the impact is not always apparent in the short term.
from dodgeball to the church for a Bible study on Thursday nights. He brought pizza, and we went through the Word together.” Greg explains that Mr. Z stayed consistent in this ministry, even when the results were not immediately evident. “There were only five of us who showed up on a weekly basis. Some weeks there was no one. And yet, he continued running it for many, many years.” Mr. Z’s faithful discipleship gave Greg the valuable opportunity to ask questions and learn how to navigate the Christian life.
‘Why I would want to do anything else but serve the Lord?’”
After coming to the dodgeball ministry for three years, Greg was invited to attend Word of Life Island through a camp scholarship. “People in the church sponsored ten kids from the dodgeball ministry to come to camp. We had no idea camp was expensive – they just sponsored ten of us to go.” Fifteen-year-old Greg thought a Bible camp sounded boring, but a friend convinced him to give it a try.
“The fruit can be slow sometimes. For me, it took three years of hearing the gospel every week. And yet, Mr. Z consistently poured into me. The Lord works on His time.” As we wrap up our conversation, I reflect on how God can use one willing person to plant countless seeds for the gospel. I think of Mr. Z’s faithful ministry and how his legacy is continuing through Greg and others – and I praise God that He can use something as simple as dodgeball to reap an eternal harvest. “With the dodgeball ministry, it takes a lot of patience,” Greg reflects as we close. “Kids come in, and we have no idea what the results may be. We may never see the results of the seeds planted, but it is a joy when we do. It’s more than I can ask for when I get to see the Lord transform lives. In the meantime, we continue the work.”
After completing the Bible Institute pro- gram, Greg returned to his hometown and became actively involved at Faith Community Church. “The pastors here poured into me for many years, giving me opportunities to learn in ministry, to preach, and to disciple.” Three years ago, Greg had the opportunity to take on the youth director position at his church. He is currently serving in this role while completing seminary training.
Students playing at a dodgeball evening
During the Monday evening rally at The Island, the gospel presentation
resonated with Greg in a new way. “It finally clicked,” he explains. “Up until that point, I had heard about Jesus, but I hadn’t believed.” That night, after hearing the gospel faithfully preached for three years, Greg understood the reality of Jesus’s sacrifice for his sins. “What really stood out to me was the truth that Jesus is not just a
Most recently, Greg has had the opportunity to help run the dodgeball ministry that had such a profound impact in his own life as a teen. “I work with three other guys who grew up in the dodgeball ministry. They’re brothers of mine, and we’ve learned and
“The fruit can be slow sometimes. For me, it took three years of hearing the gospel every week. And yet, Mr. Z consistently poured into me. The Lord works on His time.”
Mr. Z and Greg at a dodgeball evening
Greg went to Word of Life Bible Institute after graduating high school. “The first year at the Bible Institute, the Lord humbled my heart and showed me I was living for myself and not for God.” Greg dedicated His life to the Lord and entered his sophomore year with a desire to serve Him through full-time ministry. “I had my own reservations,” he shares. “In my mind, people who sought out ministry for a living were really smart and had known [the Bible] their whole lives. I didn’t go to church growing up, and even the Bible stories were all new to me at a young age.” Through the service opportunities at the Bible Institute, however, Greg grew to understand that the strength to effectively serve in ministry would come from God and not from him. “I dwelled a lot on the truth that in my weakness, the Lord is strong. When I was counseling teens on The Island, I realized I was very weak. And yet, the Lord was using me despite myself. I found a joy in that, and I wondered,
grown together.” He explains that the ministry was temporarily put on pause due to COVID-19. After the pandemic, Greg and these other men stepped in to restart the ministry. Greg describes this as an incredible, humbling opportunity. “It’s a simple ministry, but so effective.” Now that the dodgeball outreach is meeting consistently again, Greg is praying for opportunities to follow up with these teens throughout the week as Mr. Z did faithfully for so many years. He is especially excited to share that this is the first year they’ve been able to bring a group of students to The Island since the pandemic. “We hope and pray that the Lord will continue to build these avenues for us to further the discipleship beyond Friday nights.” Since he began leading the dodgeball ministry, Greg has had the opportunity to invest in teens who come from places of deep brokenness and pain. As he shares, I can hear his passion for pointing these students to the power of the gospel. He explains how this kind of outreach requires perseverance, as
person, and it’s not just a story. Jesus is God, and His death on the cross was because of His love for me.” Through the consistent ministry of Mr. Z and others, God had been preparing Greg to accept the good news of Jesus and to leave his fears at the cross. That night, at The Island, Greg’s heart was opened to this truth. “My whole life, I had been looking for some kind of peace. I was looking for joy because I couldn’t find happiness in the things of this world.” His face beams as he exclaims, “I made the decision to trust Jesus as my Savior that day.” Greg came home from The Island excited about his relationship with Jesus, but he quickly realized he was returning to habits and peers that were hostile to his faith. “When I came home, I was still in the world. I was among groups who were deep in sin. I needed to seek out discipleship.” Greg reflects on Mr. Z’s impact as a steady source of spiritual mentoring during this time. “He invited the guys
Teens competing in a game of dodgeball
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