January 2014 Newsletter

Influence. 

We all have it, whether we want to accept it or not. People are drawn to us, no matter their age. A dear friend from the ministry shared with me that it’s not good to ‘play favorites’ in youth ministry but God places students in our path for a reason. Prior to my arrival in Georgia, I had two students who God placed in my path and I poured into their lives for a year and discipled directly. 

Jacob and I with our friend Paidan (right in pink)
horsing around during the 2013 Fort Stewart Guys
Marathon Day. Much love here between us.

For quite some time, I continued to wonder what student or students God would provide for me to come alongside and spend life with. It didn’t take long and soon after our back to school lock-in event in 2012, Jacob came up to me and said “Mr. Phil, can we talk about a few things?” In his sharing with me, Jacob went deep quickly sharing with me what he had endured in the recent months. He had recently been recovering and healing from the passing of his father months before. After talking further, God started to show off to me, providing me with insight that Jacob was living a similar life I did in high school. The similarities were unreal – he participated in the same sports (track and football) as I did, played the same positions in football, wore the same jersey number, he had the near exact height and weight as I did when I was in high school.

It didn’t take long for the alignment to appear with why Jacob reached me during that lock-in event. He and I quickly became friends and hung out often. I would spend time with his group of ‘bros’ when they would go bowling, hang out playing board games at my place, enjoy bacon early ahead of school and talk about God or just about anything else that was going on in his life. Often when we’d be hanging out and in public and he’d see someone, he would introduce me to others as his ‘mentor.’ It shook me how quickly God placed Jacob and I together and in such a perfect way.

Jacob and I at his football awards banquet in his senior year season.

Jacob continued to grow in his personal life along with his faith throughout his junior year, bringing his friends and other acquaintances to our planned events, whether paintball, flag football or special Club event on Fort Stewart. Although he was growing, Jacob was going through the healing process in his life with the absence of his father. When he went to summer camp, I saw God’s hand continue to move in his life. God broke through the barriers of the normal day-to-day routine and clutter of technology being connected back home. Jacob experienced God through a mutual friend and colleague of mine at camp – pieces were starting to come together for him. Healing continued and growth for Jacob blossomed in his time at summer camp and continued throughout his senior year.

Jacob’s senior year has provided many challenges for him already, with a majority of the ‘bros’ going off to college or career fields since they graduated the year before or the challenge of not knowing if he’d be able to play football in the fall with his unrelenting injuries and not having a doctor’s clearance to play. After going through only about half of the summer workouts and not beginning the season with the rest of the team, Jacob surrendered his heart to know he was finished with football in his senior year. He didn’t even dress the first game, but assisted the team with whatever necessary from the sidelines. Defeat and agony don’t even explain in enough detail how this impacted Jacob. Shortly after the first game of the season, he had his appointment with the doctor and he had been cleared to play. Not only did Jacob play the rest of the season but right after the second half of the second game, this young man was back to his starting position on the offensive line for Liberty County. To overcome this feat is unreal. Jacob’s body has gone through more physical strain and duress than any other teenager I have ever met. His shoulders, knees, hips and ankles all have taken quite the toll already to where he was braced up for games so that he wouldn’t sustain more injury in the season.  

The football banner which Jacob's mother chose
to add me as a list of loved ones supporting him
in his senior year.

Jacob’s team ended the season headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2009, something they all had marked on their list of hopes and desires. Personally, I saw a young man perform better in his senior year than ever expected – even better than his junior year. Accomplishing the feats and doubts of his peers, family and doctors was nothing short of a true miracle. More peers and loved ones came out to show support for Jacob than ever before throughout the season. What blew me away more than anything else was how his family saw me as part of their extended family. His mother made the choice to include me on Jacob’s senior year banner which is hung on the fence outside of the stadium for all to see as people come and watch games.

Jacob’s determination and leadership on the field resonates off the field now that the season is over. He is leading other students that I never expected when I met him in 2012. He’s coming alongside peers who don’t have much of a belief at all and I am blessed to share with him how to love them ‘right where they are’ in their lives. To say that I’m excited to see how the spring 2014 semester will come together for Jacob doesn’t do justice. He’s headed to college after high school and I’m thankful to be alongside him for the ride as he will write scholarship applications and ask for recommendations from adult peers.

Jacob with his mom and brother at senior night in the last
home game during the regular season.

As Jacob’s life moves forward, please pray how God can use not only myself but all of the leadership team members at both Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield to be an influence to our military teens. It isn’t coincidence Christ has allowed me to infiltrate and be a vessel of His presence to Jacob in the time we’ve had together. Thank you, so humbly for partnering with the call on my life to gravitate toward students like Jacob.

Prayer requests:
- That all of our leadership team continues to be an ‘influence’ to the students God gives us in His time.
- That we prepare well for the upcoming semester and align to God’s plan to reach our teens right where they are.
- The pieces of upcoming retreats and summer camps come together as God has in store and we lean into those plans.