Youth Leadership Initiative
Pepperdine University, 24255 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90263
About
Youth Leadership Initiative offers Youth Leadership Lab, an online course for 6th–8th graders. It also offers CrossWays: A Christian Youth Leadership Experience, a nine-day experience for high school students in the summer after their sophomore and junior years. The program also includes Next Gen Preacher Search, where young people submit a 5-minute video sermon and selected semi-finalists attend a Preaching & Teaching Training Workshop.
Programs
- Youth Leadership Lab — 6th–8th graders · online course
- CrossWays: A Christian Youth Leadership Experience — high school students in the summer after their sophomore and junior years · nine-day experience
- Next Gen Preacher Search — young people with an interest in preaching in high schools and colleges across the country · submit a 5-minute video sermon; selected semi-finalists attend a Preaching & Teaching Training Workshop
At a glance
- Ages: 11–14 years old
About the provider
The program’s founding director is Jeff Walling. CrossWays has a mission to enrich students’ lives both spiritually and academically in order to develop strong Christian leaders by equipping them to love and live like Jesus in order to serve and lead as he did. Next Gen Preacher Search is a joint effort with the North American Christian Convention and several other Christian colleges and universities.
Last updated September 8, 2026.
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