Below is a short testimony from the first hand experience of a tween who went through the L7 Leadership Program. L7 stands for "Live the Seven," the seven words Jesus spoke when He was 12, "I must be about My Father's business."
What are your plans for the summer?
Are your kids bored at church? Are your kids expecting to be bored this summer? Kids in other countries are working to provide basic necessity’s for survival. “Boredom” is not in their vocabulary. They are doing something and it is important. Many of our children do not have to work to put food on the table or to provide clean water to drink, but still have within them the desire to do something and to do something important. We can disregard and be bothered by their undeveloped desires and abilities and therefore allow opportunities for greatness to pass them by. When we disregard them, they disregard themselves, their ability to contribute is diminished along with their sense of value and worth. The natural response to this is boredom. And when they become bored with life, with church, we get concerned and frustrated. Our answer then, is to entertain them, to distract them from their boredom until they grow up.
We have found that our young people are so hungry to do something that matters. They are so hungry for someone to believe in them. We often tell them we believe in them, but we don’t prove it through our actions. If we do believe in them, we must give them an opportunity to do something that matters, but not just give them an opportunity, we must train and prepare them.
They say we learn 10% of what we hear, 20% of what we see and 60% of what we do. Our Leadership Program trains them and gives them an opportunity to do something that matters. Summer is the best time to do this program because there are far less distractions. Confidence levels soar throughout the weeks of this program because we challenge young people to step out of their comfort zone, right where they are in the world around them. Simple things like knowing how to look an adult in the eye or give a firm handshake help young people define their place and role. We give them permission, and the right to be dignified, valued and a legitimate contributor in changing our world today, not tomorrow.
I encourage you to give this program a try. Let us here from you. How is it working? How can we make it better? So far, the reports have been so positive we are considering turning it into an online program so that anyone can get together with their friends and get the training they need to develop their own ideas on how to change their world and then put those ideas into action.
When we believe in our kids, they are unstoppable. This program will give you the tools you need to truly empower your kids to serve and activate their spirit so that the word “bored” is eradicated from their vocabulary.
Jessica Johnson
Co-Founder | J12