We need leaders not chaperones

Jen Bradbury
Feb 24 · 5 min read

Shortly before our annual winter retreat, a parent asked me, “Do you need any more chaperones for the winter retreat?”

For a second, I honestly didn't know what this parent was talking about.

My youth ministry doesn't have chaperones.

It does, however, have adult leaders.

Adult leaders are actually the backbone of my youth ministry. Without them, we'd cease to function.

This distinction may seem subtle. Perhaps it's so subtle that it even seems irrelevant.

It's not.

What we call people matters.

The role of a chaperone is very different from that of a leader.

Chaperones keep people in line. Their job is to make sure that everyone is following the rules. If everything goes as planned, chaperones can manage people from a distance. Unless there's a problem, they can be relatively hands-off.

Read the rest of this article here.