Nolan started attending Youth Ministry at NW Campus about 4 years ago, when he was in grade six. From learning how to truly let go and worship, to giving a sermon on courage, to then taking opportunities to serve the community, Nolan’s story shows us how, when we are obedient to God’s calling, we get so much more than what we put in..

Can you share your journey with the NW Campus Youth Ministry?

I remember going on our spring retreat and one of my friends told me to engage completely in worship instead of just standing and watching. I made a choice to engage that night and the Holy Spirit just moved through me. That’s when I started to focus more on Jesus in my life. A couple of retreats later, I got to give my own sermon on courage. I was sharing about really difficult periods in my life where I needed courage. It didn’t go as smoothly as I thought it might, because I found myself crying after every word. It really hit me in my heart as I was sharing. But, one thing I learned is that it takes a lot of courage to confess your sin, so I confessed that I was swearing a lot that year. Suddenly, there was a powerful moment where a door was opened spiritually, and all of the other kids started spontaneously going up on stage and confessing their sin as well. It went from courage to confession and God was totally in all of that. I hadn’t planned that at all.

In what ways has the Youth Ministry encouraged you to impact Calgary for Christ?

Recently, we did a mission experience right here in Calgary. It was really cool just being one with God and serving different communities, not as a paying job, but with a free spirit. In the morning, my group served at the New Canadian Friendship Centre, helping out with the kids. In the afternoon, we painted rooms at Servants Anonymous. I made a lot of new connections with people.

Lately, I’ve been working a lot on being more obedient to what God is calling me to do, and NW Campus youth group has been a valuable community of support where I can share and learn about God’s will. I’ve learned that when you do God’s will with an open heart, you will gain a lot more than what you put in!

What has God been putting on your heart recently?

I’ve been doing a lot of work on trying to be more obedient. Every evening, I would listen to a sermon online and go to bed and think about it. I learned that when you do what you’re called to do with an open heart, you’ll gain a lot more than you’ll ever put in.