Jacob Hernandez is one of six ministry interns this school year. He is serving with Campus Life at Fort Miller and lately he’s been struggling with self doubt. Looking around at other ministers he was feeling less seasoned and less equipped.
Ministry can feel daunting and Fort Miller is not the easiest or breeziest place to minister at. In addition to club Jacob started an after school Bible Study for kids in the after school program. The first two weeks, no body came. The next two weeks 4.
I asked him what kept him going. “I wasn’t leaning on my own understanding,” he said, “but trusting God. So I ignored these thoughts and I just prepared and read the word of God.” Finally Jacob started seeing traction and 8 kids came, and then 12!
The Bible Study starts off with a cup of noodles and a drink and time for the kids to settle in. They don’t even want a game, they just want to get into the Bible. Jacob’s been taking them through Mark. Most of the kids don’t have a Bible, most don’t go to church and most don’t identify as a Christian.
Recently he was going over a passage in the Bible and giving an analogy of how we’re like a little seed. When we decide to follow Jesus the seed dies and produces a big tree. When we decide to follow Christ we die and grow into a new creation. He was encouraging the kids to live up to their full potential and purpose in Christ and the kids were really engaged.
Feeling the move of the Holy Spirit Jacob courageously asked if anyone wanted to receive Jesus for the first time. All the hands went up. 4 kids even came up after the fact to follow up with Jacob one on one!
“God’s moving. I’m so grateful that he’s moving and drawing them near to himself” Jacob shared. “Now I’m seeing how God does equip me. I was excited and happy when it came to it, and I was like ‘Wow God!’”
Now Jacob is in follow up mode. The next week he asked how it was going and kids were sharing about watching what they were saying, learning how to pray, and read the Bible. He’s seen the change in them too. From kids who were interrupting to being more respectful and listening. He sees their hunger for scripture and for learning more. Jacob’s goal is to get kids plugged in mid-week at a church and make sure kids learn how to connect with God on their own.
Helping kids understand the gospel and make a decision to follow Jesus has been an honor for Jacob. “It makes me want to dig deeper and be ready to do more of that. I want to help kids understand the Bible. It’s such a blessing.”
Jacob is living the story of how God equips the called. This is His mission after all and He promised He’d never leave us alone in it.
Equipping Next-Gen Ministry Leaders
YFC's Ministry Internship
Each year Youth For Christ provides a paid ministry internship for folks discerning a call to ministry. It is critical that we create pipelines for future ministers to gain the practical, real-world experience and training needed to meet the need for evangelism in our valley.
To expand this program from 7 interns to 12 we need to raise an additional $15,000 per year. Would you join YFC in financial partnership to send the gospel to more kids through the YFC Internship?
For those interested in the internship, applications open in May at yfcnow.org/internship.
“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Isaiah 52:7
Together for kids!