As the countless Transform Rockford volunteers and civic ambassadors move around the Rockford region hosting community visioning sessions, it is important that we (adults) make extensive efforts to listen to the dreams, visions and ideas of our children and youth.

Why? They have great, ironic, innocent and inclusive ideas.

As a kid, I loved to watch the Art Linkletter show that hosted and listened to small kids' thoughts and ideas about what they would do as a grown-up. Art also asked them about how they felt about some of the things that grown-ups did.

Most of the answers were hilarious, profound and made you pause to think, "I cannot believe that a kid said that!" As a pastor, I love to ask our children and youth what they think and weigh heavily on their responses.

They have not been jaded by the conflicts, secret agendas and selfish motives that some grown-ups display while parading as team players and public servants. I am not saying that all adults are not genuine in their thoughts and actions. I am saying that we are missing an untapped resource by not actively seeking and listening to the ideas of our youth.

Sometimes, the quietest person is the one with the missing solution to a major problem or pandemic. A famous book has a passage which says, "We have not because we ask not."

Recently, a young middle-schooler found a cure for a certain cancer. He tried several times to get medical scientists and doctors to listen to his theorem with no avail. Finally, he emailed his solution to a doctor born in another country who is working in the U.S. who thought the kid was on to something. He stress tested the boy's formula and was astounded by its outcome and broad applications.

Now, the young man is viewed as an expert and has become a coveted speaker at medical forums around the world. He has also been given opportunities to develop other medical solutions all because one doctor listened to him. What would happen if we lowered our eyebrows and egos and actively listened to our youth?

Last Friday, I was amazed to hear the awesome ideas that the senior students of Rockford Lutheran School shared in a Transform Rockford community visioning session hosted by their principal. They said, "In order to transform Rockford region, we need a caring community for all people. We need selfless volunteers. We need equitable, quality jobs for all people."

I was blown away by the multiple teams of students saying that Rockford needs selfless volunteers working with Transform Rockford. That is a novel idea! What would happen to our federal, state and local governments if we had selfless public servants working for all the people of the U.S. instead of groveling to corrupt lobbyists and myopic special interest groups.

Rockford is blessed with a mass of volunteers. Now, we must go to the next level and transform our region by working in harmony, unity and altruism to elevate all areas and people groups.

President John F. Kennedy said, "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country." This quote, seemingly so innocent at the time, ignited a spark of inclusion and selflessness that transformed our nation from an avowed apartheid state to a republic moving toward "one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all."

I pray that through the ideas of our children, youth and adult selfless volunteers, Rockford will become a transformation for our nation to study and model.

Listen up! Our youth are saying the "darndest things."

The Rev. Dr. Kenneth Board is the senior pastor of Pilgrim Baptist Church of Rockford and an adjunct seminary professor at Northern Seminary in Lombard. If you would like to comment, email