Case Study: YoungLife (Bayside High)

Objective- Create the church or non-profit as a fictitious organization of any type or

denomination. Using the leadership model and other knowledge gained in your course

work, describe the steps you would

Parameters-

1. $10,000 budget

2. 25 people willing to help

3. 1st year plan

4. Fresh start with no prior history of organization at Bayside High

Case Study Paper

Bayside High School is a moderately sized high school within in a moderately

sized college town within Texas. Recently a need has been shown for YoungLife there.

YoungLife is a high school outreach ministry that focuses on winning the right to be

heard through being present in the lives of unchurched unbelieving students. A

committee of 15 adults built of students and teachers have raised 10,000 dollars and

shown extreme interest to allow this to happen. Understanding that much of the work of

creating an organization is on the front end certain measures need to be taken. The plan

and structure of YoungLife at Bayside high will revolve around the 4 pillars of the CBS

Leadership Model: Character, Vision, Skills, and Relationship.

Part I Character

Before taking a leadership role, any leader has to be established in his or her
character. It is one of the least spoken or promoted traits of leaders. People often speak of

persons dynamic speaking, intoxicating personality, or an intangible leadership quality

that compels others to follow. Those things are fine and right, however without character

there are as useless as a water pistol in a forest fire. Oswald Chambers describes character

as the combination of discipline, wisdom, decision, integrity, and courage1. In order for a

leader to lead, it is necessary for the leader to set the example. In order to set the example

character needs to be formed.

Character hinges on each of the four qualities, each of its “vital organs”. Much

like a human body, everything can be working properly to its full potential, however as

soon as one of the organs goes out, health is in jeopardy. In the same way character

without any of the four qualities is completely futile. If discipline is lost, then even with

wisdom and courage at one’s disposal, the ability to carry it out actions is lost. If integrity

is lacking then people will not follow, for the leader cannot even lead him/herself.

Character is the foundation of a leader’s make up and most needed.

Therefore in the formation of the ministry of YoungLife within Bayside high

school I would evaluate my character, as well as ask my inner circle to evaluate my

character beforehand. I would ask those around me to honestly show me my blind spots

and seek after the Lord for wisdom. After the fact of gaining peace from my peers and

mentors I would begin to build a team around me that has proven themselves to have

similar character. I have 10 more people at my disposal from which I would build my

leadership team. After compiling my team, with my committee of 15 adults complete I

1
Sanders, J. Oswald. Spiritual leadership: principles of excellence for every
believer. [Updated ed. Chicago, Ill.: Moody Publishers, 2007.
would then begin to cast the vision of the ministry.

Part II Vision

Vision is the foresight into the future. This is a simple definition for an action plan

that requires patience. In the realm of this case study it is more clear-cut. The vision was

born with the committee to have a ministry that would reach out to the non-believing

high school students of Bayside High. In the leadership compass of CBS vision refers to

the search for guidance from God the Father. It is the process of taking upon emotions

and gut feelings, and pressing them up against prayer and the bible. This is needed

because the vision needs to be mature within the leader, and the leader needs to mature

within the realm of preparation2. Vision is needed to have full confidence. Even more so

it is needed so the leader understand and knows that although he has been given

authority, full authority belongs to God, and God has allowed the leader to lead. The most

valuable asset to vision is the prospective of God and His true authority. Throughout the

Bible is displayed through the prophets and leaders of the Old and New Testament.

For Bayside High I would have been given the vision to build and instill the skills

of relational ministry to the team that I have been given. Receiving vision is only the first

part of the process. The second is casting it out. One can be given an amazing vision from

God, however it is just as essential to properly cast out the vision and give it to others to

receive. I would begin with a weekend long retreat (preferably before the start of the

school year) to bring a team unity to the ministry team. This weekend would also play a

dual role, as during the weekend I would be able to observe the other leaders abilities and

2
Stanley, Andy. Visioneering . Sisters, Or.: Multnomah Publishers, 1999.
strengths. I would also use this weekend to begin to cast the vision of what YoungLife is

about and the role that the leaders could play. I would begin to speak much of the

heavenly perspective and introducing the thought that we are ministry for eternal

consequences. Most of all I would win the right to be heard from the group, hopefully by

interacting and asking well thought questions that sparked conversation. I would want to

get to know each leader well, and showing sincerity so they know that I want their

success. After I would set a precedent for a bi weekly meeting in where we would plan

out the year’s events. Casting vision is as important as receiving it, I would do my best to

make sure the vision landed and was planted within each leader.

