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Lads to Leaders

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

The Best of Lads to Leaders

Posted on April 17, 2022

Avelynn Ferrie…just after third grade speech.

Colleyanna Giselbach leading her song for the ladies.

Sometimes people, even Christians, need something very encouraging to get them through adversity or times of discouragement. Needing this right now, my husband and I made the trek for our 29th year straight to Lads to Leaders, the largest youth event among churches of Christ. A tool that allows congregations to keep the autonomy of the New Testament church while joining together for fellowship and training programs, Lads to Leaders is coming out of the Covid months with about 2/3 of its participants now back at convention and fully engaged. There were several brand new congregations represented and lots of churches were back bigger and stronger than ever before. Best of all, nothing was missing in the zeal-and-anticipation category. Christians simply cannot be present at any of the conventions without being blessed.

Malachi (L) and Ali’i in 2013

In the year 2013, my husband and I traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii to talk to the Christians there about family. Our contact was Pisa Soli, a faithful woman of God, mother to Malachi (who at the time was 8 years old) and a skilled nurse. While there, we met Flori Barber, new Christian, wife to Rafe, and mother to four-year-old Ali’i. (You see the boys in the photo.) Both Pisa and the Barbers were transplants to Honolulu from American Samoa, where Pisa’s father was a gospel preacher and planted one of the first Samoan congregations. Pisa had been instrumental in converting Flori to the faith.

Through a series of events, both the Barbers and the Solis (and the extended Soli family) have moved to Huntsville, Alabama, where the West Huntsville family is blessed by their sweet fellowship and examples. We have 23 Samoans now who are faithfully in our midst every time the doors are open!

This year at Lads, I watched both Malachi and Ali’i give excellent speeches from the Joshua one admonition “Be strong and courageous.” in winner’s circle speech. That means both of these young men have already won their speech divisions in previous years. Also in winner’s circle was AJ Soli (Malachi’s cousin) and Gideon Soli (who won first place this year in winner’s circle!–wow!), Pisa’s little brother. All told, an approximate (…you always have to approximate with big Samoan families) 20 West Huntsville Samoans were involved in competing or judging events at Lads this year.

Best of all, Ali’i’s dad, Rafe Barber, is one of the newest Christians at convention this year. It’s what we were praying for when the decision was made for this good family to come to Huntsville. It has been a long time coming, but we are so very thankful this family is complete in Him. It was the lifetime dream of Flori and Ali’i and now it’s the best of blessings for two little Barber siblings born since the move to Huntsville. My heart is full. God’s providence is full for those who are strong and courageous.

When I say a series of events that brought these families here, I mean several things that have taken courage for these lads participants this year. I mean a very sick newborn who could not get proper care in Samoa, a desire to be in the West Huntsville family, the process of leaving Pentecostalism, a stint abroad in the Gulf war,  the death of a patriarch, the sibling care of younger siblings who are left behind by their Father’s death, the will to be part of the West Huntsville family, the loss of a job, the willingness to come and live–11 people–in a tiny little cabin for three months while finding employment, the desire to be a part of the West Huntsville family, etc…etc…

We are so beyond thankful that these Samoan kids and parents and siblings and cousins, and now even friends who are fellow Christians, are a part of our family. But, the amazing thing I have learned is that there are hundreds of stories like this one that bring people together in the church and, ultimately in this transforming program. Everyone brings a story to the cross. EVERYONE. All of our stories are sin-stained and adversity blotted. But that Joshua promise of a never-forsaking God when we find our  strength and courage is what motivates us to keep going when things are looking their bleakest in this lifetime. The garden of Gethsemane was pretty bleak. The devil thought, for sure, he’d won this time. The grave was impending for the Lord and our only hope was about to be placed in  Sheol. But there was the courage that said “Not my will, but Thine.” There was the strength that said “Father, forgive them.” And there was Sunday morning’s empty tomb.

On that Sunday morning, our stories were forever salvaged in Him. I love Lads to Leaders. But mostly, I love the Lord.

