Southeastern is making a difference in high schoolers’ lives – and we could use your help!

Meet three teenagers: Ben is gregarious and enthusiastic, a worship leader at his church, already demonstrating pastoral leadership gifts. Brent is quiet, driven, with a hilarious sarcastic edge if you sit close enough to catch his muttered side comments during class; he wants to go to the Coast Guard Academy and has the grades to pull it off. Allen is special-needs but loves the Lord and is adored by his friends despite (and often because of) his differences.

What do these teens have in common? Every other Wednesday, they gather with friends to vigorously discuss questions like “Why would a loving God create Hell?” or “Is the Old Testament a reliable historical document?” They are preparing to present impromptu speeches on worldview topics at an upcoming Christian speech and debate tournament. Along the way, Ben is learning truth that a future congregation may need. Brent is building up an arsenal of answers for a tough military environment. And Allen’s rock-solid faith is encouraging his peers to face life’s challenges with courage. Southeastern is a big reason these meetings are possible. For the past 2 years, SEBTS has hosted Logos Speech and Debate Club every Wednesday on campus, allowing fifty high schoolers to prepare to make a gentle, respectful defense for the hope that they have within them.

Today Southeastern has another opportunity to invest in the next generation of students: Logos is participating in a multi-state tournament with 100 other students, and we need community judges. This is a perfect opportunity for Southeastern students to hone their own communication skills by evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of younger students’ speeches.

Would you consider volunteering at the NCFCA Speech and Debate Tournament in Cary on March 28^th, 29^th, or 30^th? Would you be willing to offer your students extra credit for serving?

Each volunteer comes for just three hours, which includes judge training – no prior experience is needed! Our league emphasizes the importance of being able to communicate with anyone, not just expert coaches, so we are looking for people from all walks of life. Volunteers can choose between several types of speeches to hear: debate, impromptu, persuasive, interpretive (acting), etc.

This is a great opportunity for seminarians to evaluate and learn about communication skills, while simultaneously working to “prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” by helping high schoolers become better communicators for Christ. Our volunteers consistently tell us how much they enjoyed the judging experience and how encouraged they were by the students’ speeches. I’m sure this would be a highly rewarding and growing experience!

Here is the signup link where you can find more information on the event AND pick a volunteer time slot that works best for you: https://www.ncfca.org/cary-nc/