Author: Russell Lightner

El ministerio de adoración se convierte en la puerta de entrada para la próxima generación en iglesia del sur de Texas

Antes de entregar su vida a Cristo, el camino de Fernando, de 17 años, estuvo lleno de lucha, dolor y confusión. Criado por su madre, una mujer soltera y trabajadora después de que su padre se marchara, él se metió en problemas, enredado en drogas y comportamientos destructivos.

“Iba camino de la muerte, pero Dios me habló, diciendo: ‘No he terminado contigo’”, recureda Fernando. “Él me dio otra oportunidad de vivir y de compartir Su Palabra”.

La segunda oportunidad de Fernando comenzó cuando su madre desesperada lo llevó a una iglesia, la Iglesia Esperanza, en dónde los estudios bíblicos juveniles de los miércoles por la noche le abrieron el corazón al evangelio. A través de esas enseñanzas, Fernando se dio cuenta de que Dios lo estaba llamando a la transformación. Aceptó a Cristo como su Salvador, fue bautizado por el pastor Rey Cantú y encontró una nueva familia en la iglesia.

Una de las figuras más influyentes en el caminar cristiano de Fernando ha sido Randy Cantú, el hijo del pastor y ahora líder de jóvenes en la Iglesia Esperanza. Randy fue un director creativo publicitario de alto nivel, teniendo una exitosa carrera trabajando en grandes marcas y elaborando campañas de mercadeo.

Pero en el 2024, se enfrentó a una decisión crucial. Después de años sintiéndose distante de la iglesia y luchando con su propósito, el llamado de Dios se hizo innegable. Le ofrecieron un trabajo lucrativo, pero lo rechazó, escogiendo en su lugar dedicar su vida al ministerio.

“Tenía una elección”, dijo Randy. “Seguir subiendo en la escala corporativa o seguir el llamado de Dios. Yo sabía que Él me estaba llamando a algo más grande”.

Randy se reconectó por primera vez con el ministerio ayudando con la adoración en la iglesia de sus padres, en dónde notó a algunos jóvenes profundamente involucrados en la música. Al ver su pasión, comenzó a enseñarles a tocar instrumentos, formulando vínculos que se extendieron más allá de la adoración.

Este pequeño acto de mentoría pronto se convirtió en algo más grande.

“Vi cuánto se conectaban a través de la música, y me di cuenta de que Dios me estaba llamando a invertir en ellos”, dijo Randy.

Las simples lecciones de música se convirtieron en un profundo cuidado, ya que Randy comenzó a dirigir estudios bíblicos y a ser mentor de jóvenes que necesitaban desesperadamente orientación. Su enfoque para discipular a los jóvenes es práctico. Él no sólo los guía en la fe, sino que también invierte en sus vidas enseñándoles música, pasando tiempo con ellos en eventos escolares y simplemente estando presente.

“Cada joven es diferente”, dice Randy. “Me tomo tiempo para descubrir cuál es su pasión. Para algunos, es la música. Para otros, los deportes. Los veo jugar, los llevo a pescar, juego baloncesto con ellos. Quiero que sepan que me importan más allá de la iglesia”.

La dedicación de Randy ha llevado a un floreciente ministerio juvenil. Lo que comenzó con sólo tres jóvenes en la escuela secundaria se ha convertido en un grupo vibrante de 20, muchos de los cuales sirven activamente en el ministerio de adoración de la iglesia. Fernando, que una vez fue un adolescente perdido, ahora toca el bajo en los servicios de adoración, aprovechando su talento para glorificar a Dios y animar a otros jóvenes.

“Dios me ha permitido servirle a través de la música”, dijo el adolescente. “Mi vida es mucho mejor ahora. Tengo dificultades, sí, pero confío en que Dios me ayudará a superar cualquier cosa”.

El impacto de este movimiento juvenil se extiende más allá de los muros de la iglesia. A principios de este año, la Iglesia Esperanza organizó un servicio de jóvenes que atrajo a más de 50 jóvenes, un número significativo para su comunidad. Muchos se pasaron al frente para oración y 30 aceptaron a Cristo o volvieron a dedicarle su vida, mostrando evidencia de cómo Dios se está moviendo los corazones.

“Me tomo tiempo para descubrir cuál es su pasión. Para algunos, es la música. Para otros, los deportes. Los veo jugar, los llevo a pescar. ... Quiero que sepan que me importan más allá de la iglesia”.

