By Joel Fether, City Life East
“I want to work at City Life!”
“Ramirez” spoke these unexpected yet exciting words to me. I asked if he was serious. When he replied that he was, I decided to give him a roadmap for getting there.
Once a student puts their faith in Christ, we give them opportunities to grow in their faith through studying the Bible, prayer, fellowshipping with other Christians (including helping them find a church home) and opportunities to serve. Then, if a young person decides that they want to live a lifestyle of following Jesus, we invite them to begin meeting with a leader one-on-one or in a small group for discipleship. After graduating, they may begin to serve in the ministry as a volunteer.
Our mission is to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who dedicate themselves to a life of serving God and building His Kingdom. It is impossible to know which young people the Lord is going to raise up to lead His church in the next generation, so we work as hard as we can to faithfully walk beside each one to show them the way, rejoicing every time we see one of those countless baby steps.
So, we were greatly encouraged when Ramirez stated his desire to work at City Life; and when “Isla” told the employer she was interviewing with that she needed Monday nights off to attend City Life; and when “Tony” shared that he had downloaded a Bible app on his phone and had been reading the verse of the day. These signs of the Holy Spirit working remind us to cling to the hope of Jesus’ promise — “I will build my church.”