Bible Institute

There are a few quotes I use often with our ENGAGE team here and they go something like this:  "You teach what you know but you reproduce who you are" and "True ministry is an overflow of your relationship with Jesus Christ."   Over the course of 2014, those quotes have been in the forefront of my mind.  If my memory serves me well, no other time have I felt the weight of responsibility like I have when I stand in front of the 31 university students at the Bible School here in Nicaragua.  It's the feeling of "not messing it up" because I sense the potential, ripple effect of what God desires to do here.  You see, there is research that is stating that in the immediate future, 70% of the population of Central American will be under the age of 25.  Knowing that and knowing the fact that I have taught the first ever "youth course" that the Nicaraguan A/G Bible school has ever offered, back in the spring, gives me an humbling feeling.

The director told me that there was a lot of excitement when people started to hear that a "youth class" was going to be offered at the Bible school.  He told me to expect a big class, like around 10 students.  I don't think anyone would have ever guessed that students, young and old, would bus in every Wednesday from throughout the country just to sit in this, "Intro to youth ministry" class but that's exactly what happen.  We had 31 total students that showed up every Wednesday to hear what I had to say about "doing youth ministry."  Can you sense with me the ripple effect of what this could lead to?  This is a culture that when a church states they are going to have a service for the youth, they mean ages 12-35 all being together.  The class went so well that they have asked me to continue and teach another "youth class" next month and see about letting this develop into an "emphasis" for the school that would include around 6 specialized courses that will prepare someone to minister to adolescents.  What potential, what promise, what an honor!  The future of Nicaragua has never been brighter.  Pray with me and for me, please, because I know I can teach what I know but I want to reproduce Christ's heart in these Nicaraguan leaders of tomorrow.  So they shall see what Christ sees and they would love how Christ would love.