Congrats are in Order!

Mid May marked the end of another school year and the end of the 13th year of the Oregon Youth Alive Ministry Academy! It's been a long road for our 6 graduating students; Even though their final year hasn’t ended the way any of us would have expected or wished for, God has still shown His faithfulness and His goodness throughout it all!

Our students have been in the unique position to learn and develop the skills necessary to minister in the chaotic times we find ourselves in. Learning new skills in digital content creation for ministry and connecting with people and engaging in community over digital platforms is no longer just an option but a must-have skill for any minister. The Lord is still moving and His Church is still moving forward regardless of the changes that have affected us all recently.

Now that the school year is officially over we have some exciting announcements to make!

We have 6 students who have graduated the program and 5 who have already accepted ministry positions! I am beyond proud to announce the newest Youth/Children's Pastors to join the ranks of ministers in Oregon!

• Alex and Chloe Dyke have accepted a NextGen Pastor role at Living Faith Assembly in Cottage Grove
• Bethany Coon has stepped into the Children's Pastor position at Parkway Christian Center in Grants Pass
• Elijah and Teela Banister will be pursuing further education.
• Grant Hawker and fiancé Chrissy have taken a Youth Pastor position at Neighborhood Church in Albany.
• Kelly Sarvabui has joined Lebanon Assembly of God as the church's new Student Ministry Director.
• Levi Richards will be taking time to continue his training and preparing towards Pastorship while he remains active in ministry service

Again, we can't begin to express how proud we are of these amazing young men and women who have chosen to give their lives to the Call God has given them! All 6 of them have worked hard, endured a lot of personal and professional pain and growth. The last 21 months have been full of laughter, tears, prayer, learning, hard service and long, long talks and all of it has been in preparation for the days that are soon to come.  We are so excited to see exactly what the Lord does through each of them and to see these churches and communities be blessed through their ministries!

This is what it's all about; This is why OYAMA exists! There are almost 850,000 people under the age of 18 in the state of Oregon. Oregon Youth Alive exists to reach the 850,000. We do what we do because we are passionate to see Christ's saving work in ALL peoples' lives. The desire of our hearts are that "None should perish" as Jesus Himself said.

Through Oregon Youth Alive we were able to serve the community of Pendleton by producing their high school graduation. As every school has grappled with how to hold graduation amidst Covid restrictions, we were able to partner with Pendleton First and Pendleton Bethel Assembly of God churches to serve the community and families of high school seniors for the 14th year in a row! Youth Alive equipment is used to produce a professional show for no other reason than to be a blessing to the town.

As Summer begins in earnest, we are looking forward to more ways to minister. The Lord is opening doors to serve and to speak in multiple avenues. This is an exciting time to be a part of God's Church! Even with in the midst of chaos and confusion, God is faithful and continuing to grow His Kingdom!

This month please pray over these 4 things:

1. Join me in praying for these new Pastors. Pray that they have favor and blessing in their respective churches and communities. We pray for wisdom and vision as they step into these leadership roles. We pray for the hearts of the people that they are going to, that they would be open to the message of Christ and that those already serving in these places will be encouraged and supported because of our graduates presence and service.

2. The work isn't done. Our two 1st-Year students - Alexis and Sarah - are now moving onto their Summer internships. They will now begin taking a more active, hands on approach to their ministry training. This is a time where they have an opportunity to start putting to practice all of the things they have observed and learned over the past year. This internship is crucial to their development! Please pray for our students! Summer is often a difficult time as they navigate the new pressures of ministry.

3. Pray that the Lord would prompt the next incoming group of young men and women to join the ranks of the 27 others who have come and gone from OYAMA and are serving in ministry. Pray that young people all over Oregon would be attentive and obedient to the Lord's leading to fulfill the Call He's given them to pursue ministry!

4. Lastly, please pray for us. Pray that the Lord continues His provision as we strive to continue to raise the support we need to do what He's called us to do. Pray that this Summer will be full of opportunities to bless churches as we meet with and serve Oregon Pastors in a variety of ways. We are praying for a great outpouring of His vision, open doors for impact and to reach our monthly missions budget this Summer!

As always I would love to connect with anyone who would like to know more about Oregon Youth Alive and OYAMA. Please don't hesitate to reach out and let's spend some time encouraging each other and hearing about all of the work the Lord is doing throughout our state. If you are interested in supporting this ministry financially, you can set up recurring monthly support or offer a one-time gift at https://giving.ag.org/ type in the ministry code 282345 and follow the instructions from there.