About

I first organized Leadout Ministries as a non-profit organization that would serve the local church by providing youth ministry resources, consultation and training, and a web forum for discussion of the salient aspects of youth ministry. The name "Leadout" emerged from the Latin word educare, which means; to lead out, to raise up, to praise sky high. It was used in a nautical sense to capture the towing of a smaller boat by a larger one to set it out to sea. The image was such a vivid picture of what I long to see happen with young people in the church-bringing them up and sending them out.

I began to reflect on the nautical theme and created the Shipyard Model of youth ministry based on a sequential progression of seven ships that could transform the experience of a young person in the life of the church. The seven ships are benchmarks that describe the kinds of activities that need to be at work in the local church in order for it to effective.

Troy Fitzgerald
Founder of Leadout Ministries