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TBC Newsletter | |
| March 2006 |
CHRISTIAN LIFE COMMISSION: SUMMER PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE |
July 10-16, 2005 marked the first ever Christian Life Commission Public Policy Institute. The Institute hosted nine young adults ranging in age from seventeen to nineteen and a staff composed of six twenty-somethings. As the staffers worked in fields related to faith and politics, they taught us how to incorporate our faith into future careers. Most of us were selected for this camp because we expressed a desire to work in politics and related areas.
Through an ever-evolving schedule of speakers, tours, and activities, we began to realize our potential power as politically active, Christian youth. Every day was filled with interactive speeches and interviews that pertained to that day’s political topic, and as the week progressed, each topic began to correlate with one another. Among the numerous encouraging speakers, we had the opportunity to speak with politically astute individuals such as State Representative Mark Strama and former Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock staffer, Camille Miller. Judge Jack Hightower relived his life in Texas politics in his unbelievable library of Texas and political history, and Judge Scott McCown spoke about state and local taxes on a level we all understood. Saturday, parents collected their exhausted but newly inspired children.
The group’s small size allowed the staff to reach us on a more intimate level and see our individual qualities. Ergo, allowing them to personalize their program, making it almost tailor-made for our particular group. The camp did more than educate us; it challenged and encouraged us to use our faith as a guide for our future.
This article was written by Ann Garrigan, a participant in the Christian Life Commission’s first annual Public Policy Institute. Ann lives in Nacogdoches, TX and is currently completing her senior year of high school.
Please contact Beth Olson at the Christian Life Commission for more information. beth.olson@bgct.org or 512.473.2288
