The Young Apostles program as part of the Franciscan University Youth Conferences has officially been retired. This year we are launching a new program called Franciscan LEAD. The program will take place the week before each youth conference and will focus on training teens in leadership, evangelization, and discipleship. Complete information will be available to group leaders in the near future through conference registration offices. Applications will only be available for Franciscan LEAD through the group leader. Please check franciscanyouth.com to see when the information is available. Thank you for your patience. God bless.

See below for more information:

 

Franciscan LEAD Recruitment and Application Procedures

Dear Group Leader,

We are very excited about the new direction we are going in developing teen leaders. Your role in this program and the process of selecting the right participants is very important to its success. Your efforts in recruiting and assisting potential candidates will be greatly appreciated.

A great program with great benefits

One of the most exciting aspects of Franciscan LEAD is the depth of training that the teens will receive. Our goal is to equip and empower young people to be witnesses to their Catholic faith and lead their peers into a deeper relationship with Christ. Imagine the impact on your youth group, even your parish, if you had teens that were unafraid and passionate about preaching the Gospel. This program is designed with you and your ministry in mind. We want to prepare your teens to strengthen their relationship in Christ and empower them to be authentic witnesses in your youth groups. In order to do this, we are going to need your help.

Getting your teens signed up

The process of applying and registering teens is not complicated but it will involve some effort on your part. The success of Franciscan LEAD is having the right teens participate. Your insight in their development and maturity will help us make the right choices. With Franciscan LEAD, teens cannot apply on their own. Their applications will be considered only if you, their youth minister or group leader, are sponsoring them.

The Step by Step Process

1. After receiving the application packet from the Steubenville East conference coordinator, read through all the directions very carefully.

2. Once you have read the material, prayerfully determine who in your group might be a successful candidate for Franciscan LEAD. Prayer included for your use.

3. Contact the teen(s) and call them out. Tell them you recognize their leadership ability and their faith. Ask them to seriously consider answering the call to deeper service by applying to Franciscan LEAD.

4. If they accept the call to apply, help them fill out the application, fill out the group leader referral form, collect all the pieces of the application and return it to the conference registration office address listed on application checklist. All pieces of the application (including the youth’s application) must be sent in by you, their group leader.

5. Applications will be processed and candidates accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please be timely in your efforts. All applications must be in by May 1, 2008.

*Only 20-25 teens will be accepted for each weekend so carefully and prayerfully choose potential candidates.

Who are we looking for?

While every teen is at a different place with the Lord, some basic guidelines when determining potential candidates for Franciscan LEAD should be followed. They are:

1. The young person should be a confirmed Catholic teen (or have the intention to be confirmed as soon as available) with a strong desire to serve God, who has leadership potential and who is living the faith beyond Sunday Mass.

2. Franciscan LEAD applicants must be in the range of completion of their sophomore year through completion of their senior year in high school. In addition, preference will be given to candidates that have previously attended a Franciscan University Summer Youth Conference.

3. Candidates should be emotionally and psychologically stable enough as to not detract from the process of the Franciscan LEAD training.

4. Candidates should be free from any self-destructive behaviors or addictions.

5. While most teens are not perfect, a good candidate will not willfully be committing habitual, mortal sin. We will not be asking teens about this as part of the application but we are trusting in your knowledge of the teens that you recommend.

Franciscan LEAD

Vision Statement

Franciscan LEAD seeks to be the soil where God will plant the seeds of evangelization for the next generation. Participants will discover who they are in Christ, how to walk with Him as a disciple, and how to share His love as a living witness. This program will help fulfill John Paul II’s call on this generation to join in the New Evangelization.

Mission Statement

Franciscan LEAD is a dynamic Catholic Leadership, Evangelization AND Discipleship development experience for high school students. Our goal is to train, equip and empower high school youth to witness their Catholic faith to their peers and to prepare them for ongoing service in evangelization. Franciscan LEAD will always use dynamic, well-trained young adults and youth ministers to facilitate the training experience. The training week will be rooted in the truths of Scripture, the Catechism, and the multitude of saints who both lived and spread the gospel will zeal and faithfulness. Each day of training will root the participants deeper into prayer and life in the Holy Spirit as taught to us by Christ and given to us in the Sacraments. Every participant will be trained to effectively witness the faith through personal testimony, sharing the gospel message, radical service and authentic witness.

