Investing In Tomorrow's Leaders

I have spent a disproportionate amount of time over the last 5-6 years with young leaders. Many are pastors who are carrying a lot for the Lord. Many of them are pastors leading churches that are transforming their communities and the world in profound ways.

And yet, when we sit down to talk, their first question isn’t about generosity, though they know that’s my professional focus. At some point, we always get there. But the first thing on their minds? How do they finish well?

This earnest desire gives me hope. These young men and women are asking the right questions. They’re striving to lead faithfully, to run their race with endurance, and to complete their calling in the way that honors God.

But as much hope as I have in them, I wrestle with discontent when I think about my generation—the Boomers—and even Gen X. Why?  Because too many of us have drawn conclusions about younger leaders that simply aren’t true. Why do we do this? 

Maybe it’s a kind of collective amnesia. We forget what we were like at 18, 24, or 30. We weren't that far removed from these young leaders today. Those not-so-great traits we once had? We grew beyond them, and they will, too.

But here’s the thing—they can’t do it alone.  They don’t need our cynicism; they need our help. We have a God-given responsibility to pass down our lessons, our wisdom, and yes, even our failures. It’s time for us to step up and invest in the generation coming behind us.

Here’s some advice on how you can do that.

Make Yourself Available to Young Leaders

We start by making ourselves available to them, and not nearly enough of us are doing that. If you’re from the Boomer or Gen X generations, hear me clearly: you are old enough and wise enough to make a difference. You’ve walked through things that could transform the trajectory of a young leader’s life, but only if you step into the opportunity.

What I hear a lot is that people don’t know what to say. I didn't know what to say either at first. When I started spending time with young leaders, I just started saying what was on my heart and what I thought God was speaking to me and leading me to say. That allows for the beginnings of building relationships and rapport. Younger leaders want these opportunities to talk to older leaders, because they understand that there's fruit in learning from those that have been before us. 

Share Your Mistakes, Not Just Your Successes

You know what they don’t want, though? They don’t want a highlight reel of all the things you got right. That’s not where real growth happens.

I don’t focus so much on the short list of things I might have done right. I talk about the much longer list of things I messed up or did wrong with the goal of helping them not make some of the same mistakes.

I tell them about the missteps, the regrets, and the seasons when I fell short. Why? Because that’s where the richest lessons are found. When you lay out your mistakes with honesty and humility, you create space for them to sidestep the same pitfalls.

And here’s the beautiful thing—your transparency builds trust. When young leaders see that you’re real, that you’re not there to deliver heavy-handed lectures, they lean in. They listen. They grow.

Don’t Jump to Conclusions

Older generations have a tendency to make sweeping assumptions about younger leaders. “They don’t give.” “They’re deconstructing their faith.” “They’re selfish.” I’ve heard it all, and I’m here to tell you—those statements don’t hold water.

Are there a few who fit those descriptions? Sure. But the majority of these young leaders are navigating the same struggles we faced in our youth. Back in the 60s and 70s, we had our own version of deconstruction. We wrestled, we questioned—and we came out stronger for it.

Instead of jumping to conclusions, we need to pause and consider this simple truth: they’re just like we were. They’re trying to figure it out. If anything, that should inspire us to step in and help them grow.

They Need Daily Sanctification and Accountability

Darkness does not appear all at once.  It happens one step at a time. Young leaders, like all of us, are walking through a world of distractions and temptations. Staying on the right path isn’t automatic; it takes intentionality. To do that, we have internal and external influences in our lives. 

It starts internally—a daily commitment to holiness and a desire to become more like God, one day at a time. But inward resolve alone isn’t enough. We all need external accountability, too. Young leaders need people who are close enough to their lives to call them out when they’re veering off course. They need structures, governance, and mentors who will challenge them in love. It’s not one or the other; it’s both personal sanctification and external accountability working together.

Find Their Tensions

Another way to support young leaders is by identifying the tensions in their lives. Too often, we wait until a problem spirals out of control before stepping in. But when you ask them right now, “What’s weighing on you? Where are you struggling?” you’ll likely open a door to deeper growth.

And here’s what I’ve discovered—the tension they’re carrying usually isn’t about work. It’s about family, marriage, parenting. When you press into these areas with care, when you offer wisdom from your own experiences, they listen. They’re eager to learn, and they genuinely want to handle these challenges well.

It’s not that we are smarter. We have just lived longer and have seen more. We’ve probably been through all these same tensions ourselves, and again, our mistakes probably provide more wisdom than the things we did right. 

Redeeming Our Mistakes By Helping Young Leaders

Here’s the most beautiful part of mentoring young leaders—God redeems our mistakes through it.

We all have a long list of things we’d do differently if we could go back. But we serve a God who wastes nothing. When you share your imperfections with young leaders, those mistakes become lessons that shape the next generation of the church.

Imagine this—your biggest regrets redeemed in the lives of 100 leaders who now avoid the same pitfalls. That’s what’s possible when we step into this calling. God takes what we offer—our time, our honesty, our past—and uses it to prepare younger leaders to run their race well.

The Call to Action

Older generations, the time for excuses has passed. This is our moment to pour into the leaders who will shepherd the church of tomorrow.

Make yourself available. Give them your wisdom. Share your mistakes, your struggles, and the redemption you’ve experienced. 

Be the mentor they need. And then watch what God will do through them—and through you.

This is how we help young leaders finish well. This is how we leave a legacy that lasts. Will you step up? 

To learn more about mentoring and transparency in leadership, checkout the Next Sunday podcast on Instagram, Youtube, and TikTok.

This blog post originally appeared on Church Leader Insider. For more information or to subscribe to Church Leader Insider, click HERE.