop these characteristics. These success factors are the key to real change in students’ lives.
By the way, we have a powerful tool to aid in this process-a student assessment for these factors. It’s called Building Character, and it’s available on our website. This tool is designed to help you identify the readiness of your students for change, empowering you to tailor your approach and guide them effectively.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in April 2013 and has been updated and republished in July 2024.
About the Author
Doug Franklin
Doug Franklin is the president of LeaderTreks, an innovative leadership development organization focusing on students and youth workers. Doug and his wife, Angie, live in West Chicago, Illinois. They don’t have any kids, but they have 2 dogs that think they are children. Diesel and Penelope are Weimaraners who never leave their side. Doug grew up in… Read More
