During my sophomore year at Wheaton College, I led a small group Bible study in my dorm through Wheaton’s “Discipleship Small Groups” ministry. It was both a growing and a humbling experience. Previously I had participated in but never led a Bible study, and I felt woefully inadequate to be doing so. Taking a leadership position did not come naturally to me.

For this reason I was excited to attend the Youth Leadership Conference (YLC) last summer at Geneva College. YLC is a four-day conference for 18- to 24-year-olds that is organized by the Youth Ministries Committee of Synod. After having four events a year through Covenanter Young People’s Union (CYPU), the high school youth ministry of the Great Lakes-Gulf Presbytery, I had to adjust to having much less RP fellowship. It seems like there are generally fewer events for college-age persons in the RPCNA, so I was happy to find this opportunity.

However, God had other plans for me at YLC. What I thought was going to be four days of leadership training was a different kind of training that was much more essential. Our speaker, Andrew Quigley, spoke about the importance of Christian character. We learned how having good character is the essential starting point for good leadership. Pastor Quigley used John 15:1–17, Jesus’s “I am the true vine” teachings, as the framework for Christian character. Christians must abide in relationship with Christ through His Word, prayer, and obedience to Him. Only then can we bear good fruit in service to Christ and to others. When we flourish in this relationship, we flourish in all our other relationships as well.

First, God’s Word is never wrong, and it is critical to our sanctification. Our election means we have been chosen to conform to Christ. Conforming to Christ means we need to learn about Him from the Word and have our hearts changed by the Holy Spirit. We can take the words of Psalm 119:97, “Oh how I love your law,” for our own because Christ kept the law for us. It teaches us the price of the salvation He freely gives to us.

Second, prayer is something that we are called to do as those in relationship with Christ. Jesus has given us powerful examples of how, when, and where to do this. He was constantly in prayer with His Father. It would not be a healthy relationship if there was no communication.

We need to speak with Him because we are called to be in a relationship with Him and because we are allowed in His presence. Moreover, prayer enables us to see the greater reality of spiritual warfare within our day-to-day lives. Without it, we would not be able to wage war against our sin.

Third, when we order our ways before God and obey His law, we are aligned with Him in our relationship with Him. Ordering our ways according to God’s law establishes patterns of behavior that help us to live out our lives the way God wants. We only have one life, after all. We need to choose how we are going to spend it—wisely or foolishly. God fills us with His Spirit to give us the power to strive towards what He has for us to do. Jesus has also given us the perfect example, since He perfectly kept the law for us. He ordered His ways in the ways of His Father, and God’s will was done.

Fourth and finally, as we learn about Him through the Word, talk with Him through prayer, and strive to obey Him, we are pruned and made more like Christ. This is not a pleasant experience—but the Christian life was never promised to be pleasant. However, it is a joyful life. When we pursue this relation with Christ, we bear fruit and are made productive workers for Christ.

During the conference, we also had the opportunity to learn about character and leadership through three workshops held during the week. Topics included everything from finance and counseling to theology and discipleship.

Pastor Titus Martin’s workshop on discipleship was exactly what I had in mind when I registered for the conference, and it gave me some good ideas for leading studies. Prof. Rut Etheridge’s workshop on world views taught us about the importance of Scripture and absolute truth in our postmodern age. Finally, Dr. Barry York’s workshop taught that how we keep the Lord’s Day is how we reflect God’s character.

After each of the lectures, there was a time for small group discussion. This allowed us to share things that stuck out to us and pick up on others that we may have missed. It also helped us get to know each other better and set time aside to pray together.

One of the highlights was putting some of what we learned about character into practice by visiting the residents of Franciscan Manor, an assisted living home in Beaver Falls, Pa. We were able to share the Word by singing psalms for them. We sang a couple psalms as a large group, then broke off into smaller groups and went down the hallways. It was a great joy to share God’s Word through song and to show Christ’s love and care for the residents by being there.

Other activities that filled our free time were outdoor games, impromptu psalm sings, and an Irish dance. There was hardly a dull moment during the week.

On Sunday we worshiped with many of the churches in the Beaver Falls area. I visited Eastvale RPC for morning worship, then we all joined up in the evening for worship at College Hill RPC for the monthly joint evening service. It was a blessing to visit with the saints of other churches and worship with so many at once.

At YLC, I learned the importance of character, not only in the Christian life but also in leadership. You need to exercise good character because you will be in some form of leadership in whatever place or position you find yourself. It could be as a student leading a Bible study, a laborer in the workforce, an elder or deacon in the church, a parent in the home, or simply someone following the example of another leader.

That is the importance of a conference like this: not only does it provide fellowship with RP peers, but it prepares you for life as a Christian in the world and in the church. Once you learn, or are reminded, of these things, then you are equipped to go out as productive servants for Him who first served you.

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The 2019 Youth Leadership Conference will be held July 4–8 at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pa. Learn more about the conference at rpymcs.com/ylc.

Jacob Rhoda is a junior studying computer science at Wheaton College. When he’s not programming, Jacob enjoys reading, studying theology, and singing in the Wheaton College Men’s Glee Club. During the summer he lives and works in Lafayette, Ind. He is a member of Westminster (Prairie View, Ill.) RPC.