“Whatever you do, do it well.”
“That's how you glorify God in all things.”
These are the words of encouragement that Carl and Angel Larsen, two of our chapel speakers at LEAD 2022 shared with our students last month. The Larsens talked about tangible ways to become well-rounded adults who develop a variety of skills and explained how they pursue excellence as Christian film makers. They also talked about their stand for religious freedom here in Minnesota when they challenged a law that would have compelled Christian creative professionals to create messages that violate their beliefs.
I love seeing students immediately put what they learn into action, and that’s what I saw them do for the rest of the week as they pursued excellence while working on their bills. So much so that at the end of the week, the Chief Clerk of the House dropped by during our final debates and commented on how much he appreciates the LEAD program because the simulation is accurate enough that it’s a valuable training experience for his staff.
Excellence in their work with their bills was not the only thing I saw in our students at LEAD this year. At LEAD, I saw young men and women engaging with tough questions, immersing themselves in the legislative process, taking on new challenges, and growing in community with like-minded teens. I saw them exhibit leadership in the ways that they interacted with each other, our crew, and our speakers. At our mid-week reception where students had the opportunity to meet their Senators and Representatives, I saw them making a point getting to know the people who represent them. And I saw them pour out their hearts in worship before God every evening. God was glorified in the words, actions, and attitudes of our students at LEAD this summer, and that, above all else, is the greatest success we can hope for.
We were blessed with an incredible line-up of speakers this year. Our keynote speaker, Ryan Bomberger, spoke to our students on overcoming fear in chapel on Wednesday of camp. The next day he examined the claims of critical theory in his talk on race, racism, and reality, and closed his time with our students by addressing the social injustice of abortion.
When I greeted Ryan on Wednesday, he mentioned that he was tired from a lot of travel. That didn’t keep him from staying nearly two hours after the end of his evening session to talk to our students, first about their reflections and questions from his talk, and then to discuss one of the bills that our students were working with, which happened to mirror legislation that he had testified on in a committee hearing in another state.
One of our speakers texted me a few hours before he was scheduled to speak asking for prayer as he prepared to share what he felt God had laid on his heart for our students. That evening our students got to hear about God’s redemptive power to use even the hardest experiences in our lives for good.
No one’s personality, talents, weaknesses, or life experiences are an accident. God, in his infinite wisdom, not only knits us together in our mothers’ wombs, but also ordains our days and writes them in his book. (Psalm 139:16)
Each generation is called to live faithfully in the time that they are given. That includes rising to the challenges particular to our generation, and it includes equipping the next generation to continue to carry the torch. LEAD exists because we believe in the importance of that task.
The time and place that today’s young people were born into is not an accident, and I believe that God can greatly use this generation for the sake of his name. Generation Z faces challenges and pressures that many of us did not face until we were out of our teens. Young people are navigating these pressures while in an extremely vulnerable season of their lives. That is no easy thing, and the rising generation needs the wisdom and experience of those who have gone before them.
The next generation needs leaders who are confident in what they believe, capable of engaging, and ready to boldly stand for the truth. This summer, I got to see those young leaders in action and I am excited to see what they do with the lessons they’ve learned as they return to their families, churches, schools, and communities.
