New Lifers Join ACSI Student Leadership Conference 2024
For two days, student leaders of MGC New Life Christian (MGCNLCA) convened at Life Academy International (LAI), Pasig City for the ACSI Student Leadership Conference 2024 held last March 1 and 2.
A total of 253 students and 35 advisers from 19 schools all across the country attended the conference. MGCNLCA had the largest delegation with 47 students and six advisers. New Lifer attendees were selected students from grades 7 to 12 who are part of the school’s student organizations, sports varsity teams, and academic varsity teams. Class officers from each high school class were also invited to attend.
The two-day event was meant to prepare the future generation of leaders to build up a better world. With the theme “Rooted & Grounded,” several speakers were invited to give talks to the young leaders on Christian leadership in this ever-changing world.
Nathan Luther, the board chairman of ACSI Philippines, and Ptr. Marty Ocaya, the director of ELEVATE Youth Ministry, spoke on the first day. Luther gave a conference keynote entitled “Cultivating Resilience Amidst the Rise of Woke Culture” while Ocaya talked about self-leadership in a cancel culture era. Ptr. Glenn Edwards, a leader of the International Justice Mission (IJM), shared about the principles of Christian leadership on the second day.
Special activities, including breakout sessions and an outdoor team competition, were also held to provide an engaging experience for the students.
“It was a different experience from most of my other events because I usually don’t attend leadership events. The most important thing I learned was how I can keep my relationship with Christ and the people that I should be with,” said Damascus C student Nash David Sih.
Kurt Gabriel Lim, a Grade 12 student of International Christian Academy also shared how he found the conference to be very fruitful, applicable, and relatable. “Some key learnings are that being woke is not necessarily a bad thing. [...] We are called to be woke for Him. We are Christians who should endeavor to be the salt and light of the world,” reflected Lim.
Student Affairs and Welfare Head Rhenee Victoria Sy expressed, “I’d like to see the next generation of leaders to really be rooted and grounded in Christ. That despite the new ideologies and philosophies the world comes up with, they will not be distracted and swayed by them. I hope that they will choose to please God and not man–for them to make all their decisions based on God’s unchanging truth no matter how unpopular or corny or old-fashioned they may be to others, and to always act from and with love.”
