St. John Lutheran Church is hoping to send a message to teens—two messages, to be specific.
The church will host speakers Ron Brown and Heather Ruesch from 7 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2.
Brown is the director of player development for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln football program. He will speak to high school men about the challenges of living their faith.
Ruesch is the executive director and an educator at the Crisis Pregnancy Center in Lincoln. She will speak to high school women about sexual integrity, sharing a faith-based message that “You Matter: and that makes all the difference.”
The presentations will be geared toward high school-age youth, especially those in youth groups and church-related organizations.
“It’s intended to be countywide, all the high school men and women in our area,” said Tim Rippstein, director of Christian education at St. John. “Ron Brown is a well-respected speaker. We like his message. He lives his faith and is willing to talk about the challenges of living his faith in our culture.”
Rippstein said part of Brown’s message addresses confusion over what it means to be male and female and how it relates to faith.
Ruesch’s current message is part of the “You Matter” tour, which will visit St. John school the day before on Oct. 1.
“Heather spoke at a national conference recently (the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod National Youth Gathering), and it was well-received,” Rippstein said. “She’s a respected speaker and advocate for life issues, abstinence and family values.”
The Oct. 2 presentations begin at 7 p.m. and are free.
Brown will speak in the sanctuary at St. John Lutheran Church, located at 919 N. Columbia Ave. in Seward, while Ruesch will talk in the Thom Leadership Education Center auditorium, located on the Concordia campus at 800 N. Columbia Ave., just across the street from the church.
There is no deadline to register, but registration is required at https://fs18.formsite.com/udO3ul/4ghldka7pl/index.html. For more information, call Rippstein at (402) 643-2983.
More information on the speakers can be found at www.kingdomsports.online and www.heatherruesch.com.
