<\/p>\n
WELS youth groups\u2014both large and small\u2014from across the US and Canada traveled to Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, for the 2026 WELS Youth Rally July 14\u201317. More than 2,200 people\u20141,700 teens and 500 adults\u2014participated in worship, large-scale keynote addresses, and workshops, all emphasizing the theme \u201cChrist through us: We are Christ\u2019s ambassadors.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year\u2019s rally was meant to be more than just an event. It was a catalyst to seek deeper faith commitment,\u201d says Donn Dobberstein, director of WELS Discipleship and part of the youth rally planning committee. \u201cBoth keynotes encouraged teens to live out their lives as ambassadors of Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n
That message hit home for freshman Oliver Boentges. \u201cOne lesson I would like to bring home from the rally is that God called us to be his ambassadors through Christ before we were ready. It is our job for people to see Christ through us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Boentges, a first-time attendee, came to the rally with his youth group from Faith, Antioch, Ill. During the day, the group participated in worship, workshops, plus other fun group activities. Each evening concluded with reflections on the theme for the day: reconciled, courage, committed, and contentment.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvening reflections equals hundreds of youth groups scattered and gathered across the campus from 10:30 to 11:00 p.m. to reflect on the messages of the day. Some teens asked if they could lead the reflections with their friends,\u201d says Dobberstein.\u202f\u201cAs I passed these groups night after night, I was reminded that our young people aren\u2019t looking for shallow entertainment\u2014they\u2019re looking for something worth giving their lives to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shawn Wietbrock, one of the group leaders from Faith, Antioch, especially appreciated the workshops (some designed for youth leaders) and that evening reflection time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think this rally helps teens because it also helps youth leaders better understand those teens,\u201d he says. \u201cIn one of the workshops, [the presenter] encouraged us to let teens be more involved in discussions and not just give them information. In trying this approach during our evening reflections, I realized that our teens have many insightful observations about God\u2019s Word. We just have to give them the opportunity to share those thoughts.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the reflection time brought small groups closer together, teens also were able to meet, talk to, and worship with thousands of other young people.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing that encouraged me about worshipping and connecting with other teens was when a speaker asked us to raise our hands for certain struggles we have in life, most people in the room raised their hands with me,\u201d says senior Johann Boentges from Faith, Antioch. \u201cI was able to see I wasn\u2019t alone, and people can relate to my struggles. We can all go to God together.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving a love for Jesus is an automatic connector,\u201d says Jenna Wietbrock, a high school graduate from Faith, Antioch\u2019s, teen group. \u201cWe might not have much in common, but that love can be the root of lots of friendships and support systems. [In the workshops], I got to be engaged in the Word and hear different viewpoints whilst among a hundred or so other teens. I learned more about myself and what best helps me connect to the Word.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dobberstein says this hunger for God\u2019s Word was evident in the teens. \u201cWhat encouraged me most was watching them genuinely engage,\u201d he says. \u201cThey sang boldly. They asked thoughtful questions during workshops. They prayed together. They sought out meaningful conversations with speakers and youth leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGod has already equipped them with everything they need to be ready to live for and share Christ\u2014right now. I pray they understand God\u2019s desire to use ordinary teens in extraordinary ways in order to shape God\u2019s church.\u201d<\/p>\n
View photos from the WELS International Youth Rally.<\/p>\n
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