The Stories - Part Two
Here is part two of the post I mentioned earlier from my myspace account.
I don't have to make this story long because there is not that much to say. I sent the challenge out the other day to everybody I knew at Asbury to take a minute to look back and remember what brought you here. Now, I will do the same.
I became a Christian my first semester in college in the fall of 2000. After that I became very involved in the Wesley Foundation on campus. After that first year of school, I spent the next four (yes, I was in college for 5 years) serving in different student leadership capacities within the organization. I also spent some time volunteering with the youth group in the church I was attending.
I changed my major after two years in college from Journalism to Sport Management. The change in major gave me an opportunity to pursue my dream job of working for a professional sports team in some capacity. I loved my new major and loved the classes as well. I was so convinced the sports world was where my new life was headed that a contributing factor to the end of a year and half long dating relationship (at the end of my third year) was because I wanted to get a job in sports world and my girlfriend at the time wanted to go to seminary ...at...wait for it...yep, Asbury (she never made it up here, by the way). I kept on with my classes and involvement at the Wesley Foundation and the strangest thing started to happen. All of a sudden I found myself looking for church related jobs instead of sports related jobs. So when it came time to apply for jobs as I was finishing college, I was applying for full-time youth minister positions instead of jobs in the sports world. It was at this point that I figured out that I could not see myself doing anything other than or being happy doing anything other than ministry full-time in my life. Seminary had been mentioned to me as an option, but I wasn't sure I wanted to stay in school any longer.
So, I apply to Asbury and for two youth minister positions. The job interviews basically in the end came down to "you were dead equal with the other person and 1.) we just decided to go with the other person, but I will help you with any other job you apply for and 2.) both of you were dead even but the other person was a girl and he have never had female minister here and wanted to find out how it would work. This sent a clear message to me that "you are going to do a little more schooling."
So, there it is. I am here at Asbury and trying to remember it took some moving by God dealing with my ultimate vocation when I didn't realize it and a pair of job near misses to get me here. I am happy I could discern it and glad I am here.
I don't have to make this story long because there is not that much to say. I sent the challenge out the other day to everybody I knew at Asbury to take a minute to look back and remember what brought you here. Now, I will do the same.
I became a Christian my first semester in college in the fall of 2000. After that I became very involved in the Wesley Foundation on campus. After that first year of school, I spent the next four (yes, I was in college for 5 years) serving in different student leadership capacities within the organization. I also spent some time volunteering with the youth group in the church I was attending.
I changed my major after two years in college from Journalism to Sport Management. The change in major gave me an opportunity to pursue my dream job of working for a professional sports team in some capacity. I loved my new major and loved the classes as well. I was so convinced the sports world was where my new life was headed that a contributing factor to the end of a year and half long dating relationship (at the end of my third year) was because I wanted to get a job in sports world and my girlfriend at the time wanted to go to seminary ...at...wait for it...yep, Asbury (she never made it up here, by the way). I kept on with my classes and involvement at the Wesley Foundation and the strangest thing started to happen. All of a sudden I found myself looking for church related jobs instead of sports related jobs. So when it came time to apply for jobs as I was finishing college, I was applying for full-time youth minister positions instead of jobs in the sports world. It was at this point that I figured out that I could not see myself doing anything other than or being happy doing anything other than ministry full-time in my life. Seminary had been mentioned to me as an option, but I wasn't sure I wanted to stay in school any longer.
So, I apply to Asbury and for two youth minister positions. The job interviews basically in the end came down to "you were dead equal with the other person and 1.) we just decided to go with the other person, but I will help you with any other job you apply for and 2.) both of you were dead even but the other person was a girl and he have never had female minister here and wanted to find out how it would work. This sent a clear message to me that "you are going to do a little more schooling."
So, there it is. I am here at Asbury and trying to remember it took some moving by God dealing with my ultimate vocation when I didn't realize it and a pair of job near misses to get me here. I am happy I could discern it and glad I am here.
posted by John at
9:15 PM
1 Comments:
john- thanks for your (hi)story. I knew the beginning part, but not the end. you're right, I don't know many people's stories on how they came to Asbury, other than a few from my TAG group and a couple that I work with. I for the longest time have wanted to be in some sort of ministry. OUt of GSU (go eagles!!!!) I got a job as a youth minister, since I had some background in it and enjoyed it, to see if this was a path that I could take vocationally for a long time. While a good experience, four years of it brought me to the conclusion that I am built to be a pastor of all ranges of ages rather than just specifically youth. So, I applied at Asbury and the rest is history.
By the way, are you going to be part of the UM church? Or what's your goal?
By
Dan Underwood, At
1:41 PM
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