Matt Yriarte
Age 25
Town: Aliso Viejo
Church: South Shores,
Dana Point
Group: 20 plus guys - skate, surf, snowboard, Bible studies, concerts, working out
Meet: Mondays and sometimes all other days
From Matt himself:
The reason i think this style of ministry is so effective is because of the kids I've seen changed because of it. One example of this is in a kid named Patrick. Patrick came to church for an overnight event we were doing. He had just moved and didn't have a lot of people he knew. We hung out a lot that night and connected. From there we started going to concerts and having lunch with the other guys which got him connected to a larger group of friends. He became a regular in our group and found Jesus. Shortly after that Patrick was convicted for crimes he had committed before he started coming to the group and was put in juvenile hall for 3 months. The day he went in, his mom called me and told me that he was ministering to the other inmates about Jesus. Patrick is doing well now and still apart of our group. One of the things I learned from Patrick was that kids want relationship and someone they can hang out with and trust. I have found that when I am willing to meet them on their level they are in turn willing to trust me more, thereby opening up a relationship where I can minister more as a friend than as some guy that counsels them. I feel that the most effective way for me to have an impact on the lives of my boys is to be real with them, hangout by going to shows, snowboarding, lunch, and by praying with them. Stay gold!
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