Catalyst is a weekend highly anticipated by many Next Gen students. Throughout the weekend students have fun with their Life Group, attend breakout sessions, and worship the Lord together. It’s a time where both high schoolers and middle schoolers come together and learn how to be a generation that stands firm on the truth of the Bible.
For Charlotte Butler, Catalyst has been more than just an annual event—it’s been a key part of her spiritual growth over the last four years. Now, as a senior, she’s finishing her final year in the ministry that helped shape her faith, and she’s filled with a sense of gratitude, excitement, and anticipation for what’s to come.
Charlotte first came to Bellevue in 2020, and she was looking for ways to be part of the student ministry. The weekend event of Catalyst caught her eye, but she wasn’t sure if a big event like that would be the right way for her to get involved. Despite her initial reluctance, Charlotte eventually decided to go, and it proved to be life-changing. The experience, though daunting at first, helped her grow in ways she hadn’t anticipated.
“Catalyst really pushed me out of my comfort zone, but I now have amazing friendships to this day from that weekend,” Charlotte said. “It was so scary coming into a church as big as Bellevue with a ministry as big as Next Gen as an 8th grader, but I think being able to go into the individual breakout sessions where there were smaller groups that had freshmen, seniors, and middle schoolers all together really helped me.”
By the end of the weekend, she had not only gained new friends but also encountered a shift in her spiritual journey. Her relationship with God deepened during that first year of Catalyst in ways she hadn’t expected.
“I feel like I went into Catalyst at such a low point in my life,” Charlotte said. “I knew the Lord, but I wasn’t walking with Him. That first year of Catalyst was the biggest wake-up call that I have ever had, and the Lord really got ahold of my heart and was like, ‘Alright, Charlotte, now is the time to walk with Me.’”
As the years have passed, Charlotte has witnessed how Catalyst has grown while staying true to its mission to be a light to students.
“Since then, they have added so many little factors each year to Catalyst to really cater to their students, which I think is cool,” Charlotte said. “I don’t think it’s been super crazy change every year; it’s more stayed the same throughout, but they have added more fun things for us to enjoy each year.”
Looking back, Charlotte recognizes the profound impact Catalyst has had on her life. She knows she is a different person today because of those formative years.
“Being part of Next Gen Ministry has had such a huge impact on my high school years, and who knows where I would’ve been if I hadn’t jumped right in at Catalyst,” Charlotte said. “There are so many incredible leaders and students here who love so much, they truly want you there. It’s important that you put yourself out there, and it might be hard and uncomfortable in the beginning, but all the relationships that you will make are worth it.”
With this year being her final year at Catalyst, Charlotte is looking forward to this year’s theme, Revival, particularly because it aligns so closely with her own life and the changes she’s about to face.
“I am really excited for the theme this year because I am going to college soon,” Charlotte said. “I am excited to hear all about revival and how I can begin revivals in my own heart and on my college campus. I pray and hope that we have our own revival in the church because of Catalyst, and we can take what we learn into our schools, friends, communities, and families and spark our own revivals around us.”
As Charlotte is in her final year with Next Gen Ministry, it’s not just about looking back—it’s about looking ahead. Charlotte is excited to take what she has learned and use it to inspire others in the next phase of her journey, and she’s ready to continue to grow in her faith wherever God leads her.
To find out more about what’s happening in Next Gen Ministry, visit bellevue.org/next-gen.