Raised Hands: How Three High School Students Became Leaders

Saddleback’s High School Ministry (HSM) not only prepares the next generation of the church to lead someday, but it equips them to lead now. As graduation season comes to a close and recent HSM graduates move on to the next phase of their lives, many are reflecting on how they have grown and the ways HSM has prepared them for what’s next. For three of those graduates, looking back at their spiritual growth has led them to the realization that they are not only the future of the church — they are the church of today.

Johnny’s Story

Johnny started attending Saddleback eight years ago after his best friend invited him. He accepted Christ soon after, but freshman year saw him and his friends standing in the back of the auditorium during HSM, disengaged and disconnected. It was not until he joined a Life Group that he began to form connections with other students in HSM.

“One thing in High School Ministry that helped me the most and that I would recommend to anyone is those Life Groups,” Johnny said. “I've had the same Life Group since my freshman year of high school. We go through everything together.”

After COVID hit, he relied on his Life Group even more strongly. Even though the pandemic split everyone apart, it was his church community in HSM that carried him through. 

“The community at High School Ministry has been second to none,” he said. “I find that the staff is always so willing to talk to you about anything you need. I can call so many of those leaders my friends, but also the students around you who are also walking on that path towards God. You never feel alone.” 

During his time at HSM, he transformed from a freshman in the back of the auditorium who felt too self-conscious for hands-raised worship to the senior on stage giving a sermon. He credits the leaders in HSM for giving him the confidence and opportunity to grow and share his faith with others. 

“I think that is something super special about High School Ministry,” he said. “It doesn't matter where you are in your walk with God — whether you’re just wondering about who God is, or you're going through the greatest time of your life. They're always there.”

After graduation, Johnny will attend Baylor University and play on the men’s lacrosse team. While he plans to find a new church in Texas, he said he will always stay connected with his Life Group and his HSM leaders. 

“High School Ministry really set me up for success,” he said, “not only in giving me the good advice of, ‘Go to college and find yourself a church, you always need to be in that community,’  but also giving you so many resources and personal advice such as making sure you’re plugged in."

Hannah’s Story

Hannah grew up at Saddleback and started attending church regularly during her freshman year. Part of what kept her coming back was how the HSM staff welcomed and invested in her right away.

“Even when I felt like I was a nobody in church,” Hannah said, “I would walk up on Sunday nights to one of our services and say, ‘Hi, I'm here,’ and they’d say, ‘Oh Hannah, it's good to see you!’ And I'd be like, ‘Woah, you actually remembered my name from that one time we talked two weeks ago,’ which was so cool.”

She remembered initially feeling intimidated by her new surroundings, but as time went on and she met more students, she was able to find community.

“As a freshman, one of the things I was most afraid of was the older kids, especially the upperclassmen,” she said. “Despite all the fears, I tried to get involved and get to know everyone better.”

Like Johnny, the biggest way she got involved was through her Life Group. 

 “My Life Group is some of my closest friends,” she said. “Everyone is super different, which is nice, because we all complement each other super well. But at the root of it all, everybody loves Jesus, which is how all of our friendships are growing super close.”

During her senior year, Hannah had the opportunity to co-lead a Junior High Ministry (JHM) Life Group, and she said she often found herself turning to her own leaders for advice.

“I only considered [co-leading] because of my high school leaders and how influential they were in my life and in my faith,” she said. “And so I realized I wanted to do that for someone else.”

In the fall, Hannah plans to attend Texas A&M University before commissioning into the U.S. Navy as an officer once she graduates. She said she will miss the community at HSM, but she’s confident that HSM has prepared her for the future.

“HSM feels like a home away from home, like I can come back and visit any of the leaders and they'll be so stoked to see me,” she said. “HSM has given me such a solid foundation for my faith, and no matter where I end up in Texas, I will find the right community.”

Corey’s Story

Corey has attended Saddleback for 15 years and went to HSM at the Irvine South campus. He too remembers feeling self-conscious his freshman year, but he found strength and connection in vulnerability. 

At the time, he was inspired by the example the upperclassmen set, inspired  by them worshipping with their hands raised and speaking openly with younger students like himself.

“[Upperclassmen] love to talk to you and mentor you because they were mentored before,” Corey said. “It’s really cool to get their advice and to be able to rely on them and just to hang out with them.”

Corey is on the other side of the mentor relationship now as he leads a JHM Life Group. He also served on the HSM worship band during his senior year. 

A significant aspect of HSM that helped him connect with other students was his Life Group.

“Be vulnerable with your Life Group,” he advised. “For me, it took my Life Group so long — some of those guys I've been with since seventh grade, so six years — and it finally took till junior and senior year to start opening up about stuff, and it’s great. I'm so happy we did it.”

He said the pandemic was what motivated his Life Group to begin sharing their struggles with one another since everyone was facing the same situation.

“We all have these problems,” he said. “And once one person opens up, it’s a chain reaction of everyone opening up.”

Corey plans to attend Point Loma University in the fall. He is sad to leave HSM, but he feels ready for what is next. 

“These last four years have taught me so much,” he said, “things that I'm really grateful for and will definitely carry on to college.”

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HSM exists to walk alongside students as they grow in their relationship with God. To experience life change through HSM or Saddleback Student Ministries (SSM), click here to learn more.