Why The Called Student Leadership Summit Matters More Than Ever
There is a quiet reality many pastors and ministry leaders feel but don’t always say out loud: we need more leaders.
Not just more volunteers.
Not just more attendees.
We need more pastors. More church planters. More youth leaders. More missionaries. More men and women who will to give their lives to serve the Church and the world.
Across denominations and districts, a growing leadership gap is emerging. Faithful pastors are aging out of ministry. Churches are searching for qualified leaders. Congregations are praying for workers for the harvest. And at the same time, in our youth rooms and young adult gatherings, there are students who love Jesus, who are asking deep questions, who are sensing a tug—but no one has helped them name it yet.
That tension is why The Called Student Leadership Summit exists.
The Leadership Gap Is Real
If you’ve been in ministry for more than a few years, you’ve likely seen it firsthand. Churches are struggling to fill pastoral roles. Rural communities without shepherds. Growing cities need church planters. Youth ministries led by exhausted teams stretched thin.
We can talk about strategy and systems, and those matter. But at its core, this is a calling issue.
Pastoral ministry isn’t just a career choice. It’s a response to God’s invitation. And if we want to see more leaders step into ministry, we must create environments where calling can be discerned, nurtured, and clarified.
Calling rarely develops by accident.
It develops when someone is given space to wrestle with God.
Students Are Already Wrestling
Students today are not apathetic. Many are spiritually curious, mission-minded, and deeply aware that they want their lives to matter.
They’re asking questions like:
What does God want me to do with my life?
Is ministry something I should consider?
How do I know if I’m called?
What if I feel something, but I’m not sure it’s real?
The problem isn’t a lack of desire. It’s a lack of space.
Most students don’t need pressure. They need clarity. They don’t need hype. They need formation. They need mature leaders who will say, “Let’s slow down and discern this together.”
That is the heart behind The Called Student Leadership Summit.
What The Called Summit Actually Is
Taking place April 10–11, 2026, at Vanguard College in Edmonton, The Called Summit gathers students ages 13-24 who are wrestling with the call of God on their lives.
This is not a recruitment event. It is not emotional manipulation. It is not about pushing students into ministry prematurely.
It is about creating a healthy, guided environment where they can:
Learn how God speaks
Understand what calling really means
Explore the difference between gifts, passion, and assignment
Process fears and doubts honestly
Grow in leadership rooted in spiritual depth
Take a practical next step
The tone is intentional. The posture is formative. The goal is clarity, not pressure.
Why This Matters for Pastors
As pastors and ministry leaders, we are not just shepherding congregations; we are shaping the future of the Church.
Every student who senses the call of God needs someone to help them interpret it.
You may already see them in your ministry:
The student who lingers after the youth group to ask deeper questions.
The young adult who naturally gathers others and leads prayer.
The teen who feels burdened for their friends’ salvation.
The volunteer who shows unusual spiritual maturity for their age.
Often, these students don’t need convincing. They need confirmation and direction.
The Called Summit becomes a milestone in their leadership journey: a moment when what you’ve been cultivating locally is reinforced and clarified.
It strengthens your discipleship rather than replacing it.
Calling Needs Community
One of the most powerful dynamics in a student’s discernment process is realizing they are not alone.
When a 16-year-old hears that another 18-year-old is also wrestling with a sense of call, something shifts. When a 22-year-old hears from a mentor who once sat in their shoes, the path feels more possible.
Calling clarifies in community.
The Summit creates space for mentorship conversations, small-group reflection, and honest dialogue. Students are encouraged to bring their questions, not hide them. Doubt is not shamed. Curiosity is welcome. Obedience is invited.
And throughout it all, the emphasis remains steady: who you are becoming matters more than the title you might one day hold.
Practical Outcomes for Students
Pastors often ask, “What will my students walk away with?”
Here’s what you can expect:
Greater clarity about what calling actually is (and isn’t).
A healthier theology of ministry.
Tools for hearing and discerning God’s voice.
Increased spiritual hunger and intentionality.
A clearer next step. Whether that’s deeper discipleship, mentorship, Bible college exploration, or serving more intentionally at home.
Not every student who attends will enter vocational ministry, and that’s okay. The goal is not outcomes we can count. It’s faithfulness in helping them respond to what God is doing.
Some may step toward pastoral ministry. Some toward missions. Some toward marketplace leadership with Kingdom conviction. All of them will leave with deeper roots.
The Responsibility We Carry
Scripture reminds us to ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers. But prayer is only part of the equation. We also have to notice, invite, and invest.
Students rarely self-select into calling environments. They are invited into them.
As a pastor or ministry leader, you have influence. When you say, “I see something in you. I think you should consider this,” it carries weight.
The Called Summit is an opportunity to speak that affirmation clearly.
It is also a chance to model something for your wider ministry culture: we take calling seriously. We believe God still calls. We are intentional about raising leaders.
How to Identify Who to Bring
Consider students who:
Demonstrate spiritual hunger and consistency.
Show leadership initiative, even informally.
Express curiosity about ministry or theology.
Carry a burden for people.
Ask thoughtful spiritual questions.
Display humility and teachability.
Don’t overcomplicate it. If you sense potential, that’s often enough.
Invite them personally. Explain why you see leadership in them. Help them understand that attending isn’t a commitment to ministry, it’s an opportunity to listen.
A Moment That Could Shape a Lifetime
There are moments in a young leader’s life that become turning points.
A conversation.
A camp.
A mentor’s affirmation.
A weekend where something becomes clear.
The Called Student Leadership Summit is designed to be one of those moments.
The Church needs more shepherds. More faithful pastors. More courageous leaders who will preach the gospel, disciple communities, and plant churches for decades to come.
Those future leaders are likely already in your ministry.
The question is whether we will create space for them to discern what God is stirring.
If you sense even a handful of students who might be wrestling with the call of God on their lives, consider bringing them.
Create the space.
Start the conversation.
Let God do what only He can do.
The future leadership of the Church doesn’t begin at ordination.
It begins with a student who says, “Lord, I’m listening.”
Learn more about the Called Student Leadership Summit, April 10-11, at Vanguard College here https://abnwt.com/the-called-26.
Devan has been ministering in various capacities for over a decade, helping people discern God's voice and respond faithfully to His call. He is passionate about partnering with God to build His church, creating space for people to encounter the Holy Spirit, and is deeply committed to seeing the next generation grow in spiritual depth and faithful leadership. Devan lives this calling alongside his wife, Kirsten, and their two daughters, Georgia and Ruth.