Out of the Comfort Zone
“The harvest is plentiful but workers are few,” says *Sarah, a leader living and working in Southeast Asia. “My prayer has always been for God to send more workers into the field; because people need the Lord, but the sad reality is that many Christians are lost in their comfort zone.”
By comfort zone, Sarah is referring to the complacent way many people in her country will claim to be Christian but have no knowledge of God’s Word. It similarly aligns with the culture there, one she describes as content to remain in poverty, depend on charity, and don’t have vision for where their life is going. It makes for a weak faith — one keen to convert to other religions or spiritualities. And there aren’t many people willing to teach them otherwise.
But Sarah believes she can help make that faith stronger — and she’s starting with young people. Youth and young adult ministry has always been where Sarah’s heart rests. With her natural servant’s heart, Sarah instinctively helped strangers through crises, day-to-day tasks, and medical conditions.
“I believe that education can change a person’s life,” she says, noting that teaching someone instills value and self-worth, but then teaching the Word helps them know their worth in God’s Kingdom — and that changes much more than that one person’s life.
As an answer to that call, Sarah runs a 42-student hostel sponsored by a nonprofit organization under the wing of a church. The shared vision is to empower the next generation to grow in and glorify God’s name.
A mission trip to a poverty-stricken spot in her country inspired her to say “yes” to God calling her to open the hostel ministry five years ago. Her heart broke to see so many potential young boys and girls deprived of a better future for the lack of education and teaching, be it in terms of academic or spiritual growth. The first year as a houseparent wasn’t easy as she didn’t have a teaching history to pull from, but a surrendered heart and will to the Lord had empowered her to do much unthinkable things. When she began to strategize and introduce fun discipleship programs into the hostel’s curriculum, she witnessed a shift.
“Over the years, I saw some of the girls learn to carry burden for other souls and reach out to their friends in school,” she said. “These are the young generations that will be leaders tomorrow—it is so important to ground them in the Word.”
The hostel provides holistic care for teenagers including academic facilities, Bible study, and an environment that aims to counteract the negative influences teenagers experience from social media, peer pressure, and difficult home lives. The staff here provides a good role model and spiritual mentor. As a 24-7 “house parent,” Sarah can also influence them in a positive way, encourage them through their academics, and lead them deeper into the Word. She teaches that despite the poverty they may come from, here they will find worth, peace, and a future. Then, she equips them to teach others what they learn.
It was through Haggai that Sarah developed such strong conviction toward sharing the Gospel and she held on to the teachings she received in at the Haggai Leader Experience. She always remembers the motto of the late Dr. John Edmund Haggai, “Attempt something so great for God, it’s doomed to failure unless God be in it.” She confidently took that step away from her prior career and disciple and lead these students.
“The Lord reassured me that I am whole in Him, and nobody can put a label in me that I am useless. I believe God is working in my life and equipping me for His works. I am burning with passion to pass that knowledge on.”
Sarah wasn’t content to remain doing interior work at the hostel. She needed a community of her own to feed her spirit. She found doctors, pharmacists, and teachers who were sent to the area for their work. They connected and started their own small group.
Sarah runs a 42-student hostel sponsored by her church. The shared vision is to empower the next generation to grow in and glorify God’s name.
“From that small connect group, I advanced from a connect leader to an online regional connect leader, having to disciple many people across my country. I also started a new online connect group for another Southeast Asian country to equip other local leaders. My sphere of influence isn’t just students, but working with adults all over my region as well.”
It seems right that her motto is: “Every soul is precious in God’s eyes, why would we not reach out to them?”
Her promise, though, is “to equip all Christians who are willing to walk close with God, regardless of whether it’s one person, or a group.” She will continue to pass on every tidbit of knowledge and Truth she’s learned. By God’s grace, she is committed to raising up the younger generation in the Word, fueling them with the Truth so that contentment — o r comfort zones — are no longer a good place to be.
*Name changed for protection.