Malachi in Winner’s Circle Speech

Ali’i with Glenn after giving a speech in Winner’s Circle

Here are these two boys today:

 

 

 

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Guest Writer on Lads to Leaders–Caleb Colley

Posted on April 22, 2019


Last weekend, about 20,000 people were encouraged, strengthened and blessed by a program that’s dear to the Colley house. The following, penned by Caleb a few years back, is a reflective look at the benefits of participation. 2019 marked our family’s 26th year of participation as a family and our third generation of participants had a great and chaotic time in this blessed little spiritual boot camp. We are tired. We have had enough Stax burgers and Paisano pizza to last us till next year for sure. Our cars did not leave their parking spaces for 72 hours. We walked about 3984357 miles in the hotel. We rode the elevator 238974 times with two strollers. We helped host a dinner for the very first Nashville recipient of the prestigious RED COAT AWARD. (I love that guy. He worked very hard!) We attended a reception for a board member that I live who’s been working in the program for all of its fifty years. (I love that guy, too!) Our faith in the great I AM and His wondrous mercy for the third and fourth generations reached new levels. We are thankful to Him.

Here are Caleb’s thoughts. (I know he’s looking to the future of Lads with even greater anticipation now, since this year was his first “stroller year” at convention. Maggie did a lot of “speech” this year at the Orlando convention, but her mom said the content was mostly  “Bye-bye-bye-bye. Here she is with her great aunt Lois Duncan Lyon at the Orlando convention.)

A congregation that is close to my heart will be initiating its participation in Lads to Leaders in the coming days, and this event calls to mind how much Lads has done for me. As I enter my 21st year of participation, I would like to briefly describe the program and say why more congregations nationwide should consider participating.

Society has built-in mechanisms to assist and motivate young people in athletic, academic, and entrepreneurial achievement, but too often the church has slight and ineffective means to encourage Bible knowledge and spiritual achievement among children. Every congregation of the church should have a mechanism whereby it assists parents in promoting children’s spiritual development. In my opinion, the best such expedient is Lads to Leaders, a program that affords structure, content, and motivation, and can be tailored to the specific needs of each congregation as specified and directed by its eldership.

 

In Lads to Leaders, there are 37 categories of participation, through which children and adults learn what the Bible says and how to apply it in daily life and in the work and worship of the home and church. The events culminate at an annual convention in six cities (Atlanta, Dallas, Louisville, Memphis, Nashville, and Orlando) where the participants’ efforts are celebrated and encouraged by thousands of brethren. Most (26) of the events are non-competitive, i.e., participants are evaluated, but not in comparison with others. Some (11) events are competitive. In my experience Lads competition has been friendly, mild, and profitable—always edifying and never discouraging. Consider in turn some of the benefits Lads offers:

Structure. Sometimes, although we want our children to learn God’s word and become spiritual leaders, we’re unsure how to start and to keep going over time. Lads event rules have been carefully designed for maximum long-term benefit, by church leaders who have experience in working with young people and parents. Consider the event called “Debate.” Here, students study an important proposition, such as “The use of mechanical instruments of music to accompany the worship of God by His church is not authorized by His Word,” in preparation for organized, formal (mock) debates. And, in the event called “Good Samaritan,” students habituate service by systematically learning what they can do for others and then scheduling it. Lads systematically connects adults who have expertise in a particular activity with students who are interested in that area. For example, song leaders train the participants in the event called “Song Leading,” and public speakers train the participants in “Speech.”

Content. Lads has a strong focus on quality, biblical curriculum that serves as the foundation for several events. For example, in the event called “Headed to the Office,” students read a book by Glenn Colley on how to prepare to fulfill the biblical qualifications for eldership, and complete projects that help them develop the requisite characteristics. A new event called “Keepers” helps girls to develop the attributes of the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31, including homemaking skills. Other events (e.g., “Centurion of Scripture,” “Bible Bowl”) challenge participants—including adults—to memorize Scripture.