Part III Skills

Not following in chronological order, within the time of developing vision, and

evaluating character I would be continuously sharpening my skills. Knowing myself the

skills that I would need to sharpen and work on would my administration, time

management, and consistency. Much like anything in leadership I would not be able to

accomplish this by myself. I would try to bring on a leader within my team to help with

in an administrative role. Hopefully through the leadership weekend as well as our

meetings I would be able to find someone with the abilities to come along side in aiding

me. Administration is so important because it is doing things right the first time. Lovett

H. Weens Jr. elaborates when he said, “If there is a deadline, one meets it. if there is a

prescribed structure, one has it. If there are stated policies, one keeps them.3”

3
Weems, Lovett H.. Church leadership: vision, team, culture, and integrity.
Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1993.
Administration gives accountability to leadership and allows things to get done. Without

administration nothing gets done, nothing. Equality as important and essential to

administration is time management. Time is something that is valuable and yet often not

grasped. Certain things will take a very specific amount of time. If a leader is not able to

be in tune with reality and the reality of his calendar, then he will have a lack of integrity

and his word will be compromised. I would need to make sure to keep in tune with a

schedule in order to aid my administration and be accountable to my decisions and

appointments. Lastly, the glue to both components of administration and time

management is consistency. It is the discipline of consistency that brings leadership to its

full potential. Consistency is the regulator to make sure things are getting done day in and

day out. It is a painstaking, laboring skill to earn, but something that needs to be taken

care of daily. This consistency would be accomplished by setting goals daily and

reaching them through discipline.

Part IV Relationships

As a leader the image that you hold is incredibly important. In 1 Timothy 3 Paul

even emphasizes the importance of the view others hold of leaders

“2 Therefore xan overseer1 must be above reproach, 4”

Therefore with that in mind, I would make sure to keep my character and integrity in tact

with every facet of my life, including my interaction with others. While in this leadership

role I would make important and key relationships with key people within the

x
Titus 1:6–9
1
Or bishop; Greek episkopos; a similar term occurs in verse 1
4
The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), 1
Ti 3:1-2.
community. These people would include, the principal of Bayside High, the youth leaders

from the surrounding churches, and the coaches of Bayside High. The relationship with

the principal I believe would be the most vital relationship within the community, for the

approval of him/her could catapult the ministry to another level. They could help with the

promotion of the ministry as well as providing access to the campus and sports passes to

the leaders. If the principal were not on board with the ministry or against it, it would

bring that much more difficulty to the already laboring task of high school ministry. The

relationships with the youth leaders would be very important as well, YoungLife would

not be a church but a Para church ministry. It would be incredible to bring along some

partners that could share the vision to bring about fellowship and discipleship when high

school students become believers. This could also provide for potential leaders that could

crossover from the church and bring about more synergy within the community and

ministries. Lastly a good relationship with the coaches of the high school could go a long

way. Since YoungLife is a heavy relational ministry, sporting events are important, since

high schoolers often attend them. Being able to have access to the practices would be

very good for the ministry of YoungLife as well as the coaches partnering up to promote

weekly meetings and events.

Relationships should not be taken lightly for they can easily and quickly bring

about dissention within the organization. Very easily a neglected or poorly handled

relationship can end in the ending of a ministry or church5. Therefore as leader I would

have to be nurturing to these relationships and sincere in my interactions.

5
Milco, Michael R.. Ethical dilemmas in church leadership: case studies in
biblical decision making. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1997.
 I would hope to continue to follow through these pillars throughout the years,

however the first year would lay the groundwork for the way the ministry would run in

the future. Through character, vision, skills, and good relationships YoungLife would be

able to thrive at Bayside High School, USA.