“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:13

Imagine standing in front of about 40 Year 11 boys. They are in a different environment to their usual classes, the Pastors’ LifeHouse. The room warms up with their body heat. The ribbing jokes flow like water from a gurney. They don’t know what to expect. Some cuddle up with blankets on couches, others wrestle over who’s got the most cushions and pillows in their stack. The addition of a spinach-eating competition to the mix makes it clear that this is a very different class than the norm. This is a program called Strength. 

In Strength, Pastor Isaiah and Pastor Syd had the privilege of walking the Year 11 boys through a five-week journey that would encourage them to connect with the source of all strength, Jesus Christ. The boys walked through what makes a man a man, respecting themselves and others, building lasting relationships, using their God-given strength to serve others and taking healthy risks among other things. Through team-building activities, group brainstorming and Bible teaching, the boys walked through some big topics designed to help them become the very best men that they can be. 

Taking them out of the normal school environment quickly engages them with the content and helps to create a level of camaraderie within the whole group that sitting behind a desk does not allow. Our focus on the boys’ strengths saw the Year 11 boys band together as a group like they have never done before. 

The Year 11 boys are quickly becoming men. It is such a privilege to be one of the guiding voices on that journey to help them become the kind of men that God is proud of. 

Isaiah Logan, College Pastor