—Randy Cantu Tweet

El ministerio de jóvenes se está volviendo más estructurado, eligiendo una directiva de jóvenes. Los estudiantes han escogido a Fernando como presidente del grupo. Randy dijo que Fernando está ardiendo por Dios, guiando a sus compañeros con pasión. Es una pasión que Randy quiere ver extenderse más allá de los muros de la iglesia.

“Queremos que no sólo sean espiritualmente maduros, sino también que estén preparados para la vida”, dijo Randy.

La misión de la Iglesia Esperanza es llevar amor y esperanza a los hogares rotos, y esa visión se está haciendo realidad a través de sus jóvenes. No sólo asisten a la iglesia, sino que se están convirtiendo en discípulos, guiando a otros y viviendo el Evangelio.

“Estoy orgulloso de ellos”, dijo Randy entre lágrimas. “Muchos de estos jóvenes nunca han escuchado palabras de afirmación en casa. Por eso me aseguro de que sepan [diciéndoles]: ‘Te quiero. Estoy orando por ti. Dios está contigo’”.

A través del liderazgo fiel de Randy y el compromiso de jóvenes creyentes como Fernando, la Iglesia Esperanza está siendo testigo de un mover de Dios entre la próxima generación, uno que está cambiando vidas y dando forma al futuro de la iglesia.

“Dios tiene un plan para mí”, dijo Fernando. “Él me habla de muchas maneras, y sé que puedo superar cualquier cosa con el poder de Su Espíritu Santo”.

Worship ministry becomes front door for next generation at South Texas church

Before giving his life to Christ, 17-year-old Fernando’s path was filled with struggle, pain, and confusion. Raised by a hard-working single mother after his father walked away, he drifted into trouble, entangled in drugs and destructive behaviors.

“I was on my way to death, but God spoke to me, saying, ‘I am not finished with you,’” Fernando recalls. “He gave me another chance to live and to spread His Word.”

Fernando’s second chance began when his desperate mother brought him to a church—Iglesia Esperanza—where Wednesday night youth Bible studies opened his heart to the gospel. Through those teachings, Fernando realized God was calling him to transformation. He accepted Christ as his Savior, was baptized by Pastor Rey Cantu, and found a new family in the church.

One of the most influential figures in Fernando’s journey has been Randy Cantu, the pastor’s son and now youth leader at Iglesia Esperanza. A former high-level advertising creative, Randy had a successful career working on major brands, crafting marketing campaigns, and directing creative projects.

But in 2024, he faced a pivotal decision. After years of feeling distant from church and struggling with his purpose, God’s call became undeniable. He was offered a lucrative job but turned it down, choosing instead to dedicate his life to ministry.

“I had a choice,” Randy said. “Continue climbing the corporate ladder or follow God’s call. I knew He was calling me to something greater.”

Randy first reconnected with ministry by helping with worship at his parents’ church, where he noticed a few young people deeply engaged in the music. Seeing their passion, he began teaching them how to play instruments, forming bonds that extended beyond worship.

This small act of mentorship soon grew into something greater.

“I saw how much they connected through music, and I realized God was calling me to invest in them,” Randy said.

“I was on my way to death, but God spoke to me, saying, ‘I am not finished with you.’"

—Fernando Tweet

Simple music lessons turned into deep discipleship, as Randy began leading Bible studies and mentoring young people who desperately needed guidance. His approach to discipling young people is practical. Not only does he mentor them in faith, but he also invests in their lives by teaching them music, spending time with them at school events, and simply being present.

“Every young person is different,” Randy said. “I take time to find out what their passion is. For some, it’s music. For others, it’s sports. I go to their games, take them fishing, play basketball with them. I want them to know I care about them beyond just church.”

Randy’s dedication has led to a flourishing youth ministry. What started with just three young men in high school has now grown into a vibrant group of 20, many of whom are actively serving in the church’s worship ministry. Fernando, once a lost teenager, is now playing the bass guitar for worship services, using his gift to glorify God and encourage other young people.

“God has allowed me to serve Him through music,” the teen said. “My life is much better now. I have struggles, yes, but I trust God that He will help me get through anything.”

“We want them to be not only spiritually mature, but also equipped for life.”

—Randy Cantu Tweet

The impact of this youth movement extends beyond the church walls. Earlier this year, Iglesia Esperanza hosted a youth service that drew over 50 young people—a significant number for their community. Many came forward for prayer and 30 accepted Christ or rededicated their lives to Him, providing evidence of how God is stirring hearts.

