In my area we had no formal plan for recruiting and developing college freshman as leaders. I asked around in my state if anyone else was doing anything, I didn’t get a ton of feedback. I asked around nationally and I got a little more. Eventually a key person told me about the "premier" freshman program in the United States. They were kind enough to send me all their material.
I like planning and training and all that stuff a lot. (So much that now there is ylhelp.com haha) So I worked through all their material and my own and came up with "FYL" First Year Leading. We had a free kickoff retreat to the beach, free leadership camp in September and we met every Thursday night from 9:20PM until about Midnight at my house. The first semester it was pretty much a small group then the second semester we started including leadership training elements. The format was so simple: food, short game, worship, life story, then discuss the past week’s reading in the One Year New Testament (this is a GREAT tool).
This is separate from our traditional leader training we do each semester.
We have high school seniors, juniors and even sophomores who are saying they can’t wait to be a part of it. Most of their leaders are involved in FYL so it is contagious.
If you don’t have a plan for freshman in college, you should! Contact me if you need some ideas.
29 thoughts on “This year… FYL! First Year Leader training”
I lead YL in a college town. There are a lot of approaches for Freshman Fellowship/Leadership. I would love to hear more of yours and what material you use and a schedule of events and meetings for this fall. Thanks, ryan
ps–keep doing what your doing. It’s a great resource.
We had a good leadership program when I was in college that I am using to give me ideas on how to grow my new college leaders. I’d love to see what you have and share what we did.
I would love to see what you have for college leader training. I’m always trying to make what we have better.
I’m in the same boat as ryan and nicole. Just looking to see what others are doing and where they are having successes.
hey man, I’m a WyldLife leader from the High Point, NC area.
I’d LOVE it if you could send me your resources!
btw, great job. 🙂
Just starting up a new area in CO. I would LOVE to see your resources if you don’t mind.
Courtney, I just email you some of them!
Hello, we are doing YL in the Czech Republic and this year we want to do the intensive 6 week training and continue with other training forleaders. This year we will have some Seniors as Student leaders too so i would love to hear your ideas. Thanks.
Lucie, that is great! Are you thinking about meeting once a week for 1-2 hours each time or something else? Let me know, I can email you my general leader training packet if you are interested. That normally takes 4-6 weeks to go through.
Hi I am actually leading a young lives team and was wondering if you can email me your leadership training material. God Bless!
Will do!
Would love to see any resources you have!! Thanks for this site – it is a great help :o)
Bay Area… just sent you an email. Hope that helps!
I would love to see your resources, too! If you could email them to me that would be great! Thanks!!!
Would love to receive these materials. Thanks.
Skeeter
Chad and Skeeter, I send them your way!
Would love a copy, too, please!
Also, was the new testament reading a book or an online resource? Can you say more about that? Thank you. (Fort Wayne area)
Yes we get each person a book. Sadly the only ones available are versions for “Busy Moms” and “Busy Dads”! In our first meeting we decorate them to avoid any confusion for those who seeing them read them 🙂
But yes, over the years I’ve bought probably 150-200 copies. It is a great resource.
http://www.amazon.com/One-Year-Testament-Busy-Moms/dp/1414306210
We are starting up a college program in Abilene for new freshman. I would love to see the materials that you use.
Can you e-mail me and tell me how your leadership training program is separate from FYL? i’m trying to improve our leadership training program. thanks- amy
Amy, I’ll email you also… but basically this is aimed only at people a year or so out of high school and it is a year commitment. If someone doesn’t fall in those categories then I do a traditional 4-6 once-a-week meeting with them for our traditional new leader training.
The FYL group is #1 a Bible study to grow and #2 leader training (in that order… and quite a few do not become leaders, either because they don’t want to, or I don’t feel they are ready).
I am in conversation about YL leadership recruiting/training on 2 college campuses. Currently, there are 3 YL areas w/ 3 separate YL ADs. I would be interested in your FYL (Bible Study and leader training) calendar and material/resources. Also, your thoughts about how different FYL is from YL College Director job description, which is something I am considering.
FYI…I am currently the Director of Adult ministry in a large church in southern IN. I was a YL AD for 7 years priors to going with a local church.
Thanks
Rick
Rick, the FYL group is really just a college aged small group led by a local YL staff person. It could be something a College staff person does, but it would not (in my opinion) be a full time job. I’ll email you some materials!
Would it be possible to get the materials in an email. Excited to make it happen!
Jared, I sent them your way!
Hi Sean
I’m in conversations about starting FYL in my new area. Can you send me your material? Do you have some freshman go straight into leadership training or do all freshman go into FYL? I definitely see the benefit of freshmen going through a year long study, but I also have committee wanting new leaders after the first semester.
Annalise,
Thanks for asking! This updated post will likely help… Let me know…
https://ylhelp.com/2014/01/22/leadership-development-first-year-leading-fyl/
Keep those cards and letters (and materials) coming….Please