Good Earth Village

Youth Servant Leader Institute

More Good Information to Know!

The YSLI Project

A significant part of the YSLI experience is the project developed and implemented by each participant. Projects are unique to each individual and based on your gifts and the needs of your congregation or community. With the help and encouragement of the YSLI group and your own local support ream, you will develop, plan and implement a project of your choosing. Guidance will be given during retreats and through regular contact with members of the YSLI community.

Past projects have included:

Organizing an intergenerational music ensemble
Putting together a worship band
Coordinating an "Adopt-a-Grandparent" program
Planning intergenerational game nights
Developing a relationship with local and diverse congregations

Each project is as unique and different as the

YSLI participant that develops it!

How to Apply

If you think this is a program you would like to be a part of, your next step is completing an application. Applications and reference forms can be downloaded from the links on this page. You can also contact the camp office to have the application mailed to you.

Completed applications and reference forms are due by July 1. Completed forms can be sent to Good Earth Village.

Because there is an expected congregational financial commitment, be sure to talk with your pastor or youth director before applying for this program.

NO NOT send any money until you have been officially accepted into the YSLI program.

Dates for the 2010-2011 YSLI program

Before applying for this program, be sure you are able to commit to the week-long leadership camp as well as the four leadership retreats. An important part of leadership is following through with commitments!

Leadership Camp:

Sunday July 31 - Friday, August 5, 2011

Retreats:

November 4-5, 2011

January 12-15

Plus two other weekends with dates to be determined by the group.

Leadership Camp and Retreats all happen at Good Earth Village, except for one retreat, which happens in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

Other program information

Candidate Selection
Applying for the Youth Servant Leader Institute program does not guarantee that you will be accepted. Our goal is to put together the strongest group of participants possible, based on strengths, interests and personalities. Applicants will be informed by June 1 whether or not they have been accepted into the program for the upcoming year. Additional registration information will also be sent at that time.

Key Elements of the Experience

The Manual

Besides the group of youth, the heart of the program is the YSLI Manual. It is a comprehensive, step-by-step way to carry you through the year. It will detail the week-long leadership camp and four weekend retreats and what you will do at each one.

The Manual also takes you step by step through identifying your interests through a spiritual gifts and interests inventory. It will help you identify areas of need in your home congregation or community. The Manual will help you begin to lay out a plan for a year-long service program that you can develop, implement, and evaluate through the course of the year.

The Manual serves as a guidebook. It will be a directory for networking with other youth participants and leaders and serve as a guide to locate additional resources. A Program Coordinator will walk with you every step of the way to assist you with questions or problems as they arise.

The Support Team
You will develop a Support Team of 15 people in your local context. This group can consist of friends, fellow youth group members, supportive adults and church staff. This group of people will support you in a variety of ways - prayer support, encouragement, logistical help for implementing your project, sounding board for how to get your church council behind you, etc.

The YSLI Group
Key to making the YSLI Program work for you will be the network you form with other participants. As you develop your service program, no one expects perfection! You will try some things - some will work, some won't - but in conversation with others (the youth, your home support team and the Program Coordinator), you will refine and move your program forward. The regular retreats and networking between retreats by the youth and the Program Coordinator will help create a real community of support between members of the YSLI group.

We hold one another accountable. A young person's life during the high school years is incredibly busy with athletics, music, drama, church youth group, family, jobs, etc. The GEV YSLI Program will require consistent attention through this year. The skills you will gain can become life-long skills that will help you live out God's calling in your life and what vocations you might pursue. But this can only happen with your commitment as you encourage one another to follow through on your program.

If you still have questions, email or call Good Earth Village!