Is it possible to be too old to study youth ministry? We recently asked one of our alumni to tell us about his journey and experience in studying with Reign Ministries. We love to be reminded that God’s plans have no expiration date, and that they don’t always match our own assumptions.
Hi Everyone! My name is Anthony. I am 38 and after a period of 22 years I felt God called me to return to study.
I felt anxious about studying again, having been away from an academic environment for so long. I was finding it hard to process and understand my thoughts and feelings around attending university again. Several of my friends had recently enrolled on different university courses, and they were several years younger than me.
I did what I always do when I need answers to questions and prayed. If God wanted me to go to university, I asked that He would show me that this opportunity was from Him. I also spoke to trusted friends and my Church pastor about whether this was the right decision to make.
After I had discerned that God had provided this opportunity, I felt that there were some challenges to face. A BIG challenge was my age. My thoughts were that university was for school leavers and people who were half my age; how wrong I was! I spoke to one of the Reign team and they began to guide me through the application process.
Although the application process was simple and straightforward it still felt dauntning. By applying to study on this BA course, I was stepping out into the unknown and taking a life changing step in my walk with God.
There were still questions around how I would balance study, being away from home to attend conferences and fulfilling my role as a volunteer youth worker at my Church. Again, I did what I always do, prayed and asked God to show me a way forward. He did not disappoint. He showed me, moved me, and blessed me in ways that I had never imagined.
For anyone that is thinking ‘is this the right time’ for me to return to study or ‘am I too old to do this’ I will say this; if you put your trust in God He will not disappoint.
When I began my first year of study I was only offered a 12 month placement with the Church I was volunteering with. Ideally I would have liked a placement that lasted the length of my course, but I was not going to grumble. I just put my faith 100% in God as I knew He would work things out. There was also a 4 ½ hour commute from my current address to the conference which I was not looking forward to.
Fast forward 18 months and my circumstances could not be more different. God moved me 141 miles to the other side of the country. During the summer of 2020 I had the privilege of getting married, and I have been blessed with an amazing Church and leadership team who have welcomed me with open arms. They have given me a placement that will come to an end when I complete my studies and graduate at the end of this year (2022). This is also a noticeably BIG year for me as I turn 40 too.
For anyone that is thinking ‘is this the right time’ for me to return to study? Or, ‘am I too old to do this’ I will say this; if you put your trust in God He will not disappoint. Hebrews 11:1 says, ‘Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see’. I am completely in awe of the work that God is doing in my life. I can see that I have grown in confidence and belief.
Anthony has now graduated from the degree – we are so proud of him! Do you, like Anthony, wonder if you are too old to return to study? We would love to see if this could be the right fit for you! Get in touch here!
Alternatively, you can get some more information by requesting a prospectus below!
Categories: Youth Ministry Degree Course
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