“Perhaps you were born for such a time as this.”

Esther 4:14

On Thursday 10 December, the 2021 Youth Ministry Leaders and Carmelite Mission Captains undertook a whole-day program facilitated by Catholic Youth Ministry Wollongong, in an effort to cultivate a mindset of effective and inspirational leadership centred around encountering the whole person of Jesus Christ.

As Youth Ministry Leaders for 2021, we endeavour to work together collaboratively and proactively to ‘be the face of service’ at Mount Carmel. Achieving this requires the skills of effective communication, hospitality, confidence and creativity, which we were all challenged to not only develop, but refine throughout the day through presentations, small group discussions and live music, all of which allowed us to intimately experience the grace of God and realise our potential for good in the College community and beyond.

Ministry is an inherent aspect of any Catholic, Christ-centred community. In his letter to the Romans, St Paul reminds us that in sharing the Good News, we enrich and empower our neighbour through the power of authentic, transformative faith: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16).

As the name Youth Ministry Leader implies, the position is inherently counter-cultural as it brings with it a religious association distinct from other leadership positions. A Youth Ministry Leader nurtures a perspective informed by a religious worldview that propels us, as a community, towards a more profound appreciation of Christ’s love. Through this experience, we have been inspired and encouraged to live up to the legacy of the 2020 Youth Ministry Leaders and work towards bringing about a culture of unapologetic faith within our College community.

We have also been able to contemplate and evaluate our understanding of ourselves, our faith and the notion of leadership from a holistic perspective. In many ways, the day opened our hearts and minds to the call of service, enkindling within us the drive, courage and passion to “walk by faith, not by sight,” (2 Corinthians 5:7), and entrust God with the many challenges of leadership. We remain confident that ultimately, the Holy Spirit might work within us, humbling us to serve others with dignity, compassion and a sense of moral responsibility.

We would like to extend our special thanks to Mr Pletikosa for organising the day and providing us with an opportunity to encounter our faith, so that we can better serve our College community in 2021.

Gabriel Garcia

2021 Youth Ministry Leader