New Life Ranch provides amazing leadership development opportunities for teens as they prepare for the next phase of life as they grow into adults.

Over the years my kids and grandchildren have been able to participate in this program and it has been a great investment in their spiritual development.

Sophie Ward is the leadership development manager for the summer camp programs at NLR. The team continually thinks and collaborates with the staff to keep the program operating at its highest potential. The program at its core serves NLR’s mission of “proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and equipping believers for ministry.”

There are three leadership development programs each summer that are strategically designed to build on each other. The programs have its own specific mission’s statement, “Equipping the next generation of leaders to know and love the Lord.” It is the belief that knowing and loving the Lord produces a continuous renewal of our hearts in Christ Jesus. The goal for those coming to the leadership development camp is to understand what it means to know and love and produces campers that become leaders who emulate Christ.

The first group is called “Nehemiah,” and it helps the campers understand the leadership principles from the book of Nehemiah in regards to servant leadership, work, prayer and overcoming obstacles that hinder leaders. “Nehi” as it is called, experience a change in thinking where the focus is no longer on themselves or their experiences, but rather how they are a part of God’s bigger story. My grandkids love this one the most and it begins for the campers between their 9th and 10th grade years. They work and serve alongside the full-time as well as summer staff. One of the responsibilities is to even help with trash disposal throughout the camp, which they all love. This is a life-changing way for the campers to understand the need to do the grungy things, even behind the scenes, to keep the operation moving smoothly. This is a huge part of being a leader and well worth the investment.

The “Timothy Team” is the second level training where the emphasis is on the study of 1 and 2nd Timothy and  true discipleship. The training and study are divided into two parts. Hiking down the Buffalo River and hosting and participating in the Day Camps at both Flint Valley and Frontier Cove. What sets the program apart is the dedication to spiritual development. So much happens in the heart in such a short period of time and the most exciting part is the clarifying and refining that the participants walk away knowing. Spiritual health builds off the new perspective they have gained, and they are able to tangibly interact with other believers in ways that promote leadership qualities.

The third year of leadership development program is called “Soma,” and the campers are given the chance to participate with the summer camp programs staff and counselors. They have tools and experiences with other older active members of the body of Christ in an environment where they can be surrounded by a biblical community.

All three summer leadership development programs involve perspective, preparation, and participation.

New Life Ranch is committed to investing in the next generation of leaders as they enter the world and most importantly, glorify God is all they do.

I have served on the board of New Life Ranch for almost 25 years and have seen the leadership development programs touch hundreds of lives which will impact the next generation of leaders in our world.

If you have a young person you would love to invest in, now is an exciting time for teens to understand servant leadership from a biblical perspective.