The youth ministry is becoming more structured, electing officers as is common in many Hispanic churches. Students have chosen Fernando as the group’s president. Randy said Fernando is on fire for God, leading his peers with passion. It’s a passion Randy wants to see extend beyond the walls of the church.

“We want them to be not only spiritually mature, but also equipped for life,” Randy said.

Iglesia Esperanza’s mission is to bring love and hope to broken homes, and that vision is becoming a reality through its young people. They are not just attending church; they are becoming disciples, leading others, and living out the gospel.

“I am proud of them,” Randy said through tears. “Many of these youth have never heard words of affirmation at home. I make sure they know [by telling them], ‘I love you. I am praying for you. God is with you.’”

Through the faithful leadership of Randy and the commitment of young believers like Fernando, Iglesia Esperanza is witnessing a movement of God among the next generation—one that is changing lives and shaping the future of the church.

“God has a plan for me,” Fernando said. “He speaks to me in so many ways, and I know I can push through anything with the power of His Holy Spirit.”

Hopeful news—no matter how you say it

My wife is a high school math teacher, and because of this, I get to hear some of the lingo used by the current generation of students that, let’s just say, isn’t native to my own vocabulary.

When something’s good—very good—it’s bussin’. When something’s not good to the point of raising suspicion about its nature or motives, it’s sus. Things or people who are attractive have rizz, and things that are fun or enjoyable are lit.

My wife’s favorite: Rather than punctuating a statement with the word “seriously” or “for real,” such as, “That steak was good—for real!” this generation might say, “That was an amazing steak—no cap.” Don’t ask me what it means. I’m about half afraid to even look it up on my work computer.

I write these things with good humor in my heart, and yet, these kinds of generational culture gaps also have the potential to create cynicism stemming from a lack of mutual understanding.. Allowed to grow unchecked, such cynicism can create disdain and even full-on apathy—and it’s hard to reach people for Christ through a haze of apathy.

There are plenty of statistics that don’t shine a favorable light on the next generation as it pertains to their faith. But as we spend this issue of the Texan focusing on how God is working through the next generation,
I want to share with you a statistic I find encouraging.

In an article for Lifeway Research in January, Paul Worcester, national collegiate director for the North American Mission Board, pointed out that 87% of evangelicals came to faith before age 30. We have heard ad nauseum about how teens tend to drop out of church in droves immediately after high school, but when was the last time you heard someone excitedly proclaim the opportunity that exists to reach young people throughout the decade after graduation?

“Youth ministry is not a junior varsity calling,” Worcester writes. “College ministry is not the B team. These leaders are on the front lines of the battleground for the next generation. We need our best resources and best troops where the battle rages hottest.”

In this issue, we’ve attempted to zoom in and show you the victories being claimed for Christ on some of those battlegrounds. You’ll read about a church where the youth department is taking responsibility to lead and reach their own friends with the gospel. You’ll read about amazing things happening on college campuses where leaders got hyper-focused on prayer and diving deep into God’s Word. You’ll read about what one couple has learned about the next generation by ministering to them on multiple levels—kids, students, and even young adults into their 20s.

When you’re finished, I pray you’ll not only be inspired by what God is doing in the next generation, but filled with insight that may help you win more battles for young minds through the truth of Scripture.

Yeah, that would be lit. No cap.

Join me at the SBC

Each June, thousands of Southern Baptists join together in a strategic city for our annual meeting. This year’s meeting on June 8-11 will be hosted in Dallas.

These will be incredible days in which we worship together, hear great preaching, and discuss significant matters pertaining to our shared mission. It is one of the highlights of the year for me. There is nothing quite like being in a room full of people passionate about reaching the nations together.

I want to invite you to be a part of this important meeting. There will be people gathered from every state to celebrate all that God is doing among Southern Baptists. The SBC Annual Meeting carries a full schedule with a lot of opportunities for attendees to gather information, share stories, meet new people, and be reminded of our mission.

One of my favorite parts of the SBC is connecting with new and old friends who travel in and listening as they enthusiastically share how God is at work in their churches. Every year, I leave encouraged by pastors, preaching, and hearing reports from our SBC entities. As we were recently reminded, the SBC is force for good.

Allow me to personally invite you to be in Dallas in June. The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention will have a booth in the exhibit hall. You are welcome to come and enjoy a time of fellowship and networking with our SBTC staff and pastors. We will also have a big Texas reception on Monday evening, June 9, following the pastors’ conference. The SBTC reception is fun and always has the best food!

