Newlyweds to start fresh ministry

For a couple nearing their sixth month of marriage, a new lifestyle has already begun to take place in their personal lives. Their schedule is already packed, but they still find the time for each other and their commitment to ministry. Between classes and work, they manage to squeeze in an interview and a quick meal before heading to the next activity.

Jared and Lindsey Harms have always been familiar with youth ministry as long as they've known each other, up until their wedding in early summer this year. Yet now they share that passion together as a solid team.

In this new life they have together, they have decided to leave Lincoln Berean's youth ministry and lead the youth ministry at North Pointe Community Church, the North Lincoln church plant. The church will be planted in North Lincoln in an effort to present every person complete in Christ, especially as travel across the city becomes increasingly difficult.

"There will be a lot of things I'll miss," Jared said. "But as marriage is starting new with life, I look forward to starting fresh with that, too." He explained his enthusiasm for switching churches in that there is a consistency of nature. Unlike switching schools or a job in which curriculum, duties and even focus tend to change, "at church, the main purpose is to worship God," he said. "What you're ultimately there for doesn't change."

Both said their families and friends have been very supportive, offering many congratulations on taking the next step. "I knew it wouldn't take long for this to happen," said Lindsey's parents, as she remembered. Jared mentioned how encouraging it was to receive support from his own mentors, Paul Lucks and John Matzke, both of LBC's youth ministry.

Their relationship to the youth ministry at LBC dates back several years, both collectively and individually. Jared has been involved for about seven years, including some experience with AWANA and as a site supervisor with a Lincoln Public School's after school program for middle schoolers.

Lindsey has several years of experience at LBC, Omaha and Kansas City, where she is from. She has been involved with the youth group at an Evangelical Free church in Omaha and Youth for Christ camps in Kansas City, where she served as a counselor and lifeguard for a couple years.

As they had been involved in ministry before they met, it was a desire for full-time ministry that led them to each other. They met at Grace University in Omaha, where they studied Bible. After one year, Jared realized his passion for youth ministry and found it in his best interest to return to Lincoln Berean, where he "dove" into the junior high youth group.

As the commute to see each other in the two distant cities became "ridiculous," according to Jared, Lindsey moved to Lincoln and began serving at LBC as well. Now they both attend the Universtiy of Nebraska, where Jared studies secondary education and Lindsey studies primary education.

During this summer, as he was settling into his new life with Lindsey, Jared said he "felt a strong urge to do something different." As a result, he began focusing his ministry on the senior high youth group instead. Yet around the same time, he spoke with North Pointe Senior Pastor Andy MacFarlane one Sunday to see how the church was coming along, which led to them meeting for lunch and discussing the possibility of joining the North Pointe team.

"We just started senior high and our plates were full with stuff to do," Jared said. But after much prayer and discussion, the call became evident. This decision came on the heels of Jared joining the senior high youth team, in what had been a decision between working with senior high, leading a small group for the college ministry, or putting more emphasis on school. But he said if he had not been seeking a change, the North Pointe opportunitiy may never have occurred.

Lindsey described it as an opportunity to "start with new people and community, stepping out in faith. I had an itch to do that."

"Being under Paul all those years, it was cool stepping out," Jared said. I felt led to move somewhere."

As they get ready for the launch, Jared said he looks "forward to the personal relationships with the kids. It is easy to step back at Lincoln Berean" and be less involved because of the size. He said he especially looks forward to watching not only him and Lindsey grow closer together from this, but also the youth staff he hopes to establish, "seeing God work through us, and seeing that first hand," he said.

In support, Lindsey believes she "totally" complements Jared and wants to support him in whatever he does. She descibed him as a "really good leader and facilitator," while she loves "being in the middle of the crowd, being one-on-one and getting personal."

Jared said the different personalities are a key aspect in this ministry. He described himself as laid back and behind-the-scenes. As they develop a youth staff, they hope to find "people to fill those gaps," he said, "with personalities to reach some kids we know we can't."

While they admit not covering the entire spectrum of personalities needed for ministry, Jared believes he has had many great examples to learn from, specifically his own youth pastor, Paul Hansen, and his adviser, Paul Lucks. Hansen would often take him out for ice cream, talk, shoot hoops, "share his life with me, everyday life," he said.

Lucks has been showing him first hand how ministry works, often thrusting Jared into action himself. Dealing with salvation and issues among the youth, Lucks would come beside him and go through the aspects of ministry. "It was not just a handout," he said,"but he'd show me or walk through it with me, or push me to do it myself."

Lindsey's experience gives her a unique perspective on her role in the ministry. She had already made her "crucial decision" to be involved in ministry before she met Jared partly because of the influence of one of her youth leaders, Amy, had on her. Not that her parents did a bad job in teaching her the way she should go, but they did a good job, she said. They brought her to church and taught her the truth, she said, but usually "you want it from somebody else." She said Amy came to games and performances she had.

"There were few girlfriends that really held me accountable; it was good to have that community," she said. "I just want to be able to provide that to kids. They really want authenticity, being real with them. They want to learn from examples, that you've been there, to hear your stories and be willing to be open with them." She said students could easily see through someone who is fake.

She also said they need consistency, truth, discipline and flexibility, mended with love. "Being there to listen means so much to kids and their growth, moreso than adults," she said. "That's why I love it."

Jared also sees it the same way but looks at it more analytically. He said he realizes how quickly the culture continues to change with youth. "I may never understand or grasp where the kids are coming from," he said. "But to walk alongside them in life, [in my experience] that's probably the biggest thing I've learned."