STEPHANIE SCHULTZ
When I began this journey, I was a “student” of prayer. It took the Holy Spirit’s nudging and the guidance of a wonderful mentor, to bring me to a place of understanding and implementing prayer into my life. Prayer was revealed to be a conversation with my heavenly Father from the most revealing and intimate parts of my heart…..I had never really understood that relationship. It was not as difficult as I had imagined! Why had I not learned this well before the age of….well, “middle aged”? With this in mind, I believe it is imperative that our youth understand how to pray at an early age! The Holy Spirit in a 20-minute car ride laid out the elements of a powerful and effective prayer life that could be implemented into a high school youth program. The local ministry and church I belong to has witnessed a shift in our culture among our high school students once they learn to pray through this study. I never sought out to be an author, but God has gifted me with teaching and I hope to continue to share that gift with YOU and millions of other youth leaders and their students across His Creation!!
You can check out my local church, Friendship Church, at www.friendshipchristianchurch.org for our mission statement, ministries, statement of faith, beliefs and more!
MARK DAY
God has placed a clear and overwhelming desire in my heart for youth. When I became a Christian in high school I didn’t know anything about God or the church or youth group. My faith was modeled after my youth leader and friends. I attended a Friday morning Bible Study at McDonalds called McBible before school. That was where I learned about who Jesus is. Once I heard the gospel and knew Jesus had died for my sins, I began to seek him out and grow in my faith. I could’t learn enough about him fast enough. I loved how Jesus was changing my life and my worldview. So once I graduated high school, I knew what God wanted for my life. I was being called to ministry. I wanted to impact other students’ lives the way mine was impacted. I wanted them to meet our Savior Jesus Christ. So I attended Bible College for 4 years and graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Youth and Family Ministry. I have been serving God as a youth pastor for 20 years and over those years I have seen God move in incredible ways. It’s amazing to witness students come to meet Jesus and grow to serve Him as they become adults themselves. I am so blessed for the life and family God has given me and I thank Him for it everyday.