Key Concepts and Competencies

Leadership Training:

• Present Jesus as the model of servant-leadership
• Train teens to bring integrity to all areas of their lives
• Discuss the habits and practices of effective leadership
• Discern and nurture unique gifts of leadership in individual participants

Discipleship Training

• Nurture and encourage ongoing conversion through personal devotion and participation in the life of the Church
• Crystallize the centrality of a personal relationship with the living Christ
• Study and experience various forms of prayer and developing a consistent prayer life
• Equip and empower teens to overcome sin and the lies of their culture through the Sacraments, daily examination of conscience and personal devotion

Evangelization Training

• Understand and effectively share the core of the Gospel message through proclamation and relationship ministry
• Develop, write and share a personal testimony
• How to pray with someone to begin or deepen their relationship with Christ
• Answering difficult faith questions

What makes Franciscan LEAD unique?

Intensive training rooted in the Truths of the Catholic Church

Passionate, experienced, and devoted leaders

Personal attention (5 to 1: participant ratio)

The opportunity to put newly acquired leadership skills and insights immediately into practice!

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should apply for Franciscan LEAD?

Franciscan LEAD is for youth who are passionate about their Catholic faith, active in their youth group, and are ready to step up to the next level of leadership through evangelization and discipleship training.

When does Franciscan LEAD take place?

Franciscan LEAD training begins Monday evening before the Steubenville Youth conference and runs through Friday afternoon. On Friday evening, after spending the afternoon greeting and assisting arriving youth groups, Franciscan LEAD participants join their group. Therefore, each participant must be a registered conference participant with their group for the weekend.

Who facilitates the Franciscan LEAD week?

The program is lead by a team of leaders who are experienced in youth ministry and have been specifically trained by nationally recognized Catholic youth evangelization organizations including Franciscan University of Steubenville, National Evangelization Teams (NET) and the Impact Center.

How do youth apply for the Franciscan LEAD?

The application and referral forms are sent to the group leaders after they officially register for the Franciscan University Summer Youth Conference. Because we are seeking youth who have been acknowledged as up-and-coming leaders, youth are not able to apply directly to the program by must be referred by their group leader. The entire application packet, including the youth application and referral, must be sent directly to the conference office from the group leader.

What is the age requirement for applying?

Franciscan LEAD applicants must be in the range of completion of their sophomore year through completion of their senior year of high school. Preference will be given to those who have been to a Franciscan University Summer Youth Conference in the past.

Can a youth apply to attend Franciscan LEAD at a site different from where their group is registered?

NO. One of the values of Franciscan LEAD is participants us enter newly acquired skills and insights to serve their fellow group members throughout the high school youth conference weekend. Participants are required to be registered at the same Franciscan University Summer Youth Conference as their group.

What is included in the cost?

The Franciscan LEAD program cost of $300 includes training in discipleship and evangelization, resources and materials, and meals/housing for the participant for the duration of the program. This cost includes the registration for the conference weekend itself.

How are travel arrangements made?

Once the participant is accepted to the program, they are responsible for arranging their own travel to the site and notifying the Steubenville Conference registration office of their travel plans after acceptance.

How is this new program different from Young Apostles?

The Young Apostles participated as their own group throughout the conference weekend and focused much of its attention on preparing the youth to serve the conference in a visible way (i.e. hand motions, drama, etc.) The structure of the LEAD program is designed to empower and encourage young people to be leaders in their youth group not only during the weekend but after the weekend and use their training to serve their group during the weekend conference.

Is there still a Young Apostle program?

No. Franciscan LEAD program represents an exciting new direction in Franciscan University of Steubenville’s youth leadership training.

Can youth that have done Young Apostles in the past be considered for Franciscan LEAD?

Yes, however youth must go through the entire application process. Previous participation in Young Apostles does not guarantee acceptance into the Franciscan LEAD program.