Three Clark County students are among 16 Kentucky students (in addition to students from nearly a dozen other states) selected to participate in the Youth Becoming Leaders Institute.

George Rogers Clark High School sophomores Maxwell Clark, Hayden Turley and Rachel Puckett participated in the selective two-week residential institute at Asbury University June 4-15.

In partnership with the Lilly Endowment, which offered Asbury a $600,000 grant through its high school Youth Theology Institutes initiative, YBL is open to select high school students who are committed to Christ, leaders in their local communities, academically gifted and interested in exploring a call to ministry.

Dr. Brian Hull, professor of Youth Ministry at Asbury and project director for YBL, says the camp is an expression of Asbury’s confidence in the value of youth leadership, as well as a much-needed opportunity for hands-on leadership training.

“One of the things we know from research is that students who have opportunities to lead when they’re young step into those roles sooner as adults,” Hull said. “Asbury has a long tradition of believing in young people, and in a world that often doesn’t, it’s important that we stand in that belief.”

Alongside faculty mentors from Asbury University and Asbury Theological Seminary (plus visiting elders, missionaries, pastors and speakers), students examined faith and the role of the church in global issues.

On the last day of the event, students completed a session with a mentor — either a pastor or another Christian leader — from their home community. After YBL is over, students will continue to implement what they’ve learned with some homework: a ministry project with their mentor.

For more information about YBL, visit asbury.edu/ybl.