“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8, NIV).
“We have learned a lot about how justice connects to faith.”
Jaylah’s voice is steady, but her words carry weight. At just 15, she’s talking about something many adults struggle to articulate: how to live out a faith that actually does something in the world.
Jaylah is a high school student in Charlotte, North Carolina, a city known for its vibrant culture and booming growth—but also for a complicated history of racial and economic inequality. For young people in certain neighborhoods, injustice isn’t an abstract topic from a Civics textbook. It’s in their schools, their streets, and their everyday lives.
So when she heard about the Building a Just Me for Justice program (BAJMFJ), she was curious. “I was already in a Bible study at school,” she says, “but this was different. It wasn’t just about learning the Bible. It was about connecting my faith to real things happening in my community, and learning that God cares about justice.”
For many in Gen Z and Gen Alpha, that’s a critical question: Does God really care about justice? Some even feel like they have to choose — faith or justice — unsure if the two can walk hand in hand. But what happens when they discover those two paths are actually one?
The Intersection of Faith, Justice, and Vocation
That’s exactly what Cohesion Church — working in collaboration with Witness Church, I Am 24-7, and the local high school — set out to explore. Partnering with Pastor Paula Dannielle, the church created an environment where young people could see how God’s heart for justice is inseparable from His call to follow Jesus.
“We’re helping youth wrestle with how faith and justice inform their future vocation,” Pastor Paula explains. “We want them to dream about the kind of impact they could have on society — and to see that leading change often comes from deep faith.”
The group of thirty teens, ages 13–18, didn’t just sit in a classroom. They traveled to places where faith and justice intersect in history: Johnson C. Smith University, a historically Black university founded to train pastors (although they now offer a plethora of majors); the Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro, where the Greensboro Four’s courage helped ignite a movement; North Carolina A&T, where the Four went to college and are memorialized in statues; and Washington, D.C., where history, justice, and hope stand side by side in museums and memorials.
Every trip paired a historic site with a college visit — for some students, their first time ever stepping on a campus. “It made me think about my future in a new way,” one student said. “Not just what I want to do, but how my faith could guide me to make a difference.”
Learning from History, Living with Courage
These excursions weren’t just sightseeing. They were immersive lessons in how faith has fueled movements for change — and how that same courage is needed today.
Jamirah, age 13, still remembers the moment she learned that Martin Luther King, Jr. had spoken at Johnson C. Smith. “That’s when I realized how important this place was,” she says. Later, standing at the Woolworth counter in Greensboro where the sit-ins began, she could almost feel the weight of history. “I thought about how much courage it took to do that — and how their faith gave them that courage.”
But the history wasn’t always inspiring. Jaylah also recalls seeing a Ku Klux Klan robe on display. “I was shocked that people wore that with pride,” she says quietly. The mix of hope and pain was jarring — but it opened space for honest conversation in Bible study.
Pastor Paula says those moments are where relational discipleship matters most. “You can’t just hand young people heavy history and walk away. You have to be there to listen, process, and point them back to Jesus.”
Connecting Justice to the Gospel
Each week, the students met for Bible study — not as an academic exercise, but as a way to see God’s justice woven throughout Scripture. They read about God defending the oppressed, calling His people to love mercy, and sending His Son to bring good news to the poor.
“We talk about how faith is a big part of courage,” Jaylah shared. “Courage doesn’t stand on its own — it comes from trusting God. And if God calls us to ‘act justly,’ then justice is part of our faith.”
For Jaylah, the lessons were practical. “Pastor Paula taught me that when you persevere and you’re resilient, you don’t have to do it alone. That’s why we need community,” she says. “I learned that when you give your life to God, you don’t have to have it all together. He said, ‘Come as you are,’ and He transforms us along the journey.”
She pauses before adding: “It also connects my faith with things I didn’t know it connected to — like justice, my future, and even school.”
Relationships That Root Faith
If there’s one thing the BAJMFJ program proves, it’s that change doesn’t happen through curriculum alone. It happens in relationships.
In ten weeks of Bible study, mentors didn’t just teach. They played games, ate meals, listened to stories, and laughed with the students. As Jamirah put it: “Everyone is welcoming and kind. It makes me want to come even more.”
One young man, new in his walk with Jesus, told Pastor Paula he wanted more than a Bible app. He wanted a physical Bible — something he could hold, underline, and treasure. When Cohesion gifted him one, it sparked curiosity among others. Soon, more students were asking for Bibles of their own.
“That’s when you know discipleship is working,” Pastor Paula says. “They’re not just learning about God — they’re hungry to know Him.”
Why This Matters for Pastors and Youth Leaders
What’s happening in Charlotte is more than a summer project. It’s a living example of how relational discipleship that leans into justice can deepen faith.
TENx10’s Faith Formation Framework names “faith applied through service” as one of its five drivers. When young people see their faith not only as a personal belief but as a calling to act justly, it reshapes their identity in Christ. It gives purpose. It builds resilience.
These teens aren’t walking away with just historical facts. They’re walking away with a vision: that faith in Jesus calls them to confront injustice, love their neighbors, and imagine a better future — in their neighborhoods, their schools, and their vocations.
And they’re learning something else: justice isn’t an optional side project for Christians. It’s part of the gospel. When faith is rooted in relationship with Jesus, it naturally moves toward making wrong things right.
The Work Continues
Though the summer excursions have ended, the discipleship hasn’t. Mentors continue meeting with students in local church youth groups and at the high school Bible study. The seeds planted in conversations over bus rides and museum tours are still being watered in everyday life.
Jaylah sums it up simply: “Cohesion helps me see other people’s perspectives. It makes me more courageous in my faith. And it reminds me: we don’t have to do things alone.”
For pastors and youth leaders, her words are both a challenge and an encouragement. The next generation doesn’t just want to know what the Bible says — they want to see what it looks like in action. When we connect the dots between faith and justice, and when we walk with them in relationship, we’re not just teaching lessons. We’re shaping disciples who will follow Jesus into the hard places — and bring Kingdom hope with them.