I've always said, "Giftedness can get you places, but character will keep you there," for more on that, click here.
I believe that statement. But one of the toughest aspects of leading younger people who want to be in ministry is teaching them that being developed sometimes means limiting the use of "gifts." This can be viewed as hindering them, misunderstanding them, devaluing them...on and on. Now, to be clear, we don't want to (and cannot) unnecessarily hinder God using people. But, in leadership there is a balance. And this can be a relationally tough line to walk sometimes.
Here's the consistent bottom line issue I've seen the past decade or so: Millennials (and in many cases anyone who wants to be developed for ministry) can view the Church as an object where their "gifts" are developed rather than a subject they humbly serve. In other words, in the former view, the "gifted" person is at the center of the equation whereas …