My inner-city neighborhood is home to around 6,600 residents, nearly 25% of whom do not speak English as their primary language. Since English-language proficiency is a gateway to jobs and better education, some of my education major classmates and I decided to serve our neighbors through English tutoring. Each week, I coordinate nearly 70 university students, myself included, to teach English to area residents. We go to their apartment complexes for home tutoring or teach in a local community center. Volunteering to teach English is just part of it. The real reward comes from the formation of friendships that transcend cultural barriers. For months,… Read More
Verbalizing the Gospel
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Before Jesus, I was a bit of a rebel. I was a lone wolf who lived a “Sex, Drugs, and Rock ‘n Roll” lifestyle. My heart was hardened, and I hid my pain by being the life of the party. Four years ago, I hit rock bottom and did not want to live anymore. I gave my life to God in a jail cell and was a completely new man walking out of captivity. Despite my wretched situation, I had overwhelming peace when I got released. Months later, God showed His love, mercy, and grace when I received a very light… Read More
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I kind of stumbled upon being a camp counselor. As a teacher, I have my summers pretty free which I treasured. I usually traveled, took some time off, and prepared for the upcoming school year. A few years ago, our pastor said we had a bunch of kids that wanted to go to summer camp, but couldn't because each church had to send a counselor for every so many kids. Apparently, no one could take a week to go. I didn't even pray about it. I had the time, I am good with kids, and I know the Lord sometimes just drops… Read More
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I've always been taught to not be ashamed of my faith. So going to a public school, I've always considered it my mission field. Exercising my faith and displaying my relationship with Christ all started when I was in 4th grade. Who would've thought that something as small as praying before I ate my lunch would cause so much attention and curiosity? Several of my peers stared at me---some with distaste, others with support. I never let the weird looks shift me away from praying. This continued into 7th grade, when I met a girl who also believed in God but was struggling with her faith. Daily,… Read More
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To a lot of people, the word "pastor" implies leading without serving. The truth is so much different. We are part of the body of Christ, just like people in our congregation. I felt called to the ministry in 1988. I was a young man attending a retreat in New Mexico, and during the last night, I felt God calling out to me. He said, "come serve me," and He wouldn't let me go until I did. Up until that point in my life, I'd been helping my dad run his air conditioning business. When I left that field to… Read More
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I was a shell of a human being. By the time I was 20 years old, my drinking progressed to the point where I was emotionally and spiritually isolated from everyone around me. I abandoned my childhood faith and thought if God was real, He wouldn't want anything to do with a person like me. But I was given a beautiful solution to my addiction when I joined a 12-step fellowship and was able to reconnect with God. Recovery has allowed me to regain my family's trust, maintain genuine friendships, graduate from college, have a healthy relationship with my boyfriend, keep… Read More