Motivation. Part of Lads’ structure is a system of competition and recognition that keeps children working. As a young Lads participant, I would not yet be all the way home from the Lads convention before I starting working on my speech for the next year’s convention, because I wanted to win the trophy. Before long, I stopped caring so much about the material reward and cared more about the intrinsic rewards of writing and delivering my best possible speech. Nonetheless, competition was a critical stimulus in the early stages. Just as children are motivated by getting a star sticker on a chart for attendance or good behavior, a trophy in a contest goes a long way toward showing a child that a difficult task is worthwhile.

Individualization. Autonomous congregational leadership is fully in control of how its membership utilizes Lads. The events and all material supplied by Lads are, like Sunday school curriculum, tools at the disposal of congregations and families. Folks can participate in as few or as many events as they like, and can choose whether to attend the convention.

Whatever service I am able to render in the kingdom is largely the result of the training provided to me by my parents and other mentors in the context of Lads to Leaders. I am honored to continue the tradition by mentoring students in the program. Begin to use Lads to Leaders at your congregation today. Contact me if I can help get you started or check out the website where all information can be found: http://www.lads2leaders.com.

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Keepers!…Sew Much Fun!…Excitement is Cooking!…These Girls Are Keepers!…

Posted on March 18, 2019

(Don’t miss the video at the end!)

You get the point. While the puns are pretty plentiful, this program in the Lads to Leaders organization for mentoring youth in churches is my favorite of all the Lads events. I  believe, for our girls, it is the most practical thing I’ve seen, other than direct mother-daughter mentoring, for helping our girls do what Titus 2 commands in that list of imperatives–things that older women in our congregations are to teach younger women. Today, I’m just going to give the definition of the Greek word oikouros, translated keepers at home or workers at home in Titus 2:5.

Ouikouros means:

caring for the house, working at home, the (watch or) keeper of the house, keeping at home and taking care of household affairs, a domestic

It’s an exciting concept in 2019, that God’s women are the keepers, the watches, the sentinels of this basic God-formed structure of society; that we get to take care of the “factory” if you will, for the future proclaimers of the Word,  and for the future elders and their wives for the eternal kingdom. It’s a privilege, the significance of which we dare not lose on our daughters.

Thus, the inception a few years ago of a program that helped complete an already thriving training ground for the youth of our churches. I hope you can take the time to watch a short video about this program. Special thanks to some of the girls at the West Huntsville church in Huntsville, Alabama and also some from the Centerville Road church in Garland, Texas.

You can see them here: https://youtu.be/VnBF2-s3VG0

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Guest Writer Benjamin Anderson: Lads to Leaders

Posted on May 10, 2018

(I invited Benjamin Anderson to share a few reflections of our recent Lads to Leaders year-round work and our travel to the convention in Nashville, one of six national convention locations.  Here, Benjamin has skimmed the surface of what’s life enriching–even life changing, I would say–for lots of kids at West Huntsville. We took a while on a Sunday night after services recently to try and recognize these kids who participated and were honored at the convention. We had so many, however, that time did not allow us to even verbally list the names of all of those who walked across that stage in Nashville. Following Benjamin’s article, I’ve included that list of winners. Everyone who is diligently trying to use talents for His glory is winning. Every day toward heaven is a win!)

 

Benjamin Anderson…on Lads

 

What do we do in the Lads program? Lads to Leaders has events, like an event called Bible Bowl, where we study a certain book of the Bible and answer questions about it. Another event uses puppets to get a certain message across in a fun way. My favorite event is puppets, because I like to see fun ways to produce a Biblical message. You can do almost anything in Lads, so keep looking for your place.

Each year there is a convention which takes place in Nashville, Tennessee at the Opryland Hotel. The hotel is very lavish and humongous and sometimes it is hard to tell where you are going. 

One of the best parts of lads is awards! I’m not saying it’s about the awards, but it’s cool to see a kid’s face light up when he wins. Sometimes, people might take the awards extremely seriously, but really, the awards are the second priority. First? Serving God to become better leaders…as in “Lads to Leaders.” 

