Here at Milestone Church we value and believe wholeheartedly in the next generation, and this past weekend we celebrated all that God is doing in the lives of our young people. Amanda Buchholz is a perfect example of what happens when we take the time to develop and pour into these next gen leaders in our midst.
Amanda was a student in our youth ministry, Elevate, for 6 years before graduating high school in 2015. She now resides in Los Angeles, California where she graduated from the Dream Center Leadership School and is now leading teams of people as they reach out and serve the people of Nickerson Gardens, a neighborhood that is the largest housing project west of the Mississippi River.
In her own words Amanda describes the value of the foundation she received here at Milestone:
The atmosphere that I grew up in was one that always looked to empower the next generation. I never saw my age as something that disqualified me from a position or made my opinion matter less; the leadership I was under didn’t see it that way. As I’ve been leading teams throughout the last 6 or so months I’ve began to realize that not everyone works that way; that to some my age disqualifies my leadership. I believe that age should never be seen as a set back but as a platform to propel you into the future.
Believing in the next generation, and empowering us to lead others is what will shape our country in the future. There shouldn’t be a fear in allowing us to lead, if I’m never given the opportunity, how will I ever learn? Allow me to make mistakes, correct me when I’m wrong, and applaud me when I’m right. I need people to take the chance on me and so do many others my age. We are ready to be passed a baton and to run our race with it to the best of our ability, only to look back and pass it on to whoever is waiting behind us.
Too often we see culture pulling generations apart, creating isolation and attitudes of dishonor and disrespect. The Church was never meant to be separated silos of age groups or activities–it was meant to be a family.
For years to come Milestone Church will continue to be a greenhouse–cultivating generational teaching and love as one generation possesses and passes on their faith and wisdom to the next. We will continue to take chances on our young people.