Leadership development component of youth ministry

By Melissa Kokenge, Globe staff reporter
February 9, 2006

The eight components of youth ministry include advocacy, catechism, evangelization, community, justice and service, prayer and worship, leadership development and ministry of pastoral care.

This article focuses on leadership development and is the third in a series of articles featuring the eight components.

Leadership development is used for youth because it essentially is helping the youth help themselves and their peers. It also is a way of bringing others from the community in. It is closely tied with evangelism, which is sharing the good news with other people.

"When they graduate from youth and are full blown adults then they are more likely to be able to lead in the parish. If we have strong youth leaders then we will have strong adult leaders," said Jessica LaFleur, diocesan director of youth ministry. "The people, who are on parish council, are probably people who use to be active in their faith as youth."

Leadership development is also a great esteem builder for youth. Every youth has the skills to recognize a good leader from a bad leader. In leadership development, those skills are taken and are essentially enhanced with more skills. Not all teenagers are leaders, but it is a way of reaching out to all groups of leaders. Some youth don't always get that though, and that is when teens run into problems.

"We give the youth the tools to say, hey I know my faith," said LaFleur. "I know how to read my peers and I am faithful. It also helps them determine who they want to follow. Hopefully that is Jesus."

There are many programs offered, one of the programs that is offered for the youth to learn leadership skills is at the Christian Leadership Institute. It is the primary program offered by the diocese and the state of Iowa. The weeklong camp is where the youth get together from all four dioceses to learn leadership skills.

The youth are broken into small groups and responsible for planning a liturgy, a prayer, a social activity and various other things. This helps the youth directly learn leadership skills and how to effectively use the skill.

LaFleur said, "Any one who wants to go can go, some dioceses would say that just the leaders can go but our dioceses will allow anyone to go. I think it is very valuable and it shouldn't be a limitation on who can go and who can't, every youth is called to be a leader."

There are levels of leadership and some kids might not feel comfortable in being the one upfront and talking, there are silent leaders also.

"Silent leaders, said LaFleur, "can sit in the back and say I don't want to follow that person because they are not a good person, or I can be a model in my own peaceful quietness. In the end leadership is for everyone."