"The Three That Make The Difference"
As the Teen Minister for the South Sound Church of Christ, I am truly grateful for all the teens in the Teen Ministry. During our weekly devotionals, we play games, tell jokes to one another, discuss the Bible, and have a lot of fun. To say we have a great time would be an understatement. We currently have 6 Teen Disciples and are studying with other teenagers who also want to become disciples of Jesus Christ. Three teenagers who have been instrumental in the growth of our Teen Ministry are the three High Schools Seniors in our Teen Ministry—Kiara Fitzpatrick, Wesley Channell, and TJ Rodriguez.
Kiara Fitzpatrick:
Since her baptism in April of 2005, Kiara has made a mark on the Teen Ministry that will never be forgotten. In three years as a teen disciple, Kiara has strove to preach the gospel to as many as possible. She has brought countless friends out to our Teen Devotionals and church services. She has shared with others at her high school (Curtis High School) about how the dangers of living a life without a relationship with God. In the past two years, she has been influential in helping two teenage girls in the church become Christians. Kiara has a zeal and passion for God that cannot be denied.
This summer, she will be working for Hope Worldwide as an Americorp-Intern to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. She has already been accepted into Penn State University but is still waiting to hear from other colleges before she makes her plans for the future. She is a great role-model for all young women in the world who aspire to be spiritual leaders.
Wesley Channell:
Wesley Channell is known for three things. One is his skill at playing Halo 3 on the XBOX 360. The second is his amazing family (His Parents, Walt and Melody, serve as Deacons of the Teen Ministry in our church and his two sisters, Whitney and Christina, are both disciples in the South Sound Church of Christ). The third is his heart to serve others in the church. After becoming a Christian in February of 2007, Wesley has raised the bar for what it means to serve in the Teen Ministry. Wesley has befriended many younger male teenagers in the church who needed guidance and friendship. He has built relationships with teenagers in the church who have had challenging family situations. He has also served snacks to younger children during church as a part of our Kids Kingdom program. He has often volunteered to supervise others during church meetings. Wesley has served the youth of the church in several ways.
Wesley has recently been accepted for admission at Pacific Lutheran University and is also waiting to hear from a few other schools before he makes his college plans.
TJ Rodriguez:
“Awesome. Responsible. Mature.” These encouraging words and many others have frequently been used to describe TJ Rodriguez. TJ has been in the Teen Ministry the longest by getting baptized in October of 2003 when he was only 13 years old. The age of 13 might seem too young for someone to make a decision to turn their lives over to God—but not for TJ. Even at this young age, TJ has often said in hindsight that although he was young, he knew what he was doing (by getting baptized) and knew he needed to repent of his sins. Because of this steadfast type of maturity, TJ is the rock that holds the Teen Ministry together.
In addition to setting a great spiritual example for others, TJ is also extremely talented in the study of Mixed Martial Arts. As a senior First Degree Black Belt, he studies and teaches almost everyday at the Lenderman’s Academy of Martial Arts. One day at a Teen Devotional with the young men of the Teen Ministry, TJ taught all of us how to break a small 2” X 4” wood pallet with our bare hands. After breaking a pallet himself, TJ said that stepping out on faith (spiritually) is similar to a man breaking a piece of wood. He might not think that he do it. But if he puts of his heart into it, he can and will be successful. Next, TJ challenged all of us to smash a board with our hands, right on the spot. Many of us were skeptical at first (especially me) but the encouraging words of TJ inspired all of us to at least try. In the end, all of the guys in the Teen Ministry broke a pallet of wood (alone). We all felt so strong and powerful afterwards and understood what TJ was talking about.
TJ is currently training for a prestigious Mixed Martial Arts Camp in San Diego this summer. After high school, he plans on either attending Pierce College or Bates Technical College in order to pursue a Business degree at University of Washington-Tacoma.
For the South Sound Church of Christ, these three teenagers are the ones that make our Teen Ministry so strong. Every week they amaze me and others in the church with their heart for God and their love for people. They truly make the difference.
