Leaders Who Love Truth: ACSI Europe Student Leadership Conferences Equip the Next Generation

Across Europe, Christian school students are being challenged to lean into their faith and lead with truth and courage. 

That was the focus of ACSI Europe’s 2025 Student Leadership Conferences (SLC) last fall in Budapest, which brought together 410 students and chaperones from 47 schools across Europe. Held over two conference weeks, the gatherings gave students opportunities to worship and grow in their faith while building relationships with Christian peers from other nations. 

Centered on the theme “Leaders Who Love Truth,” the conferences challenged students to see biblical truth as more than something to know. Truth is something to encounter, live out, and share with others. 

The 2025 conferences featured keynote teaching from David Totman, a lead pastor from Florida and former chaplain at the International Christian School of Budapest.  

His teaching led students through five main sessions that explored different dimensions of truth. They considered why truth is knowable and absolute because God defines reality. Subsequently, they examined the trustworthiness of God's Word and what it means to encounter Jesus as Truth Himself.  

The sessions then turned toward the practical side of faith, challenging students to live according to truth through obedience and love. The final session called students to become leaders who embrace and share truth with courage and humility. 

The teaching continued beyond the main sessions. Students participated in small-group discussions and interactive workshops while also spending meaningful time in worship. These experiences helped them think about how biblical truth should shape their everyday lives. 

For many students, the conference resulted in meaningful spiritual growth. 

“Worship and main sessions helped me see truth as something to live, not just know,” one student said.  

Another reflected on the opportunity to meet Christian students from other countries, saying, “Meeting people from other countries made me feel part of a larger family in Christ.” 

Students also described gaining greater confidence to lead and serve in their schools. One participant said, “I learned how to show love and leadership in small ways at school.” Another expressed a desire to become a light in their school and lead others to Christ. 

Chaperones and adult leaders saw similar impact. They appreciated the biblical depth of the teaching and the opportunity to engage with students on a deeper level.  

One chaperone described Totman’s teaching as “a wonderful blessing,” while another said the fellowship and worship were refreshing because they showed young people who were hungry for truth. 

Adult leaders also recognized that some of the most valuable moments happened outside the scheduled sessions. One chaperone noted that the workshops were rich, but the conversations with students were even more valuable. 

The conferences also welcomed several new schools and representatives from new countries in 2025, including Ukraine and Finland, further expanding the international community at SLC. That diversity is an important part of the experience as it gives students the opportunity to meet young Christians who come from different cultures and backgrounds. 

The impact of SLC extends well beyond a single year. Over its history, the conference has helped shape the lives of more than 5,000 students. Former participants have shared how SLC influenced their personal and spiritual journeys and helped guide them toward meaningful career and ministry paths. 

This September, ACSI Europe’s Student Leadership Conference will enter its 28th year, providing another opportunity for Christian school students from across Europe to gather and grow in their faith while learning what it means to lead for Christ.