The Leaders of Tomorrow

 Hello Friends and Ministry Partners,

Today I want to highlight some future leaders that are coming out of the ministry at UTA, graduating, and moving forward to the next stage of their lives. I also want to ask for your help in praying for wisdom as we make decisions about who from the next generation of students should we invite to take their place as leaders in our ministry!

I got to take a retreat last week with some of the guys from UTA Focus who are considering starting the FOCUS Apprenticeship in the fall. Jalen Quintana in the pink hoodie is my co-pastor over the mens ministry at UTA, the others from left to right are Cole Benge, Matt Carothers, Austin Nelson, and Taylor Bass. Each of these guys have been key pillars in our ministry as they have led core groups and personally discipled so many younger men all while being discipled by Jalen and myself. If they do get to start the apprenticeship in the fall then they will spend half their time taking seminary level courses on scripture and theology, reading the whole bible, and take classes on how to develop as leaders. The rest of their time they will be on campus doing full time college missionary work. They will invite students into Christ centered community, and personally disciple even more college students as they aim to point the next generation towards following Jesus. I would be elated if they were able to do the apprenticeship together. I'm so proud of each one of them and I know God is too. But even if the apprenticeship isn't in their future, these guys will make a profound impact on whatever field they go into. Whether it's architecture, education, biomedical science, or business these four guys will bring the Kingdom of God wherever they go. During the retreat we did some devotional content over what makes a leader qualified in ministry. And we talked about how while skills like intellect, communication, and hard work are not neglected in this list, over and over again, what Jesus, the apostles, and other church leaders emphasize is not those traits that we might associate with leadership in any other field. Instead scripture emphasizes humility, genuine care for those that you lead, and a willingness to suffer for the Lord. Each of these guys exhibit those qualities so I know wherever God leads them his kingdom will follow. Thank you so much for your investment in each of these guys. Some of them have been present from the second year of our ministry starting at UTA. For those of you who have been with me from the beginning or for those who have just joined as ministry partners in the last year. Men and women like them are the fruit of your investment. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

As these guys graduate, I have been considering who we will invite to take their place as leaders in our ministry? Who will take up the cause of making and maturing disciples of Jesus on the college campus. As I've been considering this, this story from a book on leadership that I read recently keeps coming to mind. It's called Cathedral Building. The story goes like this.

Once their was a man who was walking down a street in a busy city, and while he was walking he noticed a new building was being constructed. He was interested to know what the building might be so he stopped and asked one of the consturction workers and asked him "What are you doing?" The construction worker responded, "What does it look like? I'm laying bricks." Not satisfied with that answer the man continued walking and found another construction worker and asked him the same question. This construction worker responded with a different but equally dissatisfying answer. "I'm getting a paycheck."

So the man continued and decided he would try asking one more time. He found a third construction worker and asked him "What are you doing?" The construction worker responded. "I'm building a cathedral!"

I love this story because it so well emphasizes the importance of vision! Yes we are inviting people to be corefas, yes we are inviting people to lead a core, and study foj (one on one bible study). But that's just the brick laying! We are here to build God's kingdom! We want this whole campus, this whole metroplex, this whole world to be transformed as more and more people give their allegiance to King Jesus. When that happens, outcasts are accepted, sins are forgiven, hearts are healed, and justice flows. Now God's kingdom won't come in full until Christ returns, but we can be kingdom people now! That's what making disciples is about, getting people to live as if Jesus is already king of this world, because he is! WIll you pray for us as we lead students to have a greater sense of the vision? Pray that God would open the hearts and minds of the students at UTA to see themselves as integral parts of Jesus' work in this world. And please pray for me and the rest of our pastoral team as we discern what students will be most receptive to discipleship so that we can continue to develop the leaders of tomorrow.

In Christ,

Austin