Just this morning, as I was helping a friend of mine inventory the merchandise for his Christian apparel company, I was asked what I learned from my time at JSAW. Looking back, there's a significant amount of experiences I've had that have drastically influenced my understanding of ministry and discipleship.
My first exposure to JSAW came as a result of desiring to see if the rumors were true: that there were other skateboarders who knew Jesus. As I came to find out, these individuals not only knew Jesus, but actively sought to grow deeper in relationship with Jesus. Further, they came together to intertwine their love for God with their passion for action sports. I'd never before seen such a thing, and immediately decided that I wanted to be a part of JSAW.
I became a regular attendee at the 18+ Bible study, held every Thursday at the shop. Eventually, I was asked to take a step further and volunteer in an outreach capacity. After a short while, I was offered a staff role to lead JSAW's outreach volunteer team. Having served in this capacity for a little over a year now, I have both done and seen things that I could have never expected.
At the different outreach locations, I've seen the following things take place: prayer on the snowhills and at the public skateparks, Bible studies in chalets, groups of saved riders serving food and drinks to lost riders, atheistic individuals becoming receptive to the gospel, and even a miraculous physical healing. To put it another way, I've seen God at work in and through the people serving in this ministry.
In my own work here, I've had the opportunity to combat my own social anxieties by running recruiting events, organizing service projects, networking with a multitude of industry professionals, and even sharing my own testimony with 200+ individuals. From a managerial standpoint, I've learned how to be a servant leader, how to help others mature in their faith, and how to make disciples that make disciples.
It is thus a bittersweet declaration I make in sharing that my time serving in this role has come to an end. I am being called into a new season in my life, and therefore I must step down from my position at JSAW. The specifics of this new calling are largely unknown to me, but I am nevertheless certain that the Lord is going to utilize the skills I've gained from my time at JSAW in the upcoming endeavors He's placing on my horizon.
I am going to be a lifelong fan of what God is doing through JSAW, and am incredibly thankful for all that He has done for me through the staff, volunteers, and even those they serve. I hope to have more opportunities to attend Bible studies, volunteer at service projects, and stop by to say "hello" in the future. Whether or not I do, I will forever carry with me the mission to "Make Riders into Disciples of Jesus."
To find out how you can get involved, check out JSAW.org/volunteer
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