Young Voices Make an Impact at General Assembly - How HELM Students are Leading the Way
- ezavala747
- 6 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 12 minutes ago
The 2025 General Assembly was a powerful reminder that youth and young adults are not just the future of the church, they are leaders in the church right now. HELM is incredibly proud of the young leaders who boldly stepped up to speak in support of emergency resolutions on the floor of the General Assembly. Their voices called the church to justice, action, and integrity, and their courage inspires us to continue supporting students and connecting them with resources to grow in leadership and faith.
Among the many powerful moments during the week, three HELM students stood out for their bold witness. Below you will find reflections from three students connected to HELM about the resolutions they advocated for, why they felt it was important to speak up, and how they see youth and young adults shaping the church today and in the future.
This year, I was a co-editor of Resolution GA-2571: Affirmation of the World Council of Churches call to "End Apartheid, Occupation, and Impunity in Palestine and Israel," and of solidarity with Palestinian people as we struggle for an end to genocide. This resolution is a call to action for the larger church to acknowledge, affirm, and now use the language that the World Council of Churches used in their statements regarding the continued happenings in Gaza. As soon as I heard that C Stonebraker-Martinez and Daniel Mitchell were putting together an emergency resolution acknowledging what is happening in Palestine, I knew I had to find a way to support it.
Ever since I had been to Palestine in May of 2025, I always carry the voice of a gentleman we spent time with in a refugee camp in Ramallah. We asked him if there was anything we could do to show our appreciation for his vulnerability and kindness, and all he asked of us was that we share their (Palestinians) story. That we come back to the United States and tell people of the time we spent in these spaces and show the world a side of a story that is being ignored.
Speaking in support of this resolution was a way of doing just that. The passing of this resolution not only affirms and validates the experiences of our Palestinian siblings, but it also reinforces our call as an entire church to stand in opposition of oppression, violence, and genocide. The language of this resolution reinforces a core value of our denomination, and demands we be a church of action. We cannot praise a Palestinian-Jewish refugee (who if he were alive today would be suffering under the thumb of militarized religious-based apartheid) and ignore the realities of his peoples in that region at this very moment.
Youth and young adults are shaping the church by simply putting action to being the church we say we are. Young people within our denomination are hungry for justice. Having this drive, backed and influenced by the power of God, not only shares the ministry of Christ, but exemplifies it. We are reading scripture, sitting in pews during sermons, and watching global leaders while putting validity behind our words. Youth are attending national gatherings, standing up for what they believe in, and calling for their congregations to do the same. We cannot wait. We cannot wait because we are witnessing scripture being used to harm those we love. The church is benefiting because it all works together; the demand for justice, the growth in faith, and the love for all of God’s people.
I spoke up to advocate for GA-2568, an Emergency Resolution Concerning the Moral Crisis of Federal Budget Priorities in the 2025 Reconciliation Bill. This resolution speaks to the severity and immediacy of the actions that will occur as a direct result of the Senate’s Revised Budget Reconciliation Bill that was passed by the House of Representatives on 7/3/2025 and signed into law on 7/4/2025.
The Reconciliation Bill slashes funding for prominent government programs such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), losing $841 billion and $52 billion, respectively. The bill also dramatically cuts funding for rural hospitals, student loan support, and clean energy incentives. The effects of the budget cuts presented in this bill will lead to the unethical removal of aid opportunities for millions of Americans, including the closure of many hospitals and medical facilities.
Further, the Bill provided a $29.9 billion increase in government funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and $45 billion increase for detention centers for ICE. This is a 265% increase in ICE’s annual detention budget.
The emergency resolution GA-2568 speaks to the inequity, devastation of human rights, and death that will result from the budget policies outlined in the new Reconciliation Bill.
Throughout the conference, I was asked, “What can the Church do to bring in more youth and young adults?” In support of the bill, I responded, “THIS.” It is passing resolutions like this that will bring in more youth and young adults. Generation Z and Alpha are impressed with social action, transparency, and audacity. As a Christian Church denomination, it is our job to apologize for the history of ethical wrongs enacted in the name of the Church and God, and actively work to repair social injustice. I expressed that, in passing GA-2568, the Christian Church Disciples of Christ will have something to show younger generations what they truly stand for and how the Church is currently working for wholeness in a fragmented world.
I also wanted to speak up, with a group of my peers present, to show a physical representation of what the Christian Church Disciples of Christ looks like to me. Youth in the Church are my Church. I think we often forget how much power a picture can have, and I wanted that picture to be of the strong and active youth who are already working for and in the Church. We work in programs (such as HELM) to bond and grow as emerging leaders in the Christian Church. What better way to remind the Church of what these programs do than to stand and fight for what we have learned to hold most sacred?
Youth and young adults have always been a vital part of the Church. It is the younger generations that challenge complacency and traditions. Generation Z and Alpha are shaping the Church through their honesty, transparency, and most importantly, audacity. Current youth and young adults grew up in an age of media. One can use a phone, television, computer, or even a watch to learn about the latest global issues. It is this constant access to information that fuels today’s youth and young adults to be passionate about a variety of issues, both local and global. I believe this is the direction younger generations hope for the Church to reflect in the years to come. To have the ability to pull up the Christian Church Disciples of Christ website and point to all of our stances on current and past social justice/humanitarian issues. To pass resolutions that affirm equality and equity easily. This is what younger generations hope to preserve in the Church and promote as one of our most important traits.
I was advocating for the resolution regarding the moral crisis of the United States budget in regard to the recently passed reconstruction bill. It was important for me to speak out about this resolution because I love and deeply believe in the mission of the DOC and our goal of radical inclusion. But if we are going to live into that mission that means standing against legislation that tries to sow division and exclusion within the U.S. and the world. On a personal level, I believe that everyone deserves to live with dignity and this bill seeks to dismantle the already shaken system that attempts to provide that dignity.
When it comes to youth in the church, I see a future that could be filled with life and intergenerational ministry, one where we live out the mission our predecessors wanted and one that can be adapted to fit today’s society. Currently we are not there but I see bright patches of youth leadership within HELM but we can be doing a lot more. The denomination could be using the youth a lot more than they do or ever have. I see a path towards a bright, life fulfilling future but that means there must be real change towards inclusion of all ages.
HELM gives thanks to Marci, Callie, Abbie, and the many other young people at General Assembly for their witness, courage, and faithful voices. Through them, we are reminded that youth and young adults are not on the sidelines of the church. They are leading us with boldness and bravery. HELM is honored to walk alongside them and support them in their leadership and advocacy.