Training the Young Women how to Lead

Training the Young Women how to lead...

It all started about a year ago, I listened to this interview with the General Young Women's Presidency, "Making the Gospel Relevant for Our Youth".

It really stood out to me that as leaders we need to be training our young women how to lead their classes, they have been set apart and sustained to lead their class. It was also the first time that I recognized that the share and act portions of the lessons had meaning.

If you notice, on each lesson of the Come Follow Me Program it now states the following:

So, I right away implemented it. I helped train our Beehive class president. Each week, I would send her a text reminding her what we had learned the previous week and encouraging her to share how she had applied it into her life and then invite her class to do the same. I would also send a text out to the rest of the class, reminding them what we had learned and to come prepared to share ways they applied it into their lives. I also helped her know what to say at the end of the lesson. Impressing upon her that it is her class to lead. It was amazing to see her leadership growth!

Not long after we had started to do this we had a visit from our Stake Young Women's President, who joined our class. She was so excited and impressed with how our class president lead our class. I shared with her the video I had watched and she invited the rest of our ward YW presidencies in our stake to also do this.

I was recently invited to share what we do and how we do it at a recent Stake Young Women's Presidency Training.  For it we recorded our Beehive class with our President leading the Counsel and Share Portion as well as the Act Portion. With approval from their parents we showed that video at the training. Then I shared my experience and testimony of it.

In this post I will share what I shared at the training, as well as ways each Young Women Presidency can train their own class presidencies how to lead.

Stake YW Presidency Training Outline:

• I showed the video of our Beehive Presidency leading class.
• I then spoke about how when I was asked to speak at the Stake Meeting I had just lost my amazing Beehive President to Mia Maids and was in the process of getting a new president. The Beehive President in the video was just put in a week prior to the video. It shows that any presidency can lead even a new one. It also shows that as you are consistent and do it each week, the class becomes familiar with it,  the rest of the young women pick up on it. So, when the president is gone or when you get a new class presidency it is not as big of a deal for them to pick it up. In the video we had 6 girls there, our class is a class of 13 girls. It doesn't matter the size or our class, the process works with any size of class. 
• Next, I discussed the opportunity for growth that it gives our Young Women!  The first time I ever had our prior Beehive president lead the class, she was so timid and quiet, unsure and I would say a little shy of leading.  But I saw over time her confidence grow. I saw her become a true leader of her class. I saw her take greater responsibility. If she was not able to be there she would let me know. These girls need to feel like they are an important part of leading the class each week, that they are invested in the class. Both the prior president and current president do this, I have not asked them to let me know if they won't be there. It is because they feel a sense of responsibility. I saw in the prior president her growth in being able to recognize and apply the lessons in her life. She would come each week, ready and prepared to share a way she has acted upon what we learned in class and then she would invite the rest of the class to share. If no one commented then she would call on someone.
• I then shared, what our class president does each Sunday. I have made a paper up for them, that they can follow. It helps them to know what questions to ask, as well as gives them an area to take notes. I have included it in the Free Download button below.
• Our president begins by welcoming everyone to class. Then, we discuss which class members are not there. I have seen in doing this the girls are more concerned with their fellow class members. If they know where they are they share that, they discuss ways to help each member feel more welcome. 
• Our president asks the young women if there is anything in their lives or their family members that need us to pray for. I was deeply impressed when one of the young women asked us to pray for a sister who had become ill. We try to include the girls who are not their in our prayers also. We try to do this in our closing class prayer and encourage the girls to keep them in their personal prayers also.
• Our president then discusses with the young women what we learned the prior week. She shares how she has acted upon what we have learned and then invites the rest of the young women to share. Also sharing if they have had any spiritual experiences throughout the week.
• Then, one of my favorite parts is in when the president asks the young women to share what they have done this week or if they have anything coming up the next week. I love this because it helps us to really get to know each class member. We actually just go around the circle and everyone shares. I also love it because it helps us know ways we can support each other.
• The class president then turns the time over to whoever is teaching the lesson. I have found that with the lesson we have to be flexible. The time it takes to do the opening may vary, so our lesson times will vary. We need to be prepared and prepare ourselves spiritually. But we need to not be concerned with "getting through the lesson", but rather rely upon the spirit and what the girls need. We are the facilitators in the discussion about teaching these girls the doctrine of the church. If we do not get to something we feel is important, we can always follow up and text the girls throughout the week. 
• When there is around 5-10 minutes left in the lesson the time is turned back over to the class president. She then leads the class in a discussion about what things stood out to them in the lesson and how they can act upon what was taught. 
• During the week I text all of the young women in the class. I let them know what the lesson was on, on Sunday. This is helpful because the girls who were not there know what was taught and can participate at the beginning of the next lesson too. I remind them what we said we were going to do to act upon what we were taught and ask them to come prepared to share. 
• The point is to give our young women the opportunity to lead their class. Elder Holland said this about the youth, “We underestimate their ability, and we overestimate their experience” (Worldwide Training Broadcast on Teaching in the Savior’s Way, Nov. 5, 2016, teaching.lds.org). This is where we come in as their leaders. We can teach them and support them in their callings to lead their class.

Ideas to Train the Young Women:

• In a class presidency meeting teach the presidency their roles. 
• Read in Handbook 2, their responsibilities. Explain that they have been called and set apart by priesthood power and authority to lead their class. 
• Give them the tools to be successful. Use the printables included in the Free Download or come up with your own, to help the Young Women know what to say to lead the discussions.
•  Explain to them, the flow of class time. That they will welcome the class and then lead the class in a discussion about, "Counsel Together and Share Experiences". They will then turn the lesson over to the teacher. Then again at the end of class they will lead a discussion on how to "Plan to act". Then end class by inviting someone to say closing prayer. 
• Be encouraging. Follow up with them throughout the week, so they know what they are doing and can come prepared. It is a process and the young women we grow as the continue to do it.

I share with you my testimony of this program! I have seen the growth in the young women. I've seen them grow spiritually, as well as in self confidence and leadership. They have shown a greater responsibility to their class. We have amazing youth, ready to serve the Lord, they just need our guidance to become the great leaders they can be!

Other great resources:

• Class Leadership Lessons
• Come Follow Me Lessons
• Young Women Auxiliary Training

If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment below or to send me an email to lifesjourneytoperfection@gmail.com.