Skip to main content
News

Special Conference Shapes Young Leaders

By November 19, 2012June 18th, 2014No Comments

CLARKS SUMMIT, Pa.—The annual Growing Leaders Conference at Baptist Bible College and Seminary drew more than 50 high school students and youth leaders to campus, motivating teens and future college students to impact their communities for eternity.

“Leading to the Next Level” was the theme for the Nov. 8–10 event. Students experienced campus life at BBC, college classes, and more as part of the conference.

“The conference was focused on influence—the influence leaders have and the influence leaders choose to adopt into their life,” said BBC Director of Student Activities Jonathan Strayer, who helped coordinate the event. “This seems to be something a lot of people deal with and was something I was dealing with in the lives of some students who were not realizing the influence they held. The idea of leading to the next level comes from understanding who we are influencing. We are influencing somebody, whether we know it or not.”

Among those attending was Hunter DuVall of Norwich, N.Y., who said she appreciated the opportunity to sample college life as well as build on her own situation.

“I came because I knew God was leading me to get away from some things happening in my life,” Hunter said. “God really used this conference to wake me up to the fact that I needed to delete some things out of my life.” Hunter came to the conference with three of her fellow students from Valley Heights Christian Academy, a ministry of Calvary Baptist Church in Norwich.

Youth leaders said the program helped them amplify their influence with students.

“This was my first year coming as a youth leader,” said Tim Martin, a youth leader from First Baptist Church of Stryker, Ohio. “The conference is good and very informative. Everything is very organized and well structured.”

The conference examined leadership and what it means to be intentional in influencing others. Keynote sessions and dynamic application sessions were also featured. Workshop sessions provided students with practical ways to use the leadership skills they learned throughout the weekend. They learned to use the gifts God has given them, realize their potential to serve, and be faithful to God’s plan for their lives.

The keynote speakers for the conference included veteran ministry leader Ken Rudolph and Mel Walker, vice president for enrollment and external relations at BBC.

Baptist Bible College and Seminary offers an outstanding Christian education through on-campus, online, and other distance learning options. Students go beyond the ordinary, serving with excellence as they gain critical leadership and life skills.

Leave a Reply