Lads helps us to become better at leading worship for God. It is a great program that churches use all over the country. It’s a great tool that families can use to train children into adult leaders.  

Here are the West Huntsville kids who were honored at the convention. Congratulations to all who worked toward true success this year. They know its definition…

Parade of Leaders
  • Michael Benavides
  • Marlie Thompson
Mass Media
  • Jacob Dozier – Article/Editorial – 3rd Place
  • Abigail Owen – Article/Editorial – 2nd Place
  • Morgan Perry – Article/Editorial – 3rd Place
  • Jacob Dozier – Audio Presentation – 3rd Place
  • Wesley Dozier – Audio Presentation – 1st Place
  • Caleb Owen – Audio Presentation – 1st Place
  • Hart Holt – Audio Presentation – 3rd Places
Year Round Bible Reading/Study
  • Marlie Thompson – Silver
Scholarship Presentations
  • Michael Benavides
  • Titus Thompson
Year Round Songs of Praise
  • Bronze – Jill Davidson
  • Silver – Morgan Wells, Abigail Wright, Natalie Wright
  • Gold – Marlie Thompson
Year Round Song Leading
  • Bronze – Jacob Dozier, Wesley Dozier
  • Silver – David Moseley
  • Gold – Michael Benavides, Caleb Owen, Douglas Smith, Titus Thompson
Year Round Speech
  • Bronze – Marlie Thompson
  • Silver – Michael Benavides
Pearls Written Test Top Ten Scores
  • Benjamin Anderson, Noah Anderson, Wesley Dozer, Jacob Dozier, Jill Davidson, Titus Thompson, Michael Benavides
GIFTS
  • Jill Davidson, Marlie Thompson, Morgan Wells, Abigail Owen, Hannah Perry, Emma Green, Lydia Rubelsky, Loretta Soli
GUARD
  • Jacob Dozier, Wesley Dozier, David Moseley, Luke Rubelsky, Malachi Soli, Jake Rubelsky, Brondon Todd
Second Language
  • Bronze – Michael Benavides, Darcie Smith, Harrison Smith, Holly Smith, Derrick Smith, Marlie Thompson
Keepers
  • Julie Canter, Rebecca Johnson, Addison Wells, Morgan Wells, Natalie Wright
Providers
  • Brady Wells, Malachi Soli
Read the Word
  • Rebecca Johnson, Margie Thompson, Jill Davidson, Sean Johnson
Good Samaritan
  • Michael Benavides, Jill Davidson, Jacob Dozier, Wesley Dozier, Braxton Moseley, David Moseley, Abigail Owen, Caleb Owen, Kinsley Payne, Darcie Smith, Harrison Smith, Malachi Soli, Marlie Thompson
Art Says It
  • Marlie Thompson – 1st Place Sketch
  • Julie Canter – 1st place sketch
  • Abigail Owen – 2nd place sketch
SATURDAY NIGHT
Songs of Praise
  • 3rd Grade – Addi Wells 2nd Place
  • 4th Grade – Abigail Wright, Kathryn Perry – Finalists
  • 8th Grade – Marlie Thompson – 2nd Place