Please join me in praying that God does a great work among us as we gather. These three days could very well be the spark to revival. I really hope to see you there. I love you and am so honored to serve you!

What I’ve learned as a teenager on the foreign mission field

Editor’s note: Bowles, 16, lives with her family serving with the International Mission Board in the Amazon region of South America. This article was distributed by the IMB and is being included in this month’s issue highlighting next gen ministries and perspectives.

Alcoholism has its claws wrapped tightly around the souls of the small town I grew up in here in the Amazon region of South America.

There are very few people whose lives go untouched by the darkness and destruction it brings.

Mario, too, was engulfed in the addiction. He spent days out drinking, leaving his wife and six children alone. Without support from the husband and father of the household, they struggled. They were a lost family, and Satan was hard at work to keep it that way.

Amid this darkness shone one light: Mario’s mother, Miriam. She was a woman on fire for the Lord. For years, she tried very hard to help her son come to know Jesus, but nothing steered him away from his addiction. In early 2018, my father and a pastor were traveling upriver by boat when a strong storm hit. Little did they know how this random boat stop would change many lives.

They stopped at Miriam’s farm and she kindly invited them into her home. As soon as she learned they were both pastors, she talked about how she wanted a church on her property for her family. Her enthusiasm and fervor for the Lord were contagious. After eight months, a church was built. My family and I took our boat to her house every Sunday for Bible study.

Nayli, Mario’s wife, and the children went to church every Sunday, but Mario wouldn’t. Nayli showed up with bruises and black eyes from Mario getting drunk and beating her. The children became good friends with my siblings and me. Even though we could not understand the situation they were in, the best we could do was love them.

“God used this story to show me He can use anyone to glorify His kingdom, no matter what sins have been committed. It can be easy to convince ourselves that we have veered too far off and that God can no longer use us.”

—Ruth Bowles Tweet

Whether it was the feeling of obligation or conviction, after a couple of months, Mario began to go to church. Slowly but surely, his heart softened. He began to want to go to church, becoming more eager and thirstier for the Word. We saw God working in his soul. Eyes that once glared with darkness and despair now shone with hope. After one year, Mario accepted Christ. A man who lived in sin and alcoholism won’t even touch a can of beer now. Mario is living proof that God can help people make 180-degree turns.

Mario is not the only person positively affected by his salvation. His wife and children no longer lived in fear of him hurting them. He began to work and provide for his family. Within four years of his salvation, his wife and three eldest children were also led to the Lord. He even baptized his two daughters, who are my friends. Mario broke the chain of alcoholism in his family, giving his children a chance to live for the Lord.

God used this story to show me He can use anyone to glorify His kingdom, no matter what sins have been committed. It can be easy to convince ourselves that we have veered too far off and that God can no longer use us. Mario and his testimony show us that no matter how big our sins are, no matter what life we lived before we found Jesus, God still has plans for us. 1 John 1:9 says, “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

When we repent, no sin is too big for God to cleanse us from. No mistake is too big to be left unforgiven.

With a campus on its doorstep, Huntsville church doubles down to reach swelling university population

Alex Sutton and Emily Lewis came to Sam Houston State University in Huntsville for more than just career education. Both were searching for something deeper: a growing relationship with Jesus.

With hundreds of others, they found just that—plus opportunities to lead and serve—at University Heights Baptist Church, a congregation with what college minister Jon Harding calls “a legacy of loving college students.”

UHBC is nestled in Huntsville’s University Heights neighborhood, “a minute behind the campus,” Harding said. The school has grown significantly in the last decade, its sprawl almost enveloping the church and providing a mission field in the congregation’s backyard.

The university’s growth has eclipsed that of the town in recent years. When Harding and his wife, Danielle, arrived in 2023, they found there were not enough local churches to disciple the burgeoning population of nearly 22,000 college students attending “Sam,” as locals call it, in person or online.

“When we landed [at UHBC] … the church was primed to reach the campus,” Harding said, noting “only a handful of churches” were extensively involved in college ministry. “More people are ready to respond to the gospel on the campus than there are people willing to proclaim the gospel. This generation is hungry to know who God is and to seek after Him. … The harvest is ripe.”

“More people are ready to respond to the gospel on the campus than there are people willing to proclaim the gospel.”

—Jon Harding Tweet

Harding’s goal was to revitalize UHBC’s legacy of sending out Christian leaders.

