YouthLead: Equipped and eager to share Christ

Micah Perkins (left) of Trinity Lutheran Church in Auburn, Ill., chats with Gavin Martens (right) of King of Kings Lutheran Church, Kansas City, Mo., during YouthLead 2025. (LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford)

By Megan K. Mertz

In mid-March, 93 teenagers and their adult leaders gathered at the Pallottine Retreat Center in Florissant, Mo., for four days of learning, discussion, fellowship and fun. They were attending YouthLead (formerly called Lutheran Youth Fellowship), a program of LCMS Youth Ministry that helps teens develop leadership skills that they can use within their congregations and communities.

This year’s curriculum, titled “Caring Connections: Supporting Peers Through Christ,” focused on helping teens care for those around them. Through a combination of video modules, in-person presentations and small-group discussions, participants learned about why Christians show mercy to others; how to care, with an emphasis on using the LOAP model (listen, observe, ask, pray); and how to share Christ’s love with both Christian and non-Christian friends.

“One of the [YouthLead executive team] members, Adam [Beadle], who is also from our area, taught us what he’s learned from YouthLead, and it has been a great encouragement,” said high school junior George Austin of Risen Savior Lutheran Church, Chandler, Ariz. “So, I wanted to come and be a part of that. I’ve really enjoyed the small-group sessions and especially learning how to bring God to non-Christians. We all go to pretty large schools that aren’t Christian, and so it will be a great opportunity for us to go back and bring that to the people we interact with.”

The event also included time for the youth and adults to gather with their congregational groups to discuss ways to share what they’ve learned with others back home, which is a hallmark of the program. Some of the ideas discussed included leading a four-week study of the LOAP model, writing devotions for their peers, teaching the curriculum to younger students, organizing outreach events, and more.

“My favorite part [of YouthLead] is this time,” said adult leader Amy Barrington from Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Madison, Wis. “They’ve spent time doing their thing, and I’ve been doing [the leader track]. And now we get to come back and start our planning for what we want to do next and how we want to take it back to our congregation.”

The next training event will be held March 19–22, 2026. Registration will open in October. Learn more about the program at lcms.org/youthlead.

Posted April 22, 2025