The good work God prepares
One of the most impactful moments of my life growing up was the time I spent working with my former youth group. I had just returned home for the summer after my first year of college. I wanted to see what it would be like to help out in youth ministry as I was entertaining the idea of serving in vocational ministry as a career. Clint Beymer, my former Youth Pastor, welcomed the idea and agreed to mentor me throughout the summer. It was one of the most rewarding, frustrating, satisfying, and difficult seasons in my life. I know this sounds like a paradox, but anyone who has ever worked with youth gets it. And, even though I loved it, I decided it wasn't for me. I went on to get my degree in Kinesiology and entered into the world of sports medicine.
What I didn't realize at the time was God was at work laying a foundation for the "good work God had prepared in advance for me to do." I just wasn’t ready at that time. After years in the fitness industry, a door opened up for me to help with the youth at a different church and it was there I received my “call.” I answered that call and became the youth leader for that community, thankful for the experiences I had that summer years before. Because of it, I knew what I was getting into, and I was prepared.
I share all this because we have an upcoming opportunity to invest in the lives of some amazing college students, similar to how others invested in me. We have partnered with QuadW Missional Outreach to come alongside interns for the summer who will join us in serving our communities, youth, children, and other ministries for eight weeks beginning Monday, June 3.
Here is a snapshot of what QuadW Missional Outreach is all about:
“The QuadW Foundation, Inc., was created to honor Willie Tichenor and his desire to make positive changes in the world around him.
Willie Tichenor passed away from osteosarcoma on March 15, 2006, at age 19. He was insightful, outrageous, and full of good ideas and big plans - and he had the remarkable ability to inspire those around him to be better.
Serving others transformed Willie's life, inspiring the formation of QuadW Missional Outreach. Supported by the QuadW Foundation, it is a completely separate organization dedicated to providing missional internship experiences for young adults.
“Our programs provide young adults with transformative opportunities through working with underserved communities. QuadW Missional Outreach (QWMO) sponsors summer and missional residency opportunities for Christian college-aged young adults. By combining experiential life in a community with active service, we are giving young adults the tools with which they can learn and grow.”
As I mentioned earlier, the summer I spent with the youth years ago was foundational to God's call on my life. Because of this, I know how impactful this summer could be for the interns who will be joining us, and I want us all to be a part of it!
We will introduce our interns this Sunday, June 2, during worship. It's the perfect Sunday to recognize our graduating High School Seniors and the rest of our youth as they take their next steps and "move up." We will also take a moment to celebrate all of the teachers, parents, family, and others who helped them get to where they are!
What a great way to kick off our summer and celebrate all God is doing to equip and prepare the next generation to step into the “good works which God prepared in advance for us to do!”
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Justin
For more information on Willie, QuadW Foundation, and QuadW Missional Outreach, go to https://www.quadw.org and https://www.quadwmi.org.