In Just One Week

It usually starts the same way.

On Monday, a classroom fills with students who don’t yet know each other. Earlier, a group of young leaders arrive, carrying supplies and purposefully setting the room for the week ahead. Everyone has worked hard before the week even begins, but there’s also anticipatory energy in the air. 

By Friday, something remarkable has taken shape.

Heather Dillard and Rachel Dombach have seen it happen again and again. They live in different states. But they share a front-row seat to the same reality: in just one week, God does far more than anyone expects.

Why Do They Serve With TeenPact?

It’s a fair question.

Why do women with families, responsibilities, and full lives keep saying yes to TeenPact? Why does this week—just one week—matter so much?

For Heather, a former Colorado State Coordinator, the answer shows up clearly in what she remembers from the end of each day. After hours of teaching, problem-solving, and navigating unfamiliar spaces, the staff gathers. Everyone is exhausted—and yet, the room is full.

These student leaders who arrived as strangers are now laughing together, praying together, and carrying real responsibility for one another. Over the course of just a few days, the Lord forms something real.

Heather puts it simply: “What truly fills my cup every year is the student staff that I get to work with—the team that shows up for just one week to help make an unforgettable experience happen.”

She points to the daily staff meetings—those moments when energy is low but hearts are full. Watching young leaders grow in confidence, learn to support one another, and step into responsibility with humility is what sustains her.

“In just a few days,” Heather reflects, “the Lord takes a group of mostly strangers and builds a precious community.”

Those moments—sitting together at the end of the day, sharing how God worked in students’ lives—are what keep her coming back.

In Just One Week, Trust Is Earned

Rachel Dombach, Montana’s State Coordinator, sees the fruit of TeenPact students extend well beyond the classroom.

“There are certainly changes in the students that I see,” Rachel says, “and that’s the primary reason I keep coming back. But there is also so much at stake in the bigger picture.”

Over the years, that bigger picture has become clear. Former TeenPacters now work in the Montana Governor’s office. State leaders reach out directly, asking Rachel to share internship opportunities—because they trust TeenPact students.

“TeenPact students have a reputation in Montana,” she explains. “State representatives and organizations notice them, trust them, and ask for them. It’s wide-reaching.”

One week in particular stands out.

At the 2025 Montana State Class, a scheduled speaker had to cancel at the last minute. The replacement turned out to be the Speaker of the House. Rachel had never met him before. He walked into the room in a cowboy hat, jeans, and boots—Montanan through and through.

“When he walked into the classroom,” Rachel recalls, “I felt like God had ordained the whole thing. He wasn’t polished, but he cared deeply about our state and about people.”

The students leaned in. They didn’t just hear from a leader—they saw one.

Later, as Rachel worked to secure space for the following year’s class, it was that same Speaker of the House who approved their use of the House Chambers.

“The Speaker who stepped in to speak to our class,” Rachel says, “is the same one who later approved our use of the House Chambers for the next year. We made a good impression on him.”

In just one week.

Hope in the Next Generation

Heather and Rachel would tell you the same thing: it’s the students who keep them hopeful.

Their passion. Their resilience. Their willingness to lead with humility and courage. Whether it’s a staff team becoming a true community or a group of students earning the respect of state leaders, the fruit is real.

In just one week, adults are reminded that the next generation is ready. In just one week, young people discover that leadership isn’t about position—it’s about faithfulness.

And that’s why they keep saying yes.

Grateful for the Ones Who Make the Week Possible

Stories like these don’t happen on their own.

They are made possible by faithful volunteer leaders like Heather and Rachel—and the many extraordinary men and women they represent—who give their time, energy, and hearts so students can step into spaces that stretch and shape them.

Alongside them are the young leaders who return after completing a State Class, volunteering again as Staffers and Interns. These students invest significant time and effort to serve on staff teams, helping lead the very programs that once shaped them.

State Classes themselves are made possible through the generosity of partners who quietly support this work. Because of donor partnership, TeenPact can offer these one-week experiences—creating space for students to grow, lead, and see what God is doing in their lives.

In just one week, God works powerfully through students. And He does it through a community of people—volunteers, families, and supporters—who are willing to say yes, year after year.