More than 200 students responded to flyers distributed on campus and attended a Welcome Home Sunday college ministry kickoff in August 2023.

“They just kept coming,” Harding recalled. After the service, students enjoyed a free lunch prepared by church member Dennis Coleman. Kids filled the fellowship hall and spilled over into classrooms.

The 2024 Welcome Home event attracted even more students. “The church provides the meal. We are blessed to be part of a church that makes this investment.”

In addition to Sunday services, college students attend TRUTH, a Tuesday night gathering featuring worship and teaching with an emphasis on gospel clarity. Last school year, TRUTH averaged 145 in attendance; this year, that number is closer to 175. Involvement in student-led small groups is also encouraged.

UHBC college students recently returned from a spring break mission trip to New Orleans, where they partnered with a church plant. Each summer, some in the college ministry serve with GenSend through the North American Mission Board, too, Harding said.

More than 60 UHBC students and student leaders attended the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s Commons Conference in Houston in January, added Harding, who is part of the SBTC’s Collegiate Network. Two students accepted Christ at the 2025 conference.

“A surprising number of unbelieving students want to be part of the church,” he said. “Some have some sort of faith background, but it’s never actualized till their college years. We rarely receive a student who is ready to hit the ground running.

“Our mission is to invite students to belong to the family of God and then engage in the mission of God. We build everything around that. Discipleship looks like family. It also looks like mission,” Harding said.

“More people are ready to respond to the gospel on the campus than there are people willing to proclaim the gospel.”

—Jon Harding Tweet

‘You don’t know how this can change you’

Sutton, a senior from Sugarland studying international business and finance, said he was looking for community when he transferred to Sam Houston State.

“I was one of the first people in my family to pursue Christianity,” Sutton said. “I fell in love with going to church as a kid. Youth, small groups, VBS … I loved it all.” In high school, he remained part of the church his mother took him to when he was 8, but admitted he was “trying to figure out” his faith in high school.

“I was mostly trying to figure out what to do with my life. I lost my initial understanding and purpose,” he said, adding that he took a side trek from pursuing God’s will in favor of preparing for a career and getting a college degree.

Then he found UHBC and got involved in a small group, attending church on Sundays and TRUTH on Tuesdays. Eventually he became a student leader, serving Tuesdays and also leading small groups, coordinating prayer walks on campus with groups, engaging students with the gospel, and offering to pray for them.

“I gained a better understanding of leadership and ministry, a grasp of what it is to be in ministry,” he said. “After my first semester at Sam, I realized ministry is something I needed to do for my lifetime.”

Sutton’s advice to other college students? “Don’t be afraid to ask. Get involved [in ministry] wherever you can and whenever you can. You don’t know how this can change you till you do it. It changed my whole life.”

‘I went from 0 to 100’

Lewis, a sophomore from New Caney, also came to Sam and UHBC full of questions and doubt.

“I grew up in a household that practiced cultural Christianity,” she said. “We didn’t talk about Jesus … my parents told us we were Christian. We celebrated Christmas and Easter.”

The family seldom went to church, and when her parents divorced when Lewis was 5, she experienced anxiety that only escalated when she hit middle school and found herself surrounded by friends whose parents were together.

One evening, as an 11-year-old, she lay in bed distraught about her family situation. “I didn’t know how to handle my feelings. I was a child,” she recalled. “I reached out to Jesus and said, ‘I don’t want to feel like this anymore.’” A sense of overwhelming peace enveloped her.

During high school, she explored faith largely on her own, finally deciding that in college, she would become serious about Jesus. Again, alone in her dorm room, feeling anxiety about school and life, she felt “a pull” and determined “the only way for me to live is going to be living for Jesus.

“God, I want a relationship with you,” she said. “I don’t really have it. I know I want it.”

But how?

A conversation the next day in the campus student center changed her life. Lewis had thrown on her only clean top, a “What Would Jesus Do?” T-shirt. She and a fellow student struck up a conversation about her faith journey and he invited her to TRUTH. She agreed. Then doubt struck and she had second thoughts about attending.

A timely text from a female student offering to accompany her to TRUTH, combined with encouragement from her mom, who told her, “Emily, this is an answered prayer. You have to go,” convinced her to attend.

“I need to do this if I am going to be serious about my faith,” Emily told herself.

TRUTH changed her life, confirming the faith that had begun in childhood. “From that point on, I started walking with Christ. I went from 0 to 100 and was baptized three weeks later,” she said.

