By Josh Low
Inspiring youth leaders in their ministry and equipping them with the necessary knowledge and skills involved were the focal points of the Masterclass retreat for youth leaders this past weekend.
Some 50 youth leaders from across Western Australia came together for the weekend event held at the Catholic Youth Camp in Busselton.
This year’s event was co-run by both Catholic Youth Ministry (CYM) Perth and the Bunbury Diocesan Youth Office and involved sessions covering a wide selection of topics, catered to varying levels of participants’ experience in youth ministry.
The range of topics included the effective use of media in youth ministry, the art of public speaking and the establishment of boundaries with young people in relation to child safeguarding.
CYM Perth Youth Worker Vincent Haber said that the hope for the weekend was to provide participants with the opportunity to encounter the face of Christ in fellow youth leaders while encouraging them to grow in passion and love for their service in youth ministry.
Mr Haber added that the feedback received from participants was positive.
“Seeing the joy on the faces of the leaders and the strong relationships that were built in just one weekend is a good indicator of the level of success of the event.
“The weekend for me was an affirmation of all the hard work CYM has done over the last few years,” he said.
With guest speakers that brought years of experience in youth ministry from across Perth, Mr Haber said that seeing them ‘on fire’ for their faith and ministry was inspirational.
“The fact that most of the speakers were not CYM staff, but other experienced youth leaders themselves was so inspiring and a confirmation that youth ministry is well and truly alive and flourishing in Perth,” he said.
Newly appointed youth leader for St Emilie’s Canning Vale Parish, Christian Jaswan, says that the weekend has been beneficial for his plans in youth ministry.
“Prior to coming to the Masterclass weekend, my confidence as a youth leader was not enough.
“There was a lot of great advice [given] that we can definitely apply and I’m confident that it will assist in propelling our youth group forward, by establishing some structure and expanding on the foundations that were put in place in the past.
“There’s definitely a better idea of what to do in youth ministry this year with the team we have and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us,” he concluded.