L.E.A.D.
Young Christian Challenge
Leadership Experience At Dunrovin
L - LEADERSHIP We all have the capacity and potential for leadership. This is very clear for some, but it needs to be cultivated in others. The LEAD program at Dunrovin nurtures and grows this skill in all youth that participate.
E - EXPERIENCE Youth are given the opportunity to lead and teach each other through lessons of team building, individual expression, and testimonies of faith, in an energizing and focused setting.
A - AT Our setting is amidst God’s creation. We are located on 50 beautiful acres along the St. Croix River.
D - DUNROVIN Following our vision of transforming youth in Christ, Dunrovin has always been a place where learning, faith, and trust is experienced in a fun and loving fashion.
Young adults learn new principles that they can use in living their life in a way that will leave them more confident, more effective, more faith filled. They spend a weekend with other like-minded high school and young-adult aged Christians in an experience that very well may change their lives.
The sessions are lead by Jerome Meeds. For the last 10+ years he has been the director of Dunrovin Retreat Center on the St. Croix. Before that, he was the director of Catholic Youth Camp near McGregor MN for 12 years. A friend of his, Paul Bernabei, co-wrote a book called “Top 20 Teens” (website HERE). The material left Jerome so inspired that he attended a teaching seminar presented by Paul Bernabei to be personally trained in using these methods in his own life and work. Now, trained as a teacher, he developed a program to teach youth (and young adults) these precepts. To these concepts, he integrated the faith and team building elements that he has used in some 22 plus years of training and developing youth leadership as councilors and retreat leaders here at Dunrovin and at Catholic Youth Camp. There were regular prayer sessions, team building activities, and opportunities to live what they were learning. He challenged them from day one and they worked very hard. He’s named the weekend the Leadership Experiance At Dunrovin.(Young Christian Challenge) (LEAD).
Jerome said, “Our Top 20 Teens emerged as inspired, capable, confident, and dare I say, courageous young leaders, (some exhaustion not withstanding). The results were above my highest expectations. I am more excited about this retreat than any I have been involved in a long time. The life changing potential in it is so great. I can’t wait to get these emerging leaders new concepts that will increase their ability to live life more positively and influence their peers and others for Christ.”
Ideally, a church youth group will send 5 – 10 of its emerging High School leaders to a weekend. The young adults work in small groups for many of the sessions. The Youth Minister is invited for an adult track with other adults. Only 45-50 total are trained on a weekend so everyone is involved. It is a serious weekend for only those who are commited to being leaders for Christ.
Please take a look at LEAD evaluation comments from High School teens by clicking HERE. Two longer testamonials talking more about the retreat itself are HERE.
Fr Peter Richards, pastor of St. Michaels in St. Michael, spoke about the value of such programs HERE. His nephew had gone on a LEAD retreat last spring. Key retreat topics are listed HERE.
Hear some testimonies from others who were taught the Top 20 Teens concepts on their website HERE.
YOUTH MINISTERS: MORE INFORMATION + REGISTRATION INFO HERE (word doc)
OR YOU CAN CALL OR EMAIL FOR REGISTRTION SHEETS. We would be glad to answer any questions you may have. Please call us at 651-433-2486 or email us at Dunrovin@dunrovin.org .
