The word citadel comes from the Italian root cittadella, meaning “little city”. It describes a small, secure fortress within a larger city—a haven of rest and a bearer of power, which resides at the highest point of the city. In the Bible, the word is metaphorically synonymous with God’s divine refuge and strength. Generation Heartbeat adopted the word to refer to our locations of gathering throughout the United States.
Citadels are groups of high school and college-age youth who are dedicated to rescue unborn babies from abortion through intentional prayer and advocacy. Each citadel consists of a leader and other youth who meet together regularly to engage in various activities and events coordinated at the leaders discretion. While each citadel ought to pray with diligence, other activities include but are not limited to protesting at local Planned Parenthood centers, passing out flyers, serving at other pro-life centers or events, door-to-door advocacy, fundraising, or in any other way furthering the mission of Generation Heartbeat. They are called to uphold our mission statement and act accordingly with the example Christ and the word of the Bible. Any high school or college-age young person is encouraged to start a citadel in their hometown! It is a simple yet important way to spread the flame of hope and truth throughout the country.
There are currently four active Citadels around the United States furthering the mission of Generation Heartbeat:
