In one of those moments when the spirit transforms a normal discussion into a holy discourse, one Q-and-A session evolved into a frank conversation about race and class in the church, citing both the progress society has made so far and the progress still to come.

“The speakers spoke so honestly from their life experience and teachings, and I can apply that to my own life,” said Sarah Cheon, a junior at the University of California in Berkeley. “I feel I’ve learned more about myself through these people than I could have through hours of solitary reflection.”

“They all had unique stories, but they shared the theme of expressing God, knowing God in ways that aren’t at first obvious,” said Allie Lundblad, a sophomore at Oberlin College. “The theme of creativity affects all of us, whether we think of ourselves as artsy or not. To live your life with purpose is to live your life with creativity.”

Jesse Stephenson, a junior at Transylvania University, appreciated the timing of the conference in his academic career. “The theme was well-crafted and extremely relevant to my own life right now as I begin thinking about what direction I should take after college. They offered us their own narratives and advice they have picked up along the way, which was extremely insightful as each of us begins our own narrative.”

Worship also encouraged students to think differently: On Friday night, students were encouraged to draw or write whatever came to mind while in a spirit of prayer. Saturday night, students read their favorite scripture aloud and reflected silently on how it affected them personally.

Allie Lundblad (foreground), Alison Simon, and Cambria Findley-Grubb let their creativity flow through words and drawing during Friday night’s worship service.

Saturday afternoon took the conference to downtown Dallas, where students had two radically different options for engaging their creativity: the Dallas Museum of Art provided tangible examples of creativity, while Dealey Plaza challenged students to contemplate different theories of the Kennedy assassination. The Leadership Fellows Program creates a strong community using formal methods such as workshops but also through communal living. Students stayed up until the early morning hours talking or playing games, including a spirited football game in the midnight hour. When they finally slept, they slept in the church’s youth center. Saturday’s dinner also gave students the opportunity to meet several HELM Leadership Fellows alumni living in Dallas-Fort Worth. “The sense of community that this group created within the very first day was amazing,” said Chapman University sophomore Charisse Knorr. “By the end of the weekend I wanted to stay another week.” The resource staff also became part of the HELM community.

Taking the energy and lessons from a conference isn’t always easy, but TCU junior Caroline Hamilton had high hopes. “If the dynamic of this weekend could be the dynamic of our church en toto, we would be growing, thriving, thinking, and doing the work of God.”

Most of the conference was held at Northway Christian Church, which provided accommodations for the group and tremendous hospitality. HELM joined the Northway community Sunday morning for worship.