  • 10th Grade – Grace Turner – 2nd Place
  • 11th Grade – Marlie Fisher – 1st Place
Song Leading
  • 5th Grade – Brody Clarke, Ben Rubelsky – Finalists
  • 6th Grade – Benjamin Anderson – 2nd Place
  • 8th Grade – Brandon Todd – 3rd Pace, Malachi Soli, Jake Rubelsky – Finalists
  • 11th Grade – Michael D’Herde – 3rd Place, Michael Todd – 1st Place
Winner’s Circle Songs of Praise
  • 4-6 Grade – Natalie Wright – 2nd Place
Winner’s Circle Song Leading
  • 4-6 Grade – Noah Anderson – 2nd Place
  • 10-12 Grade – Michael Benavides – 1st Place
Debate
  • Boys – Michael Benavides/Michael Todd – 1st Place, Titus Thompson/Brandon Todd – 2nd Place
    • Individuals – Titus Thompson – 3rd Place, Michael Todd – 2nd Place, Michael Benavides – 1st Place
Winner’s Circle Speech
  • Boys 7-9 Grade – Malachi Soli – 1st Place
Speech
  • 3rd Grade Girls – Addie Wells, Finalist
  • 4th Grade Girls – Abigail Wright – 1st Place
  • 4th Grade Boys – Gideon Soli – 1st Place
  • 5th Grade Girls – Natalie Wright – 1st Place
  • 5th Grade Boys – Brody Clarke – 2nd Place, Ian Collier, Ben Rubelsky, Brady Wells – Finalists
  • 7th Grade Girls – Morgan Perry – Finalist
  • 7th Grade Boys – Wesley Dozier – 1st Place
  • 8th Grade Girls – Marlie Thompson – 3rd Place
  • 8th Grade Boys – Brandon Todd – Finalist
  • 10th Grade Girls – Grace Turner – 3rd Place
  • 11th Grade Boys – Caleb Owen – 3rd Place
  • 12th Grade Boys – Titus Thompson – 2nd Place
Bible Bowl Test High Scorer
  • K-2 – Allii Barber, Weston Cantor, Sean Johnson, Jonathan Wright
  • 3-4 – Abigail Wright,
  • 5-6 – Natalie Wright, Noah Anderson, Allison Botello, Benjamin Anderson, Julie Cantor, Jeffrey Davidson
  • 11-12 – Michael Benavides, Titus Thompson
Bible Bowl Team
  • 5-6
    • West Huntsville Team A – Finalist
      • Natalie Wright, Allison Botello, Jonathan Wright
    • West Huntsville Team B – 3rd Place
      • Jeffrey Davidson, Adrianna Botello, Weston Cantor, Rebecca Johnson
    • West Huntsville Team C – Finalist
      • Abigail Wright, Brody Clarke, Addison Wells, Ian Collier
    • West Huntsville Team D – Finalist
      • Julie Canter, Brady Wells, Alii Barber, Gideon Soli
  • 7-8 – Finalist
    • Noah Anderson, Benjamin Anderson, Malachi Soli, Marlie Thompson
  • 11-12 – Finalist
    • Titus Thompson, Michael Benavides, Jill Davidson, Brandon Todd
Puppets
  • 3rd Grade – West Huntsville – 1st Place
  • 6th Grade – West Huntsville – 1st Place
  • 9th Grade – West Huntsville – 2nd Place
  • 12th Grade – West Huntsville – 2nd Place

