NextGen: Raising Kingdom-Minded Leaders at The Woodlands Methodist Church
By Morgan Howe
If you’ve ever visited The Woodlands Methodist Church in Houston, Texas, it’s evident that students play a vital role in its leadership. This is no accident; it’s part of a larger discipleship initiative called NextGen, which is not your average youth program. It’s a comprehensive, 20-year journey that nurtures spiritual growth and leadership from age three to 23, with a clear vision — If students aren’t leading, they are leaving.
This vision shapes every aspect of NextGen’s philosophy. When young people are given the opportunity to lead, they want to invite their friends, creating a ripple effect of engagement. As a result, those friends often come just to support them but end up staying because they are captivated by the fact that everything they see is student-led. The excitement isn’t just about the message; it’s about seeing peers their age taking the lead in worship and ministry.
“It’s not about hiring the best staff,” said Mark Swayze, Pastor of NextGen Ministries. “It’s about equipping your most gifted leaders, giving them a platform, and watching how God works through them. When students begin to lead, everything changes.”
The focus at NextGen is intentional: to raise up Christian leaders who will impact both the church and the workplace. Recognizing that many will enter workplace ministry, NextGen connects its students with Kingdom-minded leaders to mentor them and help them find jobs after graduation. The program isn’t about creating events to attend but rather a discipleship process that integrates leadership development into everyday life.
A Holistic Leadership Development Model
In its fifth year, NextGen supports over 120 student leaders across five ministries: teaching, mission, discipleship, hospitality, and media. These “shepherds” are designed to mentor and guide young people in leadership and service.
“Over the summer these leaders had to think about which areas they felt called to for a year commitment,” said Swayze. “Everyone goes through a formal interview, and they have to write out a significant paper and question to describe why they feel called to serve a certain ministry which is not easy.”
One of the most impactful aspects of NextGen is the focus on developing young leaders who are not only spiritually grounded but also mission-minded. Their leadership training often extends beyond the local church. For example, students are deeply involved in mission work, such as the ongoing partnership with a Methodist high school in Costa Rica. Twice a year, high school and college-aged students from NextGen travel to Costa Rica to build relationships, lead worship, and share the gospel. Through this ministry, an entire student-led movement has been born, as young people in Costa Rica are also learning to live Kingdom-minded lives.
“Student leadership at NextGen Ministries allowed me to not only discover the Lord’s calling on my life but also brought many opportunities for me to grow in that calling,” said Timmy Prather, NextGen student. “The people I was surrounded by in high school would not let me settle for a complacent pursuit of Jesus. If the Lord was calling me into something more profound, my community would ensure I listened.”
Leading Through Action and Service
When Hurricane Beryl hit The Woodlands area, leaving many homes without power for days, the NextGen missions’ team was among the first to respond.
“I look out and there are 25 high school and middle school students cutting trees and dragging branches out because they had already been built and established,” said Swayze. “They were ready for anything and they were all already in community, so they jumped right into action and began to serve over that whole week.”
At its heart, NextGen is about creating space for students to lead and discover their gifts early in life. High school students now lead Sunday school for younger children, mentor sixth graders during confirmation, and participate in mission trips and community outreach. These young leaders are not only shaping the next generation of the church but are also having a profound impact on their peers and community.
Spiritual Awakening, the Forge Conference, and Rise-Up Conference
NextGen’s impact extends beyond The Woodlands Methodist Church (TWMC), reaching churches across the Global Methodist Church (GMC). One of the program’s major initiatives is the Forge Conference, held each February, which brings together students from multiple GMC churches for a weekend of worship, teaching, and spiritual formation. What began with just a few churches has now grown to include over 20 churches, gathering around 400 students. This powerful event encourages students to grow in their faith and step into leadership roles within their churches.
In addition to these efforts, the Awakening Project is another key initiative, focusing on spiritual renewal among college students. Led by leaders like David Thomas, Jessica Avery, Austin and Maddie Wofford, the project gathers students at Asbury University and internationally, offering historic insights on prayer and revival. It has grown from 100 participants to 300, with upcoming events in May expected to draw up 300 plus students. This movement inspires young leaders to deepen their faith and embrace the Wesleyan tradition of spiritual formation.
NextGen also partners with summer camps through the Trinity Conference, which had over 750 attendees last year. Plans are already in place to double that number next year with two back-to-back camps called Rise-Up, offering 1,600 spots for young people to encounter God in a powerful way.
A Rebellious Spirit—For the Kingdom
In a culture where teenagers are often seen as rebellious, NextGen seeks to channel that rebellious spirit into something far greater—living a Kingdom-minded life.
“The question for teenagers who are naturally rebellious in nature is, are they going to rebel against their parents, or could they rebel against the culture of being a teenager? Could they live a Kingdom-minded, rebellious life centered on the gospel? We found an enormous number of students who wanted to live that type of rebelliousness,” said Swayze. “So we began to ask, ‘OK, rebel base or a house for rebels?’ A group of students said, ‘Hey, we want to live a rebellious lifestyle that looks like the Kingdom of God in our high schools,’”
There are five ‘Rebel Bases.’ These bases meet regularly for Bible studies, worship, and leadership development, creating safe spaces for students to explore their faith, ask hard questions, and grow in their relationship with Christ.
“NextGen Ministries was incredibly formative for me in my walk with the Lord,” said William Witherspoon, NextGen student. “This ministry made space for me to meet Christ in a real way for the first time and let Him speak into my life and calling. NextGen Ministries helped me grow in the Lord by allowing me to ask questions, serve, lead, and love me as I was. I’m forever grateful for it and Jesus’s impact on my life through this ministry!”
Healing Through Community
NextGen’s influence is also seen in how it addresses the mental health challenges facing today’s teenagers. With rising levels of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation among young people, NextGen provides a place for students to find healing and hope in Christ. Through community, discipleship, and spiritual formation, many students are experiencing transformation.
“Parents tell us all the time, ‘My kid is changing; they’re happier,'” said Swayze. “As they center their lives on Christ and find community, we’re seeing so much healing.”
The combination of leadership development, spiritual formation, and service is what makes NextGen unique. It’s more than just a youth program—it’s a movement raising up the next generation of leaders who will carry the church forward.
The Future of the Church Lies in Their Hands
As the Global Methodist Church continues to grow, programs like NextGen are critical to its future. Swayze and his team at TWMC are passionate about giving young people opportunities to lead, to grow, and to live rebellious lives for the Kingdom of God.
Last year, our church gathered for Vision Night, a time of worship, prayer, and envisioning God’s plans for us as Methodists in the newly formed Global Methodist Church.
“During the closing of Vision Night, a time of worship, prayer, and envisioning God’s plans for us as Methodists in the newly formed Global Methodist Church, Swayze invited the youth to the front, and a student volunteered to pray over the congregation, so the youth extended a hand in prayer for the adults,” Rev. Mark Sorensen, Senior Pastor of TWMC. “In return, the congregation prayed over the youth. It was a powerful moment, symbolizing Timothy praying over Paul and Paul over Timothy. I love to say around TWMC that our students are not the church of tomorrow, they are the church of today.”
With initiatives like the Forge Conference, summer camps, mission trips, and partnerships across the globe, NextGen is positioning itself to be a driving force in raising up the next generation of Christian leaders who will impact the church, the workplace, and the world.
“I look at young adults today and the generation coming behind them, and I think—there’s never been a more prime time to launch a denomination and to raise up young leaders,” said Swayze.
Morgan Howe is a Communications Specialist for Global Methodist Church.
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