A MESSAGE TO PARENTS

Every person who chooses the NextGen Academy has their own personal reasons for joining, and your son or daughter is no different. Here are some tips and stories from our participants and their parents to help you understand why people choose to dedicate one year for public service.

LET YOUR CHILD PURSUE HIS OR HER DREAMS

Law enforcement. Engineering. Law. Medicine. No matter where your son’s or daughter’s interests lie, NGA provides your child with valuable skills that will be exteremely helpful in their field. The hands-on experiences and life lessons he or she will go through will give them an edge where they go. To take a look at some of the benefits that come with serving a year on NGA, click HERE

UNDERSTAND THEIR REASONING

When your son or daughter comes to you to discuss applying to NextGen Academy, listen. They’re making a choice that requires a deep personal commitment that will give them the strength, versatility and focus to succeed in life. To become someone you’ll be proud of.

STAND BY THEM

Your son or daughter will learn what it means to be an Owner of his or her life. They’ll face new levels of responsibility, discipline and self-knowledge. But first, they’ll need you to stand by them.

TESTIMONIES FROM PARENTS LIKE YOU

Dear Jeff and Next Gen Leadership Team,

This is a short but heartfelt note from two very grateful parents. Our daughter Emily is now embarking on her 2nd year with Next Gen Academy. This has been a truly life changing experience for her, and it has affected our entire family. As her parents it has been so incredible to watch Emily blossom into a strong young woman of faith. She is developing a strong sense of who she is... and a new confidence in herself as well. However she chooses to follow her dreams in the future... we know that her experience on NGA will serve as a solid foundation.
All the relationships within our family have been touched and have grown deeper because of her experience.
Thank you for the incredible heart and investment that you make into the lives of each of the precious generation in your care.

Love and Blessings,
David and Sheri Rueter

Dear NGA,

Our son Andrew spent one year at NGA between his freshman and sophomore year of college. Externally, he has a stimulating, challenging and rewarding year. The variety of the NGA program gave him a wealth of experience that would take a decade to accumulated otherwise. He learned about fundraising, leadership, self discipline, music, teaching and service. He traveled all over the Western US and spent five weeks in Uganda.  Internally, his year at NGA revolutionized his spirit. This we appreciate most of all. Andrew's spiritual maturity to a giant step forward. We are so proud of what he accomplished at NGA and we are entirely grateful to the Adshead Family for creating this precious opportunity for our son.
 
Sincerely,
James B. Edgerly

Dear NGA family, 

The NGA impact on our daughter was very positive. She grew by leaps and bounds, had a lifetime worth of experiences all over America and the world, interacted with people in all kinds of cultures, stretched herself physically, spiritually and emotionally, encountered herself and developed lifelong friendships. We get a contact high just looking at her photos. I heartily recommend NGA to any and all parents and hope that what you guys are doing and learning and developing can infect our church in many ways.

Tyler and Hyeyong Hendricks

I believe that NGA is creating the foundation in the hearts of the participants to enjoy the same level of relationship that I have enjoyed or even greater.  As well as providing the young men and women with the communication tools that empower them to pursue a life of passion and integrity.  I can't imagine a greater gift for my daughter.  That she can develop the honesty and vulnerability of heart that will be her eternal asset is just amazing to me.  I am truly grateful as a parent of an NGA'er and offer my undying gratitude to the staff and all of those that make this possible.

God bless,
John King

I have had a son at NGA for one year and a daughter who completed one year and has gone back for a second.

#1.  My kids loved it. 

That is important enough reason to send them to NGA in my book, but all the other reasons below make NGA the most outstanding program for young people that I have ever seen in our church.

#2.  They are with other BC's in a very Principled environment. 

BC's love being with each other and especially doing valuable, meaningful missions together. This is something I'm not able to provide at home. They pray and study together. They try to live the good life practically on a daily basis. They are challenged to live together and work together like never before in their lives.

#3.   My children found God. 

As much as we provided our children with a Godly home, it is not until they take ownership of their own faith through this type of program that they can truly own their relationship with God. I believe that once they have their own personal experiences with God, especially though challenging themselves and seeking God, then their relationship with God will last them a lifetime.

#4.  They were given real responsibility and allowed to succeed or fail.

NGA is not obedience training like other programs. It's training in responsibility, decision making, and creativity. They are responsible for creating their own projects. Guidance and coaching is available, of course, but they are not told what to do and how to do it. 

Both my son and daughter at 18 years old were leading fundraising campaignes, being responsible for area, food, and counseling others when they got depressed. It was darned hard for them, but they learned a lot and grew tremendously.

#5.  They are given the opportunity to travel and experience new and exciting places and circumstances.

Traveling to all kinds of places, big towns, little towns, beaches, mountains, etc. all are fantastic for growing up. Sky diving, bungee jumping, hang-gliding, and many other things that I have forgotten about pack 10 years of a normal life into one year. Most of these opportunities they would never have had at all if not for NGA.

When they returned home after one year of NGA, my overwhelming impression of both of them was how much they had grown in such a short time. They left as teenagers and came back as experienced adults. 

I'll be forever grateful to NGA for what it has contributed to the lives of my son and daughter.

Sincerely,

Jim Stephens