Michigan Student Leadership Institute

The purpose of Michigan Student Leadership Institute is to provide and plant Christian Servant
Leadership principles, reflective of the heart of Christ, into hearts and minds of students.

The Michigan Student Leadership Institute (MSLI) is a 3 Year leadership training course. Through instruction with some of our state's best leaders, students will learn what it takes to become a leader now, not just in the future!

Year 1
Emerging Leaders are Learning to Know Themselves Well

To be a successful leader, you have to know what you're made of. Students will use inventories to determine personality, spiritual gifts, abilities, and passions to determine leadership styles. All this with lots of interaction and fun too!

Year 2 (Must have completed Year 1)
Emerging Leaders are Learning and Committing to the Disciplines of the Christian Life

Now that the student is more aware of his or her passions and gifts, we're going to concentrate on developing and growing it! Year 2 teaches how personal discipleship separates the leaders from the followers. We'll also work on how to make good and confident decisions worthy of a Christian leader.

Year 3 (Must have completed Years 1 & 2)
Emerging Leaders are Committed to Discovering and Implementing Their Gifts in
the Kingdom in Order to be Formed as Biblical Witnesses

It's one thing to say that you're a leader- it's another to be one. In Yr. 3, students will learn how to share their faith with the tools that God has given and defend their faith when challenges arise. And to keep everyone going- accountability will be stressed as the key to inner personal growth and longevity in leadership and Christian ministry.

Who Should Attend?

The following list is to help youth pastors and leaders determine which of your students might be ready for MSLI.

Student should have made a commitment by faith to God.
Student should display leadership characteristics in their daily life…at church, school, home, and within your student ministry. Some students may display their characteristics differently. Look not just for the “popular kid”, but those whose leadership may be displayed simply through daily example.
Student should be interested in learning more about himself and how God may want to use him/her for Kingdom work. There will be a Spiritual Gifts inventory, personality profile and opportunities to learn how God uses each of us uniquely.
Student should be willing to make a one weekend per year commitment for 3 years to insure completion of the program. The weekend is the course work for the first 2 years- the real tests come in how he/she uses what has been learned.
As a general rule, the student should be High School age. In some cases, there may be an especially mature 8th grader that would benefit by attending. We encourage college students to return to complete MSLI also.
Student should be a “regular attendee” of church and youth ministry functions. Most “occasional” attending students will have difficulty using what is learned in a practical setting if they do not have a consistent church life.
Student should have a positive outlook about life in general. Every student has “issues”, but how has he/she adapted and overcome theirs?
Student should have a good general idea of what MSLI is about PRIOR to arriving the first day of the Institute.
Student should be willing, upon completion of each track, to be available for follow-up and for use in ministry in their home church.

These are only suggestions for use. To invoke interest or create curiosity, you may need to be less stringent to get that first set of students involved.