A great philosopher of adolescent development once said "Take Chances, Make Mistakes and Get Messy".
This philosopher, of course, is Ms. Valerie Frizzle, the teacher in a fictional television show and book series called 'The Magic School Bus'.
The most profound development in my life as a young leader happened when I failed well.
Failing does not always have to be a horrible experience. With good leadership, mentorship and love, it is possible to fail in a way the helps you grow and do better next time.
Thinking about the magic school bus and Ms. Frizzle's philosophy that embraces messiness, risks and the potential for mistakes challenges my youth ministry paradigm.
I think most of us would agree, in principle, with the philosophy. But I wonder if it is something we demonstrate and embrace in our practice.
A few questions to consider:
Is this a value for you?
Have you created room for you leaders and students to take chances and get messy?
Do you have supports that allow people to fail well or the type of 'support' system that removes any potential for mistake?
Could this mentality help us curb the dissonance between theology and action?
Are you a player in a game that you were meant to coach?
Lastly, have you learned anything profound from cartoons? if so, please share it with us:)
No comments:
Post a Comment