Written by Jennifer Colosimo
Out of the Comfort Zone
“The harvest is plentiful but workers are few,” says *Sarah, a leader living and working in Southeast Asia. “My prayer has always been for God to send more workers into the field; because people need the Lord, but the sad reality is that many Christians are lost in their comfort zone.”
By comfort zone, Sarah is referring to the complacent way many people in her country will claim to be Christian but have no knowledge of God’s Word. It similarly aligns with the culture there, one she describes as content to remain in poverty, depend on charity, and don’t have vision for where their life is going. It makes for a weak faith — one keen to convert to other religions or spiritualities. And there aren’t many people willing to teach them otherwise.
But Sarah believes she can help make that faith stronger — and she’s starting with young people. Youth and young adult ministry has always been where Sarah’s heart rests. With her natural servant’s heart, Sarah instinctively helped strangers through crises, day-to-day tasks, and medical conditions.
“I believe that education can change a person’s life,” she says, noting that teaching someone instills value and self-worth, but then teaching the Word helps them know their worth in God’s Kingdom — and that changes much more than that one person’s life.
As an answer to that call, Sarah runs a 42-student hostel sponsored by a nonprofit organization under the wing of a church. The shared vision is to empower the next generation to grow in and glorify God’s name.
A mission trip to a poverty-stricken spot in her country inspired her to say “yes” to God calling her to open the hostel ministry five years ago. Her heart broke to see so many potential young boys and girls deprived of a better future for the lack of education and teaching, be it in terms of academic or spiritual growth. The first year as a houseparent wasn’t easy as she didn’t have a teaching history to pull from, but a surrendered heart and will to the Lord had empowered her to do much unthinkable things. When she began to strategize and introduce fun discipleship programs into the hostel’s curriculum, she witnessed a shift.
“Over the years, I saw some of the girls learn to carry burden for other souls and reach out to their friends in school,” she said. “These are the young generations that will be leaders tomorrow—it is so important to ground them in the Word.”
The hostel provides holistic care for teenagers including academic facilities, Bible study, and an environment that aims to counteract the negative influences teenagers experience from social media, peer pressure, and difficult home lives. The staff here provides a good role model and spiritual mentor. As a 24-7 “house parent,” Sarah can also influence them in a positive way, encourage them through their academics, and lead them deeper into the Word. She teaches that despite the poverty they may come from, here they will find worth, peace, and a future. Then, she equips them to teach others what they learn.
It was through Haggai that Sarah developed such strong conviction toward sharing the Gospel and she held on to the teachings she received in at the Haggai Leader Experience. She always remembers the motto of the late Dr. John Edmund Haggai, “Attempt something so great for God, it’s doomed to failure unless God be in it.” She confidently took that step away from her prior career and disciple and lead these students.
“The Lord reassured me that I am whole in Him, and nobody can put a label in me that I am useless. I believe God is working in my life and equipping me for His works. I am burning with passion to pass that knowledge on.”
Sarah wasn’t content to remain doing interior work at the hostel. She needed a community of her own to feed her spirit. She found doctors, pharmacists, and teachers who were sent to the area for their work. They connected and started their own small group.
Sarah runs a 42-student hostel sponsored by her church. The shared vision is to empower the next generation to grow in and glorify God’s name.
“From that small connect group, I advanced from a connect leader to an online regional connect leader, having to disciple many people across my country. I also started a new online connect group for another Southeast Asian country to equip other local leaders. My sphere of influence isn’t just students, but working with adults all over my region as well.”
It seems right that her motto is: “Every soul is precious in God’s eyes, why would we not reach out to them?”
Her promise, though, is “to equip all Christians who are willing to walk close with God, regardless of whether it’s one person, or a group.” She will continue to pass on every tidbit of knowledge and Truth she’s learned. By God’s grace, she is committed to raising up the younger generation in the Word, fueling them with the Truth so that contentment — o r comfort zones — are no longer a good place to be.
*Name changed for protection.
