Matt Bardsley grew up in Montana, and after a mission to New Jersey moved to Utah to go to school and has been there ever since. He has a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University in Sociology and a master’s degree from Utah State University in Education. He has been a seminary teacher for 19 years, 12 of those serving as a local faculty principal where he gets to train teachers. He is a former Young Men president, elders quorum president, ward mission leader, bishopric member, high councilor, and stake Young Men president, and currently serves as first counselor in his stake Young Men presidency.

Kim Perkins is a coach with Accepted, passionate about guiding individuals on their journey to healing and fostering deep connections, and empowering them to unlock their true potential and lead fulfilling lives. Kim enjoys the great outdoors, hiking, volleyball, and embarking on exciting travel adventures with her husband and four children. She currently serves in her stake Young Women presidency.

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Training Materials

3 Targets – Activity Planning PDF
3-Month Planning Meetings PDF
Connect it to Christ PDF
Counseling Together PDF
Delegation PDF
Making Announcements – Hype Squad PDF
Pair and Share PDF
Presidency Meetings – Teeter Totter PDF
Sandbox PDF

Highlights

This dynamic discussion with Kim and Matt centers around the importance of mentorship and effective training for youth leaders. They share their experiences and insights on how to transform traditional youth leadership approaches into more impactful mentorship roles, and emphasize the significance of understanding one’s purpose, identifying youth life goals, and fostering transformational relationships rather than merely filling time during weekly activities.

Kim and Matt explain their approach to training, which includes quarterly sessions for all youth leaders and more targeted workshops for specific wards. They focus on practical skills such as effective communication, delegation, and connecting youth activities to the teachings of Jesus Christ. By observing and providing feedback in real time, they help leaders recognize their strengths and areas for improvement.

05:31 – Kim’s Experience in Youth Leadership
06:26 – Matt’s Background in Teaching Youth
07:37 – Observations on Youth Programs
08:35 – The Importance of Training in Leadership
09:56 – Origin of Formal Training Approaches
11:04 – Developing Effective Training Skills
12:09 – Interactive and Experiential Training Methods
13:48 – Training Audience and Frequency
15:03 – Observing and Supporting Ward Leaders
16:04 – Building Relationships with Leaders
17:05 – Feedback and Reflection After Observations
20:07 – Common Issues in Youth Leadership
22:53 – The Importance of Delegation Skills
24:55 – Coaching Others in Leadership Skills
27:27 – Connecting Activities to the Savior
29:25 – Practicing Skills in Training Sessions
32:02 – Engaging Youth in Leadership Training
35:10 – Summary of Effective Training Practices

The award-winning Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints’ mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org.

Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Elder Alvin F. Meredith III, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Kirby Heyborne, Taysom Hill Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler, and many more in over 800 episodes.

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