The NOW District has engaged in a years-long research project into how adults help youth become servant leaders. It all started in September 2021, when district staff introduced the NOW Leadership Initiative Toolkit for those looking for next steps in leader identification. Through this effort, each ministry identifies at least one new leader doing a new thing. The leader can be of any age or gender, with the key focus being “new leader-new ministry focus.”
The next step of this initiative came in 2023, when the YLI Team focused more specifically on how we raise up youth as servant leaders, and developed a survey to identify critical adult behaviors that support youth leadership development. The survey collected 64 in-depth responses and utilized a qualitative approach to interpret the data, leading to a trustworthy interpretation of the findings and the identification of “Key Behavior Themes.”
The Youth Leadership Initiative (YLI) Report Survey Findings published in October 2024, demonstrate the value of observing and applying specific behaviors to encourage leadership among youth. It emphasizes the importance of adult behaviors in nurturing young people as servant leaders. The overall conclusion of the YLI Survey Report is that effective leadership development for youth hinges on the presence and engagement of caring adults who consistently show up, affirm their capabilities, and say “Yes!” often. The findings advocate for an intentional approach to adult involvement in youth leadership.
A YLI Implementation Team was launched following the 2024 All Workers Conference, made up of four DCEs from each region in the Northwest, nominated by their peers. Matthew Murphy, Mady Pinn, Lindsey Ohling, and Jacob Pralle now meet monthly, facilitated by DCE Jonathan Kopecky (vicar in the CMC pastoral ordination program) and administered by DCE Jackie Druckhammer. The team has been working diligently to take the key findings from the research report and craft a “Big Hairy Audacious Goal” (BHAG) for raising up young people as servant leaders, and the attendant measurements we will use across the district to determine how we are moving towards that goal. The BHAG is: “Every Youth. Every Ministry. Gospel Responsibility.” You can expect to hear more details about the measurements and YLI Team activities in forthcoming stories. Click here for all of the YLI resources that the team has created.
And most recently, we are proud to share a national podcast with Pastor Tim Ahlman and the Unite Leadership Collective in which Jonathan and Jackie unveil the key findings from the report and the initial next steps and draft resources being made available to leaders across the district! You can watch their interview here. You can also catch it on Spotify and Apple.