Today, Lewis leads small groups and serves on the college ministry’s core leadership team. She also teaches preschool to kindergarten Sunday school.

“I don’t just do college ministry. I wanted to serve in another way, too,” she said, adding, “College is a really important time for decisions.”

College ministry is healthy for a church, too.

“We have seen the college ministry infusing new life into the church,” Harding said, explaining that the second Sunday service is at 90% capacity.

It’s a win-win. For Huntsville, Sam, UHBC, and for eternity.

We are better together

“We have been committed to giving to the Cooperative Program since the beginning, and it is my prayer that our church will continue to be committed.”

Five years ago, as I sat in our church’s business meeting, these words were spoken by the pastor emeritus of Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church, Terry M. Turner. As our founding pastor was preparing for retirement, he wanted to ensure our church did not stray from the path of cooperation.

After he spoke those words, every eye in the room turned to me. I was the incoming pastor and, as most are aware, transition can bring about change. And at that moment our church wanted to know if a change in leadership would also bring about a change in what we supported.

This was my first major decision, and as my pulse quickened and my palms began to perspire, I spoke with a voice befitting a pubescent boy: “We will continue to give to the convention.”

At that time, I did not know the “why”—I just knew we would. However, since that time, I have discovered not just why we gave, but why we will continue to give.

We are convicted to cooperate

Thirty-four years ago, as a church plant out of Town East Baptist Church, we were required to give 7% of our funds back to the Southern Baptist Convention. During the early years of our ministry, we would have been unable to keep our doors open without the financial resources we received from the convention.

We know that without others cooperating back then, we may not have been in existence now. What was once done as a requirement is now done out of necessity. Giving through the Cooperative Program is a must—not a may—for our church.

We cheerfully cooperate

We’re reminded in 2 Corinthians 9:7 why cheerful giving is important: “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Giving cheerfully is so much easier when we turn on the news and see disaster relief showing up in places our church is unable to go and sharing the gospel with folks our local church would never come in contact with, or when we see thousands coming together to worship, fellowship, and learn at our annual Empower Conference. Our giving is not a burden, but a blessing!

We will remain committed to cooperate

God has blessed our church and we are growing. However, as we’ve grown, new ministry needs have arisen. Our church needs a new parking lot and we need to expand our worship center. It takes money to do these things. It would be easy to stop giving through the Cooperative Program to help fund these projects. But we will remain committed to cooperate.

Why? As the leader of this local body, I have had the opportunity to see how we, as a cooperative convention, are better together. As a trustee for the North American Mission Board, I have seen churches planted and thriving in hard-to-reach areas. As an M3 Camp speaker, I have seen hundreds of teens saved. I have spoken with and heard the stories of International Mission Board missionaries, and I have sat in the classroom with and served alongside students from our seminaries.

We give with conviction, cheer, and commitment because cooperatively, we are better together!

What’s your Cooperative Program story?

Post your story to your social channels and use #cp100story.

Church’s commitment to Cooperative Program is ‘permanent,’ pastor says

Can’t stop, won’t stop

If there were a better way to invest in the global mission work of the gospel, Beaux Hinote, pastor of First Baptist Church in Justin, said he would urge his church to send its money there.

“But right now, I believe that is the Cooperative Program, and I cannot imagine a world without the Cooperative Program’s impact—from disaster relief to international mission work to church planting here in the states,” Hinote said.

“There is no greater missions organization in Christendom than the Cooperative Program in my eyes, by my metrics.”

A lot of great organizations exist, and FBC Justin partners with some of them, but “our commitment to the Cooperative Program is permanent,” Hinote said. “At this point, I don’t see us ever not contributing to the Cooperative Program in a real way.”

Hinote remembers a few years ago during a FBC Justin business meeting when someone noted the church gives 10% through CP and wondered if missions money could be allocated elsewhere.

“I cannot imagine a world without the Cooperative Program’s impact—from disaster relief to international mission work to church planting ...”

—Beaux Hinote Tweet

“I remember standing in front of the church during that meeting, and I said, ‘Listen, God has called us to give generously to the Cooperative Program, because here’s what it supports.’” He told a couple of stories of how missionaries influenced his life and how CP has enriched the congregations he has served.

“Resoundingly, the church said, ‘Yes, we need to keep giving to that.’”

Hinote, 45, grew up amid Royal Ambassadors, Girls in Action, and Mission Friends, he said, “where the Cooperative Program was on display weekly in my life through stories of missionaries and through writing to missionaries or doing a craft based on a missionary’s life.”

