Your support is helping young people reach their leadership potential

Your support has played an important role in helping students take ownership of their faith and step into opportunities where they can grow to be effective workers for God’s kingdom. Leaders in Training (LiT) has enabled young people to strengthen their relationship with God and reach their leadership potential.

LiT is a three-year program that provides effective, engaging, and practical leadership training for young people, and support for those who disciple them. The annual LiT camp is a whole week focused on growing each student as a Christian, as a leader and as a servant of Jesus and His people.

This year, LiT was back up and running after a long break due to the COVID pandemic. Students attended from far and wide and were taught under the theme of The King and His Kingdom from the Gospel of Matthew chapters 16-20. Aston, who is in his final year (stage 3) of LiT, has grown in his confidence to serve at his church. Aston says,

“I'm learning how to become the best leader I can through the ‘Gathering’ (LiT sessions). So, in stage three you're just so heavily involved in it, from organising to coordinating, to tracking microphones, and speaking in front of a large audience. Last night, I did the prayer and that was a big thing for me, having to pray in front of a bunch of people that I didn't really know, that was a little bit daunting, it was a bit out of my comfort zone. But I feel like I can do this. And in the past two years I have been building up the confidence to be familiar with serving and now I feel like I can just go.”

Aston also believes LiT has helped him to be an active contributor to his church and feels more comfortable to talk about God with his non-Christian friends. Aston says:

“I'm learning how to do bible talks and I think that is always something that's interested me at church. I'm quite comfortable with public speaking and I enjoy it a fair bit…almost everything that I've learnt has just helped me portray and show Christianity to a bunch of other people that I probably wouldn't have. I feel much more comfortable with talking to non-Christians about Christianity far more frequently and without having to be feeling ‘oh, they think I'm weird’ But there's so many lessons taken away from LiT. I could go on forever.”

Sandon, stage 1 LiT leader, knows the importance of LiT. Attending as a student and now as a leader, he believes it’s an opportunity to empower young people to be leaders as they enter the stages of adulthood. Sandon says:

 “..as kids come out of youth and they get to that last one or two years of youth, I think there's a real tendency for them to fall between the cracks…And I like encouraging them to kind of see what it means for them to be part of the church outside of youth and attending just a congregation and actually what's serving means. So I think LiT kind of just falls into that, of actually empowering them to lead coming out of youth and coming into young adulthood.”

 Thanks to the generosity of Youthworks supporters, LiT is helping young people be trained and equipped to be confident and strong leaders for the Church and sharing the truth of the gospel with those they encounter in their lives.