Invest in the Purpose-Driven Generation
“Where are all the kids?” asked the visitor. I was giving a tour over lunchtime and yet there were only a few students in the lunchroom.
“It’s Friday,” I explained. “Most of our students are at an optional, student-led Prayer and Praise time.”
“It’s optional?” he asked, surprised. I nodded yes. “And they choose prayer and praise over hanging out with friends?”
“They do,” I said, smiling.
Moments like that happen often at Concordia Academy.
Just last week one of our student leaders stopped by my office. “Can we get a bigger room?” he asked. “Our boys’ Bible study is too full. We need more space.” Like the girls’ group, this Bible study is completely student-led, and both are bursting at the seams.
Our guidance counselor recently showed me a photo from the last Beacons for Life meeting. The room was filled with over 40 young men and women. This growing, student-led pro-life group is currently working to support families of children with Down Syndrome.
Another group of students came to me saying, “Pastor Berner, when are you bringing back your study on Angels and Demons? We want to go deeper into topics like that!”
And on beautiful Minnesota summer nights? Many of our students borrowed their parent’s cars, not to go to parties or hang out at the lake, but to gather at “the barn” for yet another student-led time of prayer and praise. They were joined by recent alumni who also want to keep growing in their faith.
There’s something unique happening with this generation.
Generation Z—those between 13 and 28—has been called The Purpose-Driven Generation. Studies like Gallup confirm what we see at CA every day: more than money, prestige, or fame, today’s young people are searching for purpose. They long for meaning, authenticity, and significance. And here at Concordia Academy, they are finding that purpose in Jesus.
“I have come that you might have life, and have it to the full,” said Jesus. Our students are taking Him at His word, and, as always, He is proving faithful to His promise.
When I look at our students, I’m filled with great optimism about the future. But I also see the challenge. This generation is deeply hungry for purpose, but if they don’t find it in Jesus, they’ll seek it elsewhere. Radical ideologies, social movements, and popular new forms of spirituality all promise meaning, but none of them lead to the life only Christ can give.
That’s why your support matters so deeply.
When you give to Concordia Academy, you are investing directly into this purpose-driven generation. Every dollar goes toward financial aid, making it possible for more students to attend CA—where they are surrounded daily by the Gospel that gives their lives true meaning, value, and eternal purpose.
If you’ve given before, thank you. Your generosity is bearing fruit in the lives of students like those you’ve just read about, many of whom would not be here were it not for your financial support. If you haven’t yet given, I invite you to prayerfully consider joining us in our mission. Together, we can ensure that this generation finds its purpose—and its life—in Jesus.
Thank you for investing in Concordia Academy students.
Rev. Dr. Timothy Berner
Executive Director
