About Leadout
The Shipyard Model
The Origin
Why a Shipyard?
The name Leadout comes from a cycling term — the rider who sets the pace, absorbs the wind, and positions the sprinter for the final push. It's selfless, strategic, and all about launching someone else forward.
But the deeper metaphor is the shipyard. A shipyard exists for one purpose: to build vessels strong enough for open water and then send them. It doesn't keep what it creates. It pours everything into the craft — and then lets the sea have it.
That's what Leadout does with young people. We build. We set the bearing. We send.
The Framework
Build. Bear. Send.
Every young person who comes through Leadout walks through these three phases.
Phase 1
The Build
We invest in the foundations: Bible study, mentorship, character development, and authentic relationship. Nothing is rushed. A vessel built quickly sinks quickly.
Phase 2
The Bearing
Once the hull is strong, we help set the compass. What is God calling you to? Where does your faith point when the familiar shore disappears? We work through that together.
Phase 3
The Sending
Graduation isn't a ceremony — it's a launch. We commission young people into real life with tools, community, and a faith that can hold in open water.
The Founder
Dr. Troy Fitzgerald
Troy Fitzgerald has spent decades working with young people — as a pastor, educator, author, and mentor. He holds a doctorate in ministry leadership and has written multiple books on faith formation, including 40 Days Wild, In Truth, and Roundabout Faith.
But if you ask Troy what he does, he'll tell you he's a shipwright. His life's work is building young people strong enough to handle the open water of real life — and having the faith to let them sail.
He founded Leadout Ministries to scale that work: to create resources, train leaders, and now, with the ranch, to build a physical place where the building happens face to face.
