Investing In The Next Generation with Ken Coleman

By Samantha DePriest

Trinity Christian School hosted Ken Coleman, a Dave Ramsey Show co-host, and nationally best-selling author of The Proximity Principle and From Paycheck to Purpose for two days of empowering events this past week. He serves as a leading expert in the fields of career choice and personal finance as he shares about how to find your God-given purpose in life. During the general session, Mr. Coleman gave a dynamic public presentation titled “Created to Contribute” that was open to all TCS families, alumni, and the entire community. The following day, he spent the day in closed sessions with both high school students and faculty to import practical wisdom on leadership and following Gods calling on our lives.

“God created us to work” as seen in Genesis Chapter 2. Because humans are created in God’s image, work is a way to reflect God’s glory. Ken shared how this next generation may not look at work in a favorable way. Often they look at their parents generation discussing work in a negative connotation thus changing the way this rising generation of future leaders approaches career selection and the role that work plays in their lives.

Ken encouraged our students, parents, and alumni to “seek to be who God created you to be.” He shared that often there are three voices that can stop us from pursuing God’s calling on our lives that are fear, doubt, and pride. Worrying that something bad is going to happen if we move forward is how fear prevents us from moving forward. Lacking belief that something good will happen if we move forward is how doubt disables us. And caring more about what other people think is often how pride prevents us from following God’s calling for our lives. Often satan uses confusion to discourage and distract us from finding our purpose that God has created us for. It’s only when we seek clarity with confidence that we can discover our mission in life.

After giving his presentation on Tuesday evening,, Ken opened it up for a time of questions and answers for the audience. Through his coaching session, he shared three vital questions to discuss with students when seeking God’s purpose for their lives.

Who are the people you want to help?
What is the problem or desire that those people that you connect to? What are the problems that break your heart?
What are the solutions or the solution to the problem that you get excited about?

God has created each of us with a specific purpose and plan for our lives. In Psalm 139: 13-14, the Bible says “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Ken discussed three identifying questions that can help us to help our students find their calling by asking our young people to start thinking about and share:

Talent - What comes easy to them? What do they do best?
Passion - What work do they love to do most?
Mission - What results motivate them and matter deeply to them?

Ken Coleman in HS Staff Session
Image by Samantha DePriest

On Wednesday morning Ken was back on campus and met with high school faculty about the academic patterns and challenges facing young people today. Valuable insight was shared that will help our high school staff better prepare our students for the future. He spoke about the importance of apprenticeship and introducing work early to students. By encouraging exploration and discovery in our students, he shared will help turn them into thinkers, “question askers”, and path finders.

Ken Coleman leading HS Chapel
Image by Samantha DePriest

Our Wednesday morning high school chapel was led by Ken as he taught a message to our ninth through twelfth graders of the importance of learning to wait and be patient on God’s timing. He preached about the life of Joseph and how his story can be divided into four acts. First of favor and blessing, then of abandonment, next of accusation, and lastly of being forgotten. One common theme throughout Joseph’s life was that he trusted God even in the trials and knew that God was always with him. Ken encouraged our students to trust the process, no matter where they are and to start developing their own Faith.

Ken Coleman autographing his book and coaching students in the Junior/Senior breakout session.
Image by Samantha DePriest

Lastly, Ken hosted a breakout session for junior and senior students where he answered questions about what comes next after graduation from TCS, career choices, and money issues. Several students asked questions concerning navigating their future. Ken

encouraged our students to “lock in on your talent and look for clues of what you enjoy, what you are good at, and what comes easy to you.” He discussed the four kinds of work in the world: ideas, people, processes, and objects and challenged our students to think about which of them they feel that God is calling them to care most about. By putting our students in situations where they can gain first hand knowledge and experience in various fields while forming connections, they will in turn get closer and closer to learning what their God given purpose is.

Lastly, Ken shared tools and resources with students to help them navigate this exciting chapter of life that is often filled with more questions than answers. He provided each of the students with an online assessment to help clarify their purpose as well as gifting them each a copy of his book “From Paycheck To Purpose: The Clear Path to Doing Work You Love”.

This event would not have been possible without the support of many sponsors and TCS Staff.