Concordia Nebraska’s Bulldogs4Life group hosts Y4Life, Lutherans for Life event

On Saturday, November 15, Concordia University, Nebraska’s Bulldogs4Life group partnered with Y4Life, the youth branch of Lutherans for Life, to present a conference thoughtfully designed for high school and college students titled “From Fertilization to Forever.” About 35 students attended the one-day event. 

“The From Fertilization to Forever one-day conference is designed for high school and college students. It was packed with educational sessions and opportunities to speak with Lutherans for Life experts, ask questions, and engage with other for life youth,” explained national Y4Life Director Michelle Bauman ’98. 

Bauman spoke on the topics of abortion and mental health, and Lutherans for Life National Director Rev. Scott Licht spoke on the topics of foster care, adoption and human trafficking. The conference was free for students who live on campus, and a nominal fee was charged for those who live off campus or were from out of town. In addition to educational opportunities, the conference included opening worship led by campus chaplain Rev. Ryan Matthias, lunch, various fellowship activities and Evening Prayer led by the university’s pre-seminary Evening Prayer group. 

Y4Life, also known as Youth4Life, is the youth branch of Lutherans for life. The mission of Y4Life is to equip youth, young adults and their leaders to recognize their inherent value in Christ and become Gospel-motivated voices 4 LIFE.  

“We do this in a variety of ways - first by producing educational materials - both in print and online - that equip those who want to learn about life issues and how to respond to them with a Gospel-motivated voice for life,” said Bauman. “For schools and churches that are interested, we help train and support Y4Life teams on their campuses, enabling youth and their leaders to carry out Gospel-motivated work in their school/church and community. Y4Life teams are encouraged to equip others through education, service, worship and celebration - many of the same avenues Y4Life uses as we teach and train youth to be Gospel-motivated voices for life.” 

“We help train and support Y4Life teams on their campuses, enabling youth and their leaders to carry out Gospel-motivated work in their school/church and community. Y4Life teams are encouraged to equip others through education, service, worship and celebration - many of the same avenues Y4Life uses as we teach and train youth to be Gospel-motivated voices for life.”

In addition to print and online materials and podcasts, Y4Life also hosts gatherings that bring youth together locally and across the nation, like From Fertilization to Forever.  

“At these events, I look forward to really getting to know the youth Y4Life serves, answering their questions about life issues, and discovering ways my team can uphold their lives,” said Bauman. “These intimate or smaller gatherings are great opportunities for one-on-on conversations. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to have some of those conversations with students at Concordia Nebraska.”  

Y4Life also hosts large gatherings - like Y4Life in Washington, D.C. - which are also educational. The Bulldogs4Life group attends this event each year. 

“Though I personally don’t get to know as many students at larger events, I do get to provide them with a chance to network - to meet other youth who are interested in life issues - and to experience an incredible mountaintop event that will change their view of life work that happens nationwide,” said Bauman. “It’s our hope that no matter which type of Y4Life event youth partake in - whether local, regional, or national - the facts they learn and the conversations and experiences they have while engaging with Y4Life will shape their views for life and have a ripple effect on their conversations and actions for years to come.” 

Bulldogs4Life is a Gospel-motivated voice for life at all stages on the Concordia Nebraska campus. In a Christ-like manner, the group upholds the sanctity of life and address and educates on a variety of life issues in our community. Annually, the group attends the March for Life in Washington, D.C., the largest pro-life demonstration in the country. It supports local pregnancy resource centers, sets up life-affirming displays and helps new parents on campus. They also collect donations for homeless shelters and food banks and partner with other life-affirming clubs. They also provide information and resources on prevalent issues like mental health, homelessness, abortion, birth control, in-vitro fertilization, surrogacy and more. They also work closely with Seward Area Lutherans for Life, Nebraska Lutherans for Life and the youth branch of the national Lutherans for Life, Y4Life.