We Dreamed a Dream!
by Ashton Wells
1 Corinthians 12:4–6:
There are different kinds of
gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of
service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of
them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
When the Catalyst initiative started, Tyler Tankersley was
the Youth Pastor at Second Baptist. He was invited to “dream big” about what
more funding could provide for the student ministry. Tyler reached out to
volunteers and students to dream with him. We dreamed up a budget that would
allow for meaningful summer trips, service opportunities, parties, informed
speakers, and more. A budget that would allow our student ministry to go from
something that simply served our inner core of students to a ministry that
reached out to the local and global community.
Our student ministry is blessed to have people contributing
in a number of ways. We have great parents who volunteer to be present, provide
meals, transportation, and support in a variety of ways. We have a congregation
that values our students, empowering them to be leaders in our church. Our
volunteers attend weekly events, overnight excursions, and week long trips. And
our students are always willing to serve, to be present at events, and to
contribute to whatever is happening in the student ministry.
The funds that Catalyst provides, along with all of the
nonmonetary contributions listed above, allows our student ministry to grow
more into the ministry that we dreamed about two years ago with Tyler. I, for
one, am excited to see the student ministry that exists two years from now
thanks to the generosity of everyone at Second Baptist. I know it will be a
student ministry that has purpose and vision and continuing dreams for their
contribution to God’s work in Liberty, Missouri, and the world.
Contributions are not
always monetary. Beyond your financial
contribution, what else could you give?
Talents . . . time . . . ?