“The Cooperative Program, to me as a pastor, became real through the Royal Ambassadors program,” Hinote said.

But at First Baptist Justin, with about 400 attending on Sundays in a rural area-turned-thriving-suburban-community, as much as 70% of the congregation consists of new believers or people who have previously been nominally associated with the church.

“They have no idea what the Cooperative Program is,” Hinote said of many churchgoers. Sharing his heart about CP at that business meeting became necessary, and once people understood what it does, they were on board.

Hinote told of FBC Justin’s support of a couple of church plants in Texas supported by the North American Mission Board.

“God has used the Cooperative Program to help us raise up a generation of leadership in the church [that is] continuing to go forth and make disciples.”

—Beaux Hinote Tweet

“When you start telling those stories to the congregation and help them see these are people with real faces and real stories that are doing real gospel ministry, they’re like, ‘Oh, how can we do more?’” Hinote said.

FBC Justin has a legacy of ministering to the community well, the pastor said, and the financial stability of the congregation stems from the “thoughtfulness and the wisdom of generations of people who have been faithful to what God has called them to here in this community.”

A couple of years ago, the church realized a need for $80,000 to renovate the worship center. Hinote, with a goal of leading the congregation to do for others what they were preparing to do for themselves, challenged them to match that amount for community missions work.

Obviously, some church members were hesitant to raise $160,000 when the renovation cost was only $80,000, but they did it, and along the way learned “you don’t have to cut anywhere. You just have to trust that if God is leading you to do something, He’s going to supply for it,” Hinote said.

The worship pastor at FBC Justin has mentored a few young men, including one who had gone to Bible college but couldn’t afford seminary at Southwestern until “he was supplied grants and matching donations through the Cooperative Program to help him go to school.”

“God has used the Cooperative Program to help us raise up a generation of leadership in the church [that is] continuing to go forth and make disciples,” Hinote said.

If a church is struggling with whether to start or continue Cooperative Program support, Hinote suggests searching the Word of God.

“When we’re dependent upon God for life and we’re trusting Him to meet our needs, then the resources we have aren’t ours to dictate where they go,” Hinote said. “It is to see where God would have us invest them.”

One year later, teen’s near fatal heart attack becomes a tool to point others toward Jesus

Joshua Nostrand remembers lying on a gurney just minutes after playing basketball at student camp, telling God at 14 years old that he trusted Him to decide whether he lived or died.

“It was calming for me to say to God, ‘I leave it all up to You. It’s not my choice,’” Joshua said, recounting the moments after he spent eight minutes in cardiac arrest.

The faith-testing incident happened just before the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s M3 Camp at Highland Lakes Camp and Conference Center south of Austin last summer. In the immediate moments following the medical emergency, God put the right people in the right places at the right times to save Joshua’s life.

“We’re just in awe of the beauty of the gospel in this whole situation and the grace of God that is unmerited, and we’re very grateful for everything,” said Joshua’s father, Eddie, an associate pastor at Harbor Church in Magnolia.

Doctors determined Joshua sustained no brain damage despite being without oxygen for several minutes. The cause of the heart attack was attributed to a congenital heart defect.

He underwent emergency open heart surgery to correct the coronary artery problem and, after 10 days in the hospital, he was on his way to recovery.

Now Joshua is letting God use his story to strengthen him and others.

“This whole experience has helped me grow in the gospel,” Joshua said. “Of course there will always be rough roads, but I’m always led to that experience where I gave everything to God and He just healed me.”

Eddie recalled the moment in the hospital when he, his wife Bianca, and a doctor told Joshua he would undergo open heart surgery.

“He showed no fear, which was just incredible,” Eddie said. “He just said, ‘My life is in God’s hands.’ … As a father and a mother to hear their 14-year-old boy at the time say that was incredible, because I don’t know that I could have that [same] fearless trust and faith in that moment myself.”

Eddie remembers he had “never felt so helpless in the flesh” as he did when he saw his son in cardiac arrest and in the following hours.

“At the same time, seeing Joshua’s display of faith encouraged our souls that it truly is not in our hands, and whatever the outcome, we needed to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding.

“That’s a verse that so many believers memorize but don’t have ample opportunity to apply in these kinds of scenarios,” Eddie said of Proverbs 3:5. “It’s easier to apply when the stakes aren’t so high.”

“Seeing Joshua’s display of faith encouraged our souls that it truly is not in our hands, and whatever the outcome, we needed to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding.”

