Why ministry? Why students? Why write things and build resources when there's already plenty to do?
I get those questions. I can have a lot of ideas going at once, and from the outside they might look like completely different things. But when I slow down and think about why I care about any of it, I come back to the same place.
I love God, and I love people. I want what I do with my life to reflect that.
I've been around church my whole life. Growing up in Florida, church was a big part of my story, and I started leading worship while I was a student in youth ministry. What started with serving became a real love for helping people encounter God.
Now I get to serve as the Student Pastor at Open Door Church. And I don't see that as just a title. I care about what students are carrying, what they're asking, and whether they know they have someone they can talk to.
Being young comes with a lot to figure out. Who am I? Where do I fit? What do I believe when nobody's telling me what to say? Those questions matter, and I don't want to brush them off just because someone hasn't lived as long as I have.
Students don't need me to be the coolest person in the room. Honestly, that's a losing game anyway. They need me to care, listen, handle Scripture well, and keep showing up. They need adults who take them seriously without expecting them to have everything figured out.
I want that kind of care to reach beyond students too. My heart is to help people Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, and Make a Difference. Whatever age you are, your next step with Jesus matters.
That's also why I like to write. Sometimes writing helps me slow down enough to work through something I'm learning. If sharing it helps somebody else ask a good question, feel less alone, or take a step in their faith, I'm grateful I get to do that.
And then there's the building side of me. I like taking an idea and making it useful. The Student Archive comes out of that. I want leaders to have practical resources that help them love and lead students well, without having to start from a blank page every time.
The resource itself isn't the whole point. There's a leader who will use it and a student who will hear it. I want to keep those people in mind while I'm working on the details.
Of course, having a reason to do something doesn't mean I need to do everything. A busy calendar isn't automatically a faithful life. I want to pay attention to what God has actually put in front of me, and make sure the work doesn't crowd out the people it's supposed to serve.
I don't have all of that perfectly balanced. I'm still learning. But I know I don't want to build things just to say I built them, or do ministry just to keep a program running.
I want to be useful. I want to help a leader keep going. I want a student to know they're seen and loved. I want someone who's trying to figure out faith to have a place to start.
That's why I do what I do. I'm grateful God lets me be part of this, and I want to take care of what He's given me.
If something I write or build helps you, that's a win. That's what it was for.
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