Last week at Life Teen Camp Covecrest one of our summer missionaries shared with a group of youth leaders how he had been active with Life Teen in high school. He shared how things really didn’t click until he started helping with middle school kids with their Edge program.

One night he leaned over to a group of middle school kids who were talking and making noise during one of the teachings and said “Shhhh.” He realized at that instant he had become a leader. He knew at that moment he wanted the middle school kids to get it more than he wanted them to like him. The urge to “shhh” the kids came natural and flowed out of a desire to lead.

One of the best ways to catechize young people is to ask them to lead a vacation Bible study or to be an Edge core in your parish. Are you forming teen disciples who lead other teens to Christ – you know the ones who will even “shhh” their peers?