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Lesson #4: It is not enough to invite young adults into leadership roles; we must form and accompany them as leaders.

How do we invite young adults into leadership roles? 

This is a question our partner parishes are wrestling with as we plan for the sustainability of their ministry. I’m sure it’s a question your own parish is asking – and if we’re honest, it goes beyond young adults. “How do we invite our parishioners into leadership roles?” It’s the same people leading, over and over, until they get burnt out.

But let’s pause on that question for now as we try to get to the heart of what we’re actually asking.

When we say we want young adults to step into leadership roles, what it is we really desire? 

Disciples. 

And that is true for anyone in a leadership role in the Church. Leadership is oriented towards service. “For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” For us, leadership is always about discipleship. And discipleship is an ongoing process of conversion – not a one-time invitation into the mission of the Church. It’s especially not a one-time invitation to join or lead a ministry group. 

So, returning to our original question, we should ask: “How do we invite young adults into a life of discipleship?” Because if that becomes our question, and our programs and events are oriented towards forming disciples, then leadership will follow. 

In the Young Adult Initiative, we describe this process as moving from consumer – someone who views their parish as a sacrament dispenser or the Mass as a check-box on their task list – to a disciple.

A disciple who has accepted the mission of Jesus Christ has no choice but to become an active member of their community. Their works are born from their relationship with the Lord, and fruit follows.

Below are a few things to consider as you explore this topic at your own parish. Remember, this is not a program or a question we ask ourselves once. This is about a culture shift within our parishes, where “success” is measured by long-term transformation, not only attendance numbers.

• Build a relationship first. The best way to begin inviting young adults into deeper discipleship is to simply get to know them. Learn about their hobbies, likes, and dislikes. Observe their spiritual gifts. Ask about their life outside of the hour you see them each week. Begin to share your life with them. As mutual trust grows, so will their openness to consider taking on new responsibilities in the life of the parish. And you will be able to invite them to share their particular and unique gifts – a personal invitation is always better than a generic one.
• Jesus is the source and the priority. Remember what we said above – our discipleship is a response to God’s love and a participation in his mission of salvation. We should make sure our young adults have a relationship with Jesus – that they know their identity as beloved sons and daughters – and have accepted the call to mission (discipleship) in that order. Our works are born from intimacy with the Lord and, in turn, bring us back to Him in gratitude and awe for how He works through us. It would be a disservice to our young adults to confuse participation in ministry with a relationship with the Lord. We have to make sure the latter is present before anything else.
• Create a gradual leadership process. Young adult leaders benefit from a structure or pathway that gives enough stability and support without stifling the creativity of the Holy Spirit working through them. A gradual handing-on of authority is best. You might begin with a new leader shadowing a current one, learning from them, asking questions, observing. Then, invite the young adult to take over one or two tasks from the current leader. After they have experienced a few successes (and maybe a few failures), invite the current leader to step back and be the observer/helper while the new leader takes charge. This may look different for different parishes and ministries, but the main point is this: our job does not end with the invitation. We have to set young adults up for successes by accompanying them and making space for new leaders with new ideas.
• Be open to new ideas. And that leads to this invitation and challenge – new leaders bring new ideas and new ways of doing things. Instead of approaching this reality with fear, we should pray for a heart that is open to the word of the Lord in the present. As Saint Augustine wrote, God is “beauty ever ancient, ever new.” He is always at work in His people, whom He equips for mission in every age. Instead of lamenting change or grasping for control when we need to let go, we should make every effort to see the gifts of our young people through the eyes of Jesus, the eyes of the One who created them. Sure, things might look different or not move as efficiently as we think they ought. But at the end of the day, we are forming disciples, not clones. Followers of Jesus, not followers of us. If we say we want young adults to participate in the life of our parishes, then we have to make space for the ideas they bring with them.
• Continue to accompany leaders. Like creating an “onboarding” process for new leaders, we must also continue to accompany leaders for the long haul. How many people in our parishes get to the point of burnout because they put more time into their ministry than into their relationship with God? This is missing the whole point of discipleship! We need to continue accompanying our leaders, providing space for prayer and theological reflection; supporting their ongoing formation and education; and reminding them of the truth that they are God’s sons and daughters, not His employees.
• Surrender the outcome to Jesus. At the end of the day, we remember that our work is not our own. We don’t control the outcomes; we don’t change hearts. That is well above our pay grade. What we can do, however, is invite the Lord into every moment, surrendering the outcome to Him. While it may seem like inaction or wishful thinking, we know as believers that isn’t true. Surrendering our ministry to the Lord is not optional. It is the only way to ensure that He is the primary actor, not us. It keeps us aware of His movements, receptive to His grace, in relationship with Him regardless of how “successful” we believe we are. Our call is to remain with Him, not to change the world on our own. “Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

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This year, we will be diving deeper into our 2025 insights. Each month, we will focus on one lesson our partner parishes learned and offer concrete ways to incorporate these insights into your own ministry. May God bless our work!