Used by God

A little Q & A with one of the students in our Missional Leadership program, James Yielder:

-How has God used you in the lives of young people this year?

I would like to think that God has used me in all the lives of the young people this past year. But two young guys stand out.

The first one is a guy who is in year 10 at school whose Dad sadly died a year or two back. Back in January I decided that I was going to disciple this young person. From the beginning of the discipling process I told him to inform me if he wants prayer for anything. Each time we have met he has declined the offer, but  he will come up to me and thank me for offering to pray for him, and that he really appreciates it. At the moment I am the only real solid male figure in his life who wants to support and help him.  But with my time at the church coming to an end, I am looking to enter a transition phase where I bring another (older) male figure into his life who can be there for him after I have left and I believe I have found someone to do this. This is a crucial part of my ministry at the church and I am excited about what God has planned for this young person whist I am around the church and also when I have left.

The second is a young guy who is in year 12. At the start of the year he was a very quiet reserved person. He didn’t say much and didn’t do much either. During this year his parents split up and it hit his family hard. But he always remained strong, he started to talk more as well, and he would frequently ask for prayer for his parents and brother and sister. Never for himself though. This event triggered a massive boom in growth in his relationship with God. I have had the privilege to support him and encourage him in this time. He is now someone who will always attend anything the church puts on for his age group. He still doesn’t say that much but I have been able to talk to him about many different things as part of my ministry helping the under 17s football team.  Through this I have also been able to start building a relationship with his brother as his brother plays in the football team as well. I am extremely excited to see what a trip to soul survivor does to his faith as he is a positive spiritual explosion away from great things. He also participated in a drama in our youth service to do with marriage. This showing some of his growth and the faith he has continued to show.