Leadership Succession

David Wraight, International President

Recently you received a communication from Sam Wolgemuth, the Youth for Christ Board Chairman, informing you of the leadership transition process the board have initiated which will see me finishing my term as International President in June 2014.

When Jenny and I accepted our calling to our current international leadership role in 2004, we committed to serve in the role for ten years. At the recent International Board meeting we notified the board that we would be following through on our original commitment and would conclude our term of international leadership on June 30, 2014. After spending much time in prayer and consultation over the past six months we are convinced that this is God’s will for us and for the Youth for Christ movement.

Much needs to be done in our remaining 2.5 years with Youth for Christ and we need your partnership to do all that we believe God has called us to do. We want to finish strong and have big dreams for what can be achieved before we conclude our service in this role. One of those dreams is to pioneer Youth for Christ ministry in 20 new nations, most of which will be limited access nations where there are many challenges to ministry and evangelism. I believe that this pioneering dream was confirmed when we discovered at our recent World Leadership Team Meeting that we had commenced ministry in 10 new nations in the past three months – so we now only have 10 more countries to pioneer in the next 2.5 years to achieve our target of 20 new nations.

Another dream for our remaining time in Youth for Christ is to enlarge our resource base and build sustainability through far more robust advocacy, marketing and partner recruitment, so that we can adequately resource and support existing Youth for Christ leaders, the phenomenal ministry growth, and the burgeoning population of dynamic, world-changing young leaders who are the forefront of our pioneering ministry.

We expect as this news spreads many will be wondering what we are going to do after June 2014. At this stage we don’t want to spend too much time thinking about this question as it could distract us from finishing strong. We want to remain fully engaged and fully committed to serving in the role of International President, right up to the time we conclude our commitment in June 2014. However, we will be seeking God’s direction for what He would have us do next and will keep alert to His voice as opportunities come our way.

We plan to attend the Youth for Christ worldwide General Assembly which is to be held in Thailand, September 2014. This gathering of Youth for Christ leaders from across the world will provide us with the opportunity to celebrate what God has done during our time in international leadership as well as enable us to participate in the endorsement, affirmation and commissioning the new international leader of Youth for Christ.

I would ask you to join with us in prayer as together we seek the person of God’s choosing to lead this movement into the future. Please also pray with us that God will empower us to finish well and leave the movement with an ongoing legacy of laser-sharp mission focus; visionary, servant-hearted, Godly leadership; a pioneering spirit; and long-term sustainability.

Thank you for your partnership on this leadership journey.

David

training/leadership development packages

Larry Williams, Vice President of Ministries and Field Operations

I would like to give you a brief update on three training/leadership development packages that are currently being developed by the Ministries Department of Youth for Christ International.  They are (one)  Training for New National Directors, (two) a new Young Leader Development process called “World Changers” and (three) a revised protocol for Global Launch grants to help Young Leaders achieve their ministry dreams.

New National Director Training Package:  Final drafts are being edited for the eight modules of New National Director Training.  The Modules are:

1. Managing Self
2. Managing Staff Development
3. Managing Ministry Planning
4. Managing Fundraising
5. Managing Finances
6. Managing Administration
7. Managing Community Relations
8. Board Development

The World Leadership Team will review the materials at their June meeting.   We plan to then field-test the materials and make them available by the end of 2012

World Changers Young Leader Package:  We received a good number of comments and suggestions during and following GA 2011 to make some significant changes to “new” Young Leader Development Process that was shared at GA.  We have done a thorough review, and have redesigned a nation-based Young Leader Development process we are calling “World Changers”.   This process differs from previous approaches to Young Leader development in the following ways:

1. It is Nation-Based  (National Programs will use materials provided by International office to customize the curriculum to their specific needs.
2. World Changers is not designed for all Young Leaders, but for the few Young Leaders who have great capacity to multiply ministry.
3. The World Changers process will be approximately 30% academic training and 70% experiential learning through the accomplishment of a major ministry goal or project.
4. The curriculum will be restricted to:

– Character Development
–  Strategic Planning   (Capturing and implementing Vision)
–  Multiplication  (Multiplying ministry through developing others and developing financial resources.)

We plan to have the World Changers Process materials completed and ready to provide to National Programs by the end of 2012.

Global Launch Grants:
A Global Launch Fund has been established to provide “seed funding” for Young Leaders in our movement to help them reach their ministry dreams, and/or achieve sustainability in ministry.  Applications for Global Launch grants will be accepted from Young Leaders who are engaged in a National Launch program, and from Young Leaders who are enrolled in the World Changer Process.  The online process for applying for a Global Launch will be available by July 2012.  The next round of grants will be awarded in early November 2012.

Larry Williams

 

REMINDER

Charter documents are due into the International office by May 1 at the latest. Remember to include your 2011 financial statements and pay your charter fees.

Please contact your Area office if you have any questions.