5 Marks Series: Rooted in Christ

What Does It Mean to Be Rooted When Everything Around You Is Shifting?

For young people in Denver today, the world feels unstable - and they're not alone. All of us are trying to navigate social media chaos, economic uncertainty, racial injustice, family fragmentation, and a constant pressure to figure out who we are and what we’re supposed to do. In the midst of all the noise and weight, what does it mean to be Rooted in Christ?

This January, we’re asking that question with the young leaders who are living it.

DINNER & AUDACITY: Yolanda Robles

Over dinner, we’ll celebrate Yolanda Robles, a leader at Denver Metro Young Life who has devoted herself to walking alongside youth and families across our city. Yolanda has partnered with diverse churches and organizations to serve high school students, teen moms, ministry leaders, and community advocates, drawing on her experience and expertise in spiritual discernment and certifications in Narrative Focused Trauma Care and Youth Coaching. She understands that the gospel invites people to be known, seen, and loved in their story. Yolanda embodies that kind of attentive presence, and her life reminds us that formation of the next generation requires commitment, consistency, and deep love.

THE CONVERSATION: Rooted in Christ

Join Johnell Moody and Felicia Lugo Curvin, both leaders at Young Life who are deeply invested in the spiritual development of Denver’s next generation. Johnell, raised in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood and now the Associate Regional Director for Young Life’s Front Range Region, brings over 15 years of experience walking alongside young people. He understands the particular challenges facing students of color navigating identity, faith, and calling in an urban context. Felicia, an Area Director at Greater Northeast Young Life, works directly with students at Northfield High School and other schools to build spiritual depth and cultural intelligence.

Together with emerging student leaders, Johnell and Felicia will explore what “Rooted in Christ” actually means for this generation. Not as abstract theology, but as lived reality: How do you stay grounded when your neighborhood is changing? How do you claim your identity in Christ when the world tells you who you should be? How do you follow Jesus when the path isn’t clear? What does it look like to be a spiritual leader as a teenager?

This conversation is for all of us who are navigating this next generation—parents, youth workers, educators, mentors, and the students themselves. If you’ve wondered how young people are making sense of faith, identity, and calling in today’s Denver, this is the session for you.

What to Expect:

• Dinner and connection with leaders investing in the next generation
• Honest conversation about what faith and rootedness mean for young people
• Student voices—hearing directly from those navigating faith in today’s world
• Practical wisdom about supporting youth spiritual development
• Vision for how the 5 Marks shape leadership in the next generation

When: Thursday, January 16, 6:00-8:30 PM
Where: iSSACHAR Center for Urban Leadership
Who: Christian leaders, youth workers, parents, educators, and anyone invested in the spiritual formation of the next generation
Cost: $25 (includes dinner)

Space is intentionally limited.

Third Thursday Common Tables bring together Denver’s urban Christian leaders for monthly dinners combining inspiration, practical equipping, and lasting community. Join us as we explore what it means to be Rooted in Christ—and help the next generation find their own roots.well, it opens doors.