Across Kentucky, two 16-year-old girls are showing that revival doesn’t have to start in pulpits or under steeples — sometimes it begins in classrooms, nurseries and the humble hearts of teenagers willing to say, “Yes, Lord.”
In Mayfield, Marlee Wilkerson has breathed new life into a children’s missions program that had gone dormant after Mayfield First Baptist Church was heavily damaged by a tornado in 2021. At an age when most are focused on social media and school dances, she’s teaching preschoolers about God’s heart for the nations — introducing little ones to missionaries, faraway places and the truth that every soul matters. Her passion for the Great Commission was shaped by her own mission trips and camp experiences, but it’s being lived out each week as she pours the gospel into the next generation.
In Hopkinsville, Hailey Winders is doing the same — only her mission field is her high school in Christian County. After years of rejection, she finally gained approval to start a Bible study group. What began with one student has now grown to more than 100 filling the classroom before the first bell rings. “Bible Before the Bell,” as she calls it, has become a refuge for students hungry for truth and community. Her quiet persistence and bold faith are reaching peers who may never set foot in a church building.
Both girls embody what Jesus meant when He said, “Let your light shine before others.” Their courage defies stereotypes about their generation. While many lament that young people are walking away from faith, stories like Marlee’s and Hailey’s remind us that God is still calling — and teenagers are still answering…