Asbury’s YBL Offers Leadership Training to High School Students
February 19, 2024
Our world needs strong leaders. Through God’s direction and provision, high schoolers nationwide are stepping up through Youth Becoming Leaders: High School Christian Leadership and Global Transformation Institute (YBL).
16-year-old Abbie attended YBL this summer with hopes to make a big impact with her ministry project. YBL provided a solid Christian community, classroom sessions, service projects, experiential learning, and mentorship relationships. All these experiences strengthened her spiritual formation as a leader.
“I’ve learned that what I needed to do was slow down and stop thinking so big and focus on the people I’m serving and connecting with, rather than the tiny details of a huge event.”
High school students like Abbie exist in churches worldwide. At Asbury University (AU), we believe they can be great leaders now and in the future. Already, the students stand out as incredible leaders and innovative thinkers who long to be closer to God and explore what God has for their future.
YBL at Asbury exists to equip those students through interaction with AU and Asbury Theological Seminary (ATS) faculty that can guide them in studying complex topics and issues surrounding Church life.
2024 YBL Participants heard from AU faculty, Dr. Brian Hull (Christian Ministries), Dr. Suzanne Nicholson (Bible), Dr. Brian Shelton ’89 (Theology), and Prof. Caleigh Smith (Youth Ministry), as well as ATS faculty, Dr. James Hampton (Practical Theology), and ATS alumnus, Dr. Bud Simon (Culture). Keynote speakers included author Rev. Jamelle Jones and Claire Hart of Fusion USA.
Alongside these transformative academic teachings and excellent keynote speakers, participants served with Common Good of Lexington, which “exist[s] to develop leaders through education, recreation, and accountability.” Students helped to prepare classrooms for the students and teachers involved in summer programming.
“I have faith in this generation because, at YBL, I saw their incredible gifts, knowledge, and most importantly, love for God,” YBL counselor Hope Odubena ’22 said.
After YBL, students created and implemented a ministry project for their community in partnership with their local church. These projects included student-led Bible studies, theological libraries, clothing drives, human trafficking awareness, and other community outreaches.
However, they also learned that they cannot lead ministries alone. Each student selected a mentor from their community to help them implement their ministry projects. Mentors joined students on Zoom during the last day of the program. After the residential program concluded, students continued learning and growing with their chosen mentor for the next three months through the help of a YBL-provided curriculum.
This combination of theology, practicality, and spiritual formation has led 50% of YBL students to attend Asbury to further their skills and experience. The University has officially taken YBL under its umbrella during this last year, after the successful completion of YBL’s eight-year run with the Lilly Foundation grant. YBL and Asbury together create a community of growth and support for these young leaders, and we are so happy to have such creative and Spirit-led hearts and minds on our campus.
We are so excited to see how God moves through students in 2025. The theme, “Known,” comes from the call of Moses in Exodus 3:1-15.
We are also thrilled to announce the launch of Leadership Fellows in 2025. This program is designed for students who have already attended YBL and wish to continue their leadership development. During the program, these students will continue to gain knowledge and guidance as leaders alongside counselors and first-year YBL students.
YBL will begin June 9-18, 2025. Applications are due March 10, 2025. High school students, parents, youth leaders, and pastors interested should visit asbury.edu/ybl to learn more, recommend a student, and apply. If you are interested in supporting YBL and its mission to engage young leaders, please visit the YBL webpage for more information. We deeply appreciate all donations, gifts, and especially prayers.