Joey & Jenna: Gifted to Serve

Introduction to Faith Church from Joey Woestman on Vimeo.

Learn more: Joey & Jenna: A Passion to Serve

“We’ll handle activities and events.  Would you teach our kids?”

Joey was at Bible College and an active volunteer in his home church’s youth program when the new senior pastor decided, for budget reasons, not to replace the departing youth pastor.  A group of concerned parents approached him, wondering if he would take over leadership of the mid-week youth program.  Joey remembers feeling overwhelmed at the thought of the week-in week-out responsibilities of running a youth program and teaching teenagers God’s Word.

“I was totally overwhelmed, especially since the group included three of my younger brothers,” he recalls. “But I also realized what a great opportunity it was.  If youth ministry was what I wanted to do, what better way to learn and grow than to actually put what I was learning in Bible College into practice?”

So, Joey took over leadership of the youth group, and spent his final years in Bible College commuting 45 minutes back to his hometown several times a week to lead youth group and teach kids.  It was the beginning of almost 10 years of concentrated volunteer work with students. “My spiritual gift of teaching developed as I utilized it,” he said.  “I remember teaching through the book of Galatians that first year.  There were probably times the kids were bored to tears, but I learned.  One week when we talked about how sin is ‘missing the mark.’ I remember getting out a target and some paint guns and letting kids try to hit the target. Stuff like that tends to stick in your memory.”

After college, Joey and Jenna married and immediately got involved in their new church’s youth program.  They both led small groups and Joey began planning events and teaching.  By the time they left for seminary in Texas, strong relationships with the kids had formed.

From small-town Iowa to larger churches in big-city Dallas, Joey’s heartbeat for students has propelled youth work along with his seminary studies.  “It was like I was a full-time student, a full-time youth pastor, and held a part-time job,” he said with a smile.  Although full, life in Dallas helped to hone his spiritual gifts.  “God has gifted me with the ability to study and teach His Word,” said Joey. “It’s a gift that I don’t take for granted, and I’m constantly working to improve my study and teaching. “ 

During the last 18 months of his time in Dallas Joey served as a student ministry intern at Grace Bible Church.  He was responsible for relational and operational aspects of the youth ministry, including leading a small group, teaching, developing new curriculum, and organizing events and activities. He also built the infrastructure for the youth group’s website, produced video event commercials, and researched resources for volunteer training and parent’s classes.  These experiences fueled Joey’s passion for students.  “My desire is to help students become, in the context of Christian community, mature, fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ,” he said.

Joey also believes leadership is another of his spiritual gifts. “God has also given me the ability to lead, which I’ve tried to develop through leading groups, both large and small, at the youth level and with adults,” he said.  He believes that leadership means much more than a commanding presence at the front of a gathering.  Joey excels at small-group leadership, and sees healthy small groups as key to discipling kids to be like Jesus.   “To be faithful to the next generation, a good leader has clear long and short-term objectives,” he said. “Everything we do in youth ministry has a goal in mind, an awareness that the time we have with students is short.  Students are looking for who they are, what they’re good at, and who loves them.  I try to lead them toward who they are in Christ, what God’s gifted them to do, and that the church loves them deeply.”

Joey has a vision of student ministry as a church-wide process. He seeks to foster a community where all the members are motivated to invest in youth ministry.  He seeks to be a resource to help parents fulfill their God-given responsibility to disciple their teenagers.  Joey believes students need multiple godly, mature Christian adults to take an interest in their lives and shepherd them, he wants to train volunteers to pour their lives into students.    

Throughout their marriage, Jenna has shared Joey’s passion for students and has served with him in youth ministry.  Jenna’s gifts, which include worship and hospitality, also compliment Joey’s calling. You can usually find Jenna in the youth room with the girls, or singing with the worship team.  She has led multiple small groups of girls in both junior and senior high ministry and enjoys investing in teenagers.  Jenna is also gifted in hospitality, and entertains people in their home often.  (Rumor has it that she’s a great cook!) 

Joey and Jenna are still growing and learning how God will use their gifts to serve others.  “We just want to be giving God our best, wherever we end up,” said Jenna.

Want to Learn More?  Read Joey & Jenna: Excited to Serve