Often you hear that ‘young people are the future of the Church.’ Through her life experience, Maddy Forde provides an example of a slightly different narrative: that young people have the capacity to be leaders in the Church here and now. Maddy attributes her formative faith leadership development to the youth ministry space. By listening to and being present to the stories of young people, she has discovered the treasured gift of mutual accompaniment. Maddy holds these experiences as influential in developing an openness to uproot, take up ministry roles interstate; and more recently to accepting an international role through the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life.