Written by Jennifer Colosimo
Out of the Comfort Zone
“The harvest is plentiful but workers are few,” says *Sarah, a leader living and working in Southeast Asia. “My prayer has always been for God to send more workers into the field; because people need the Lord, but the sad reality is that many Christians are lost in their comfort zone.”
By comfort zone, Sarah is referring to the complacent way many people in her country will claim to be Christian but have no knowledge of God’s Word. It similarly aligns with the culture there, one she describes as content to remain in poverty, depend on charity, and don’t have vision for where their life is going. It makes for a weak faith — one keen to convert to other religions or spiritualities. And there aren’t many people willing to teach them otherwise.
But Sarah believes she can help make that faith stronger — and she’s starting with young people. Youth and young adult ministry has always been where Sarah’s heart rests. With her natural servant’s heart, Sarah instinctively helped strangers through crises, day-to-day tasks, and medical conditions.
“I believe that education can change a person’s life,” she says, noting that teaching someone instills value and self-worth, but then teaching the Word helps them know their worth in God’s Kingdom — and that changes much more than that one person’s life.
As an answer to that call, Sarah runs a 42-student hostel sponsored by a nonprofit organization under the wing of a church. The shared vision is to empower the next generation to grow in and glorify God’s name.
A mission trip to a poverty-stricken spot in her country inspired her to say “yes” to God calling her to open the hostel ministry five years ago. Her heart broke to see so many potential young boys and girls deprived of a better future for the lack of education and teaching, be it in terms of academic or spiritual growth. The first year as a houseparent wasn’t easy as she didn’t have a teaching history to pull from, but a surrendered heart and will to the Lord had empowered her to do much unthinkable things. When she began to strategize and introduce fun discipleship programs into the hostel’s curriculum, she witnessed a shift.
“Over the years, I saw some of the girls learn to carry burden for other souls and reach out to their friends in school,” she said. “These are the young generations that will be leaders tomorrow—it is so important to ground them in the Word.”
The hostel provides holistic care for teenagers including academic facilities, Bible study, and an environment that aims to counteract the negative influences teenagers experience from social media, peer pressure, and difficult home lives. The staff here provides a good role model and spiritual mentor. As a 24-7 “house parent,” Sarah can also influence them in a positive way, encourage them through their academics, and lead them deeper into the Word. She teaches that despite the poverty they may come from, here they will find worth, peace, and a future. Then, she equips them to teach others what they learn.
It was through Haggai that Sarah developed such strong conviction toward sharing the Gospel and she held on to the teachings she received in at the Haggai Leader Experience. She always remembers the motto of the late Dr. John Edmund Haggai, “Attempt something so great for God, it’s doomed to failure unless God be in it.” She confidently took that step away from her prior career and disciple and lead these students.
“The Lord reassured me that I am whole in Him, and nobody can put a label in me that I am useless. I believe God is working in my life and equipping me for His works. I am burning with passion to pass that knowledge on.”
Sarah wasn’t content to remain doing interior work at the hostel. She needed a community of her own to feed her spirit. She found doctors, pharmacists, and teachers who were sent to the area for their work. They connected and started their own small group.
Sarah runs a 42-student hostel sponsored by her church. The shared vision is to empower the next generation to grow in and glorify God’s name.
“From that small connect group, I advanced from a connect leader to an online regional connect leader, having to disciple many people across my country. I also started a new online connect group for another Southeast Asian country to equip other local leaders. My sphere of influence isn’t just students, but working with adults all over my region as well.”
It seems right that her motto is: “Every soul is precious in God’s eyes, why would we not reach out to them?”
Her promise, though, is “to equip all Christians who are willing to walk close with God, regardless of whether it’s one person, or a group.” She will continue to pass on every tidbit of knowledge and Truth she’s learned. By God’s grace, she is committed to raising up the younger generation in the Word, fueling them with the Truth so that contentment — o r comfort zones — are no longer a good place to be.
*Name changed for protection.
Written by Jennifer Colosimo