—Eddie Nostrand Tweet

A poignant picture of the gospel

The entire episode was “an incredible maturing process for us,” Eddie said of himself and his wife, and now “the time that we have with [Joshua] is precious to us.”

He has thought more of how God must have felt in giving His only Son to die for the redemption of sinners. Joshua’s incident “made the gospel more real than we could have expected,” Eddie said.

“It was like looking at the gospel like a multifaceted diamond. Though we saw some facets as clear as day in our hearts, this was another side to the gospel that we got to experience and see in clarity that encouraged us,” he said.

The reality of the apostle Paul’s statement in Philippians 1:21 that “to live is Christ and to die is gain” was underscored for the father by the faith of the son. Also, 1 Peter 5:7, the admonition to cast anxieties on the Lord, has been magnified for the family.

“Of course there will always be rough roads, but I’m always led to that experience where I gave everything to God and He just healed me.”

—Joshua Nostrand Tweet

“There’s a fatherly love that He has for His people, and the key to it is humility and not trying to take the circumstance by the reins and controlling it in your own strength,” Eddie said. “Humility is the best expression of faith in God.”

With life moving on in renewed faith, Joshua said he hopes to return to M3 camp this summer to complete the experience he expected last year and to share his story. That story has already had an impact on countless others.

Joshua heard from his siblings that some in their student ministry group gave testimony of being strengthened in their faith by his story. His 12-year-old sister spoke of the difference it made in her walk with Christ.

The Nostrands visited the helicopter crew that airlifted him from the camp to a children’s hospital to deliver hamburgers and express gratitude in the aftermath. A younger pilot “was almost teary-eyed” and said he had been struggling with his faith in Christ.

Hearing of Joshua’s “unwavering faith in God throughout the whole process” renewed the pilot’s faith and led him to want to seek the Lord again, Eddie said.

“It has just been an incredible testimony,” Eddie added, “of God’s love and provision and providence and sovereignty and grace in our lives to be able to share and connect to the gospel and really point people to the Lord and make sure God gets all the glory in this.”

Five minutes with T.J. Lewis

T.J. Lewis has spent 25 years in student ministry, the last eight as youth pastor at Lake Church in Arlington. “I love Jesus, the state of Texas, baseball, smoking meat, Christmas, reviewing movies, and the nachos at the various student events I attend,” Lewis says. He added that it’s possible he created the bacon-wrapped Oreo 15 years ago, a Father’s Day tradition at the church. T.J. and his wife, Bekah, have three teenage children.

What victory has the student ministry at Lake Church been able to celebrate lately?

The coolest victory we’ve gotten to celebrate in the last year has been our students’ increased involvement in missions. It’s the most important thing I can lead a teenager to do besides sharing their faith here at home. Last year, 70 youth went on a mission trip. This year, we’re set to take 85 through five different trips. I’m thrilled they’re catching the Great Commission and ready to go! I’m also overjoyed about how many kids are not only bringing their hardcover Bibles to church, but actively taking notes each week.

What’s one thing you are praying will happen over the next year among the youth?

My prayer for my students remains the same every day and year: I desperately want them to love, know, and follow Jesus. If they do, all the other things fall into place.

What’s something surprising you have learned about this generation of students?

The number of teens who don’t want their drivers licenses at age 16 continues to grow. That’s been an interesting trend in the last decade. Several have been honest and told me, “Why would I drive when I can sit in the back seat on my phone?” Others have said they’re genuinely nervous to drive—understandable when you live in [the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex]. Nonetheless, it’s been fascinating watching this pattern continue.

What’s one lesson you’ve learned to this point of your life and ministry you know you’ll never forget?

The task of a shepherd is the same, regardless of how old your flock is. I’m called to teach my group to obey all of Jesus’ commandments and help them see the beauty of how doing that together with a church family is so much better and easier. The Spirit of God is just as powerful and excited to do the work in and through students as He is doing in and through adults. … I’ve got the best gig in the kingdom.

How can SBTC churches be praying for your ministry?

Short-term prayer is easy: We start our big biennial six-week biblical sex series in late April. I’ve been doing this for a long time, but it takes no less wisdom and grace to do that set of messages well. A long-term prayer would be for unity. We have students from 31 different schools in our group. It’s awesome and awful. My team and I are working continually to keep track of all of them and be involved in their world, but we’re also trying to help them really know and love one another. That’s tricky when they usually only meet eye to eye on Sunday and Wednesday.