God’s young Warriors

In an inspiring display of youthful faith and leadership, middle and high school students at Adventist Christian Academy (ACA) Raleigh recently preached a full evangelistic series, drawing guests from across the community, opening doors for Bible studies, and leading classmates and even adults to decisions for baptism.

The idea began to take shape in July 2024 when the Carolina Conference launched its Pentecost 2025 initiative. Ross Knight, pastor of the Raleigh Church, recalled, “We wanted to give our young people a chance to lead. Not just be involved, but actually lead.” After prayer and discussion, the vision was clear: ACA Raleigh students would preach their own evangelistic series.

The project came to life through the collaboration of teachers and staff, including Crystal Thigpen, eighth-grade teacher, who had previously witnessed student-led evangelism during her training. “When I started teaching Bible, I remembered how middle schoolers in Michigan would do evangelistic meetings each spring,” she said. “So I pitched the idea to our principal, Lisa Trawick, and she immediately said, ‘That’s an awesome idea.’”

Though they had talked about it for a while, the timing finally felt right. With Pentecost 2025 on the horizon, Knight, Trawick, and Thigpen began preparing students, forming a preaching class where students practiced, critiqued each other, and studied in depth. Weekly sessions were held in classrooms and the church sanctuary.

“All of the students volunteered,” Pastor Knight emphasized. “They weren’t forced. They stepped forward because they felt called.”

Among them was Daryl McNeil, an eighth-grade student, who preached alongside a friend. “I was excited to give the people a spiritual message,” he said. Christian Rojas, a tenth-grader, shared from the platform, “Make sure you’re on the right path. Follow God. Let Him take control of your life.”