Lay Leadership Center
Ukrainian Catholic University
Lviv, Ukraine

The Lay Leadership Center (LLC) was founded in 2003 as a department of the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU). The founding of the Center is an answer to the need for knowledge and management skills among active young laity.

The Lay Leadership Summer School (LLSS) became one of the first yearly LLC projects. It is held every July for two months. During this time participants improve their knowledge and develop leadership skills. The school program contains trainings, seminars and meetings with evening guests. 25 young persons from 18 to 30 years of age from different regions of Ukraine participate in the Summer School every year.

Participants of LLSS-2003 during the Summary Conference suggested to organize not only every year a Lay Leadership School but also to organize a Resource Center. That function was delegated to the Lay Leadership Center.

Development of the Center was supported by the Fidel Götz Foundation and Communicantes.

The next stage of lay leadership development was a Training School for Alumni of LLSS. An active laity training experience improves planning and leadership trainings, seminars and other meetings. They learn how to do fundraising for project realization.

The Lay Leadership Center, understanding the real need to train high school youth, started the School of Christian Leadership for high school students “Voice of the Future” in collaboration with the Catechetical-Pedagogical Institute (CPI) of UCU in June, 2005. The Christian Leadership School is organized every year. LLC invites alumni of LLSS to lead trainings. CPI UCU invites their students and alumni to lead catechetical classes. More than 50 high school students from 13 to 17 years of age participate in the School every year.

In February, 2005 a web resource was created for the Center (www.cml.org.ua) where one could find current news about LLS projects and the life of the Church and Society. The Center also works on publishing activity. There are three books published by LLC: Resource Guide to Lay Organizations, Communities and Movements of the Lviv Archeparchy, a translation of Anthony D’Souza’s book Leaders Today – Hope for Tomorrow, and a translation of George Boran’s handbook Training Course for Leaders and some types of methodological work. The Alumni Association of LLSS was founded on 14 May 2006. The aim of the Association is to unite alumni’s effort for intensification of laity work, and to organize optimal conditions for realization of common projects.

In August, 2007 the Lay Leadership Summer School was held with the special aim to improve knowledge of UGCC history and to give an understanding of Greek-Catholic identity. Among participants of the School were delegates of the Patriarch Council “Youth in the Church of the Third Millennium” that was held in Kiev from 13 to 17 August, 2007. Beyond education projects of 2004 of the Lay Leadership Center, an ecumenical youth project “Book of Peace” was also initiated. For four days every year, Lviv youth from different Christian confessions share their experience and join in common prayers for peace.

In future the Center plans to spread its activities to different regions of Ukraine where there would be work regional coordinators of the Center. The first step was taken in Kherson on 6-16 July, 2006 when the LLC organized LLSS in South Ukraine.

The Lay Leadership Center is also a member of the Committee on Laity.

See brochure for more information

Olha Zarichynska, Director of LLC
Natalia Bordun, Assistant director of LLC
Lviv, 79011
Il.Svientsitskoho st, 17
Tel: (+38032) 240-99-44 (ext.158, 255);
Fax: (+38032) 240-99-50
cml_ukraine@yahoo.com
www.cml.org.ua