 

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Remembering with Garrett

Posted on April 5, 2018

This is the best. Just when you think kids aren’t looking. Just when you think kids now-a-days are self-absorbed and disrespectful. Just when.

I know many readers were at various Lads to Leaders conventions around our nation last weekend. If you went to any speech room, you heard children and/or teens speak some pretty introspective words about the Lord’s Supper and about the memorial we honor every Lord’s Day, just like the church of the New Testament most certainly did. If you went to debate, you even heard a lively discussion about why we observe this feast every single Sunday; how we are sure that this is exactly the pattern we have in our New Testament. It’s part of our covenant and it speaks to others about His death till He comes again.

This is not the most polished speech among the ones you have heard. In fact, this is the very rough version (prior to practice) of Garrett Vick’s speech about remembering.  I hope you can take the time to listen, though. When you do, I hope you will remember.  This speech is about remembering. It’s my favorite speech of the weekend. It’s about my father and, most importantly, my older brother. (It was given in the auditorium of the Jacksonville church, just a few feet from my dad’s pew where that hugging happened every Sunday and Wednesday.)

  1. Widow(er) hugging (https://thecolleyhouse.org/mamas-k-i-s-s-number-1-widow-hugging )        makes relationships that are invaluable and may impact eternity.
  2. One spiritual project turns into another. I have never seen this principle fail any family. Parents get busy serving with your kids. Then you WILL get busy serving. Providence provides a path.
  3. Elderly Christians, go the distance for the Lord. It is your spiritual service….your living sacrifice. And little eyes are watching.
  4. Start your kids out early on spiritual paths of greatness. There are at least 3 generations of gospel preachers in Garrett’s family. This may be the fourth. (Best of all, this leadership parenting is times four. Four brothers….Just think of the potential!)  But, either way, there’s a path for heaven for many through this little life.
  5. Consider Lads to Leaders (http://www.lads2leaders.com.) It’s a great tool for raising kids to be leaders in congregations. We really need “Garretts” around our country. You don’t have to be in Lads to grow up and lead for the Lord. But leadership skills are developed in homes utilizing the best tools available. Our dreams should be less about development of players and more about development of pray-ers. Less about the team captain position and more about the Captain of our salvation (Hebrews 2:10). Less about success in the business world  and more about the business of true success. Less about honor societies and more about personal honor in a broken society. In short, less about personal fulfillment and more about the cross. A reflection of spiritual goals in tools, deadlines, conventions, and schedules chosen by families is an integral and necessary factor in bringing about desired results. All of the above (team captain, great playing ability, business “smarts” and academic prowess) can be used to His glory. It’s the job of parents to keep the “main thing” the main thing while navigating the challenges of childhood.
Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Lads–25 Years and a New Generation

Posted on April 2, 2018


Taking a moment from the madness that is the Lads to Leaders convention in Nashville to tell you that it is still the best tool of which I am aware for developing leadership skills for the church; the church that our children and grandchildren will love and serve in the decades that will round out the 21st century. Watching our West Huntsville kids prepare has made my heart happy for that particular congregation and for the families that Glenn and I love dearly who work there with us. Those families in the program, along with many others who are working in various areas for  the Lord,  make the elders’ jobs easier and bless the efforts in the pulpit with strength and encouragement. 

This year we are taking 32 song leaders to Nashville. THIRTY-TWO young people who are ready to learn to lead in praise. I watched the youngest group last Sunday afternoon in Huntsville as they, one by one, went to that big podium to lead that large crowd in the songs they had chosen as favorites. My voice caught a little as four-year-old Timothy Johnson, whose mother is just finishing up the last of her three cancer surgeries for this year sang “Tarry with me, blessed Savior…Tarry with me ‘frew de night’”. Sometimes this year I have felt a little of the darkness of night, too. But when I get  to this place, I am strengthened. I am motivated to look to the young…and be better for the Lord. 

it was 25 years ago that we drove up to the Presidential lobby, dressed our son Caleb in his coat and tie, right there in the car, and rushed him in to his very first Lads event. We had no idea we were entering, through that Presidential Lobby, one of the most spiritually influential activities of our lives. We did not know about that year when our two children would be entering a combined total of 26 events. We did not know about the foot blisters, the year Hannah’s “Art Says It” entry would be entered as 11th grade when she was really 11 YEARS OLD, the many visits the Easter Bunny would make to this hotel, and that our family would eventually be participating in five different conventions around the Southeast U.S. We didn’t know about those 8 huge scrapbooks that are upstairs in our guest room, chronicling our kids’ teen years—books with which we could never part. We didn’t know that little Maggie Colley, who will be born next July would have her gender-reveal in Orlando this year with huge pink balloons tied to a chair in the Lakeside section of that big ballroom. We didn’t know yet about all the years we would lose hair bows, pitch pipes, scripts, and competitions, while winning confidence, lifetime friendships, character development and memories. 

As I finish this post, I’ve returned home from the convention. This year, our Lads experience took on a whole new dimension. Our first participant in a new generation of Colleys led his very first song in Governor’s Ballroom A at 4:30 last Saturday afternoon. I did not know, when that gentleman called out “Number nine”, that my heart was just going to walk right up there and sing “When we walk with the Lord…In the light of His Word.” I basked in every syllable and especially in that truth  that 3-year-old Ezra can sing with all of his might, but cannot yet fully comprehend: “There is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” I hope he will know, for all of his lifetime, the happiness that comes from that trusting obedience. What a glory He sheds on our way!