Concordia Nebraska students serve on LCMS YouthLead executive team

Concordia University, Nebraska sophomores Reagan Martens and Abigail Kollbaum are both currently serving on the executive leadership team for YouthLead, the youth organization of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod’s Office of National Missions. For 40 years, YouthLead has equipped teens to develop and use their leadership skills to serve Christ in various capacities in their communities and congregations.  

The YouthLead executive team is elected for three-year terms by peers during Youth Leadership Training events. Martens, Kollbaum and four other teens were elected to this team by their peers at the 2022 event. Their duties as members include facilitating annual YouthLead events, becoming leaders in their own congregations and even helping with key aspects of the upcoming National Youth Gathering (NYG). 

Martens attended YouthLead events before being elected to the executive team and says that serving has made her more confident in her faith. She is from Kansas City, Missouri, and represents the Central Region of the LCMS on the committee.  

Going forward after being on this team for almost three years, I feel more confident in my faith and how powerful God truly is. God works in such amazing ways. Being on the executive team has helped me to grow in everyday skills such as public speaking, leadership and supporting others in their walk with Christ.

“I first heard about this youth event when I was a junior in high school,” she said. “My DCE invited me and a few others in my church to attend with her. This is how many find out about this event – leaders in the church are asked to bring some of their church’s youth who they think demonstrate great leadership skills.”  

She says that learning from past executive teams made her want to pursue the same role herself.  

“I knew very quickly that I wanted to be a part of the team who put the amazing [YouthLead] event together. I watched the past executive teams and how they had such an impact on myself and others around me. I wanted to help others grow in their faith and share the Word of Christ with others around me,” she said.  

Since the start of her term with YouthLead, Martens has helped to plan annual YouthLead events, taught her own small group, led high schoolers during annual events, and helped to plan YouthLead’s participation in NYG 2025. Toward the end of the upcoming NYG, a new executive team’s three-year term will begin.  

“I am so blessed to have been elected to this team,” Martens said. “Going forward after being on this team for almost three years, I feel more confident in my faith and how powerful God truly is. God works in such amazing ways. Being on the executive team has helped me to grow in everyday skills such as public speaking, leadership and supporting others in their walk with Christ.”  

Concordia University, Nebraska prepares students to be leaders in their future careers and vocations. The university promises to deliver a Lutheran, Christian higher education that equips students not only with a set of skills and a degree, but also a sense of Christian vocation and purpose for the future. Learn more about applying to Concordia here.