In 1999, when I was 20 years old, I went on a short mission trip to Albania. I was there with an aid organization to deliver food and supplies to the thousands of refugees flooding the country from Kosovo. I expected to do and learn many things on my first mission trip. But I did not expect to see some of the most dynamic Christian leadership I had ever witnessed, especially from leaders my own age. I remember one young leader in particular, a pastor of a small congregation. I couldn't understand a word he said but I'll never forget his message.

I had only been in the country for two weeks when a missionary asked me and some other volunteers to attend a local church service. When we arrived at the service, I must admit that I was less than enthusiastic. As if the language barrier were not enough, the small church service was held in a dilapidated basement buzzing with flies. Outside packs of wild dogs, ever-present in Albanian streets, barked incessantly. Added to these distractions was the constant threat of danger. Though no longer a communist country, the atheistic sentiment in the nation was still iron-strong. Violent mafia-like gangs were powerful in the country, threatening Christians and hovering over every level of government.

The church was fledgling. Pastors were appointed on the basis of spiritual seniority, as was the pastor who stood before me on that day. "He is the oldest Christian in the congregation," my missionary friend whispered to me. "He's 22."

As the young pastor spoke I strained to hear our translator. But she was two rows in front of me and spoke quietly so she wouldn't disturb the service. After a while I grew tired of straining to hear her whispers and sat back, resigned to not understanding the message. The songs sung during the worship time had familiar tunes and from listening to them, I had learned enough to understand the name of Jesus in the Albanian language, Shqip: Jezus.

Although I understood little of the message, I noticed each time Jesus' name was mentioned in the sermon. Rhythmic as waves, the name would come, spoken with more and more feeling each time. The pastor did not have the forceful style of many western preachers. He spoke softly and his demeanor was calm. Instead of pointing aggressively or chopping the air for emphasis, his hands remained folded neatly behind his back. He stood before the small congregation wearing shorts and a T-shirt. He had no pulpit. As he talked, his eyes filled with tears.

Finally, on the verge of crying, he tripped over the name: "Je-zus," he said as he wiped his eyes. For a while he stood in silence, then smiled broadly as tears ran down his cheeks. He looked out across the congregation. "Jezus," he said again.

In my mind's eye I still have a vivid picture of the preacher. Somehow the humility and devotion of this young man in this dismal place impacted me in a profound way. The fact that I understood little of what he said made no difference — he exuded the love of God. I left the service questioning whether any sermon, no matter how eloquent, could have conveyed the message as powerfully.

It wasn't just his message that struck me. Here was this man, barely older than myself, leading a church with passion and authority. I had grown up in the western church, where young people rarely held such positions of leadership. I also realized that in my own life I held attitudes and biases that favored gray-haired spiritual leaders. It took a trip halfway around the world to awaken me to the potential of young Christian leadership.

Of course, I could have looked at Christian history as well. In our minds we often picture the great characters of the Bible as silver-haired, somber saints. Yet many were very young when they accomplished great things for God. No one knows exactly what age the disciples were, but most scholars estimate that they were even younger than Jesus. That means Peter was likely in his 20s when he stood up on the day of Pentecost and delivered his rousing sermon that sparked the growth of the early church.

The pattern of young, exceptional Christians continued throughout church history. Perpetua was only 22 when languished in prison and then bravely gave up her life for her refusal to renounce Christ at Carthage in 203 AD. Athanasius of Alexandria was 29 when he stood up at the historic Council of Nicaea in 325 AD and argued successfully for the divinity of Jesus, preserving the church's orthodox view of Christ's nature.

Later history is also replete with the stories of great young leaders. Martin Luther was in his early 30s when he nailed his 95 theses to the door of the castle church in Wittenberg. John Calvin was just 26 when he penned his landmark tome, Institutes of the Christian Religion. Charles Spurgeon was only 19 when he was called to take the pastorate of London's famed New Park Street Chapel, the largest Baptist congregation in all of England at the time.

Even in the last century, young Christian leaders made their mark. Who can forget the stirring lives of the likes of missionary Jim Elliot or musician Keith Green, who both did so much for God and yet died before their 30th birthdays?

But what about today? Where have all the young leaders gone? Why aren't more 20-something leaders emerging now, especially in the western church?

Part of the responsibility resides with older Christians.

In a May/June 2006 Ministry Today magazine article called "Bench Warmers: How churches are sidelining their most valuable players," Vice President of the Barna Research Group David Kinnaman describes the difference in opportunities for young people in the secular world and the church.

If you are an exceptional writer, artist or actor, you can make your way to the pinnacle of your vocation even as a young adult. If you are effective in business and management, you can rise through the corporate ranks quickly, holding positions of authority commensurate with your skill and ability.

But if you are in your twenties or thirties and you want to find a challenging and meaningful role as a lay leader in your local church, well, good luck. Try again in a decade or two.

According to Kinnaman's research, "only one out of every eight churchgoing Busters (the generation of Americans ages 22 to 40) have served as a lay leader in the last two years. That compares with one-quarter of Boomers (ages 41 to 59) and one-third of Elders (ages 60-plus)."

Kinnaman believes that older Christians are failing to provide the kind of chances to get involved that young people crave: "Young leaders want hands-on, meaningful opportunities. They are willing to have their leadership capacity shaped, but not merely in classroom settings or in under-the-radar roles. They would rather be making an impact while learning on the job."

That may be true. Boomers and other older Christians should be more proactive in getting young people involved in leading within the church. But ultimately, the responsibility to step up lies with us. No one can realize God's call on our lives for us. In fact, often the best Christian leaders heed that call in spite of their circumstances, not because of it.

My prayer is that one day future generations will look back on our time and see that, as young people, we truly did rise to the challenge. And that our world was changed for God's glory as a result.