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@fac_youth

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Youth ministry at @fac_erie 🔥
🎤 YOUTH GROUP every Wed. @ 6-9pm
🌱 Refresh every Sun. @ 9:30am
🎃 Pumpkin Palooza on Oct. 28! 🍬

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Matthew 4:18-20
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

Once again, I have had the opportunity to serve as a leader for facYOUTH’s summer missions trip. We traveled to Denver, CO for Dare2Share’s Lead THE Cause - a week of service and training in praying over, caring for, and sharing the Gospel with the city and its people.

I loved this trip two years ago, and was so grateful to be on it once again! Scroll through to see some of the highlights!

We stayed on the beautiful Colorado Christian University campus!

Over 500 students from across the country gathered for this week!

On the first full day of the trip - Prayer Day - we traveled to Columbine High School. We spent the day in prayer for our students, schools, and communities. It was a sobering reminder that tomorrow is never promised.

On day 2 - Care Day - we partnered with the Denver Dream Center to provide a community service event. We spent the afternoon organizing games, crafts, and other activities while distributing hope boxes of food and other necessities to the community. The Dream Center has been a staple across the Denver community, and it was so cool to be a part of it!

One of the games was Rock, Paper, Scissors, Pie! Featured above is our of our students who lost 😂

On day 3 - Share Day - we were in Denver City Park where we shared the hope and life that is only found in Jesus!

On day 4 - Dare Day - we travelled up into the Rockies where we ate, hiked, and worshipped to cap off the week.

This splash pad was so refreshing on such a hot day! At least I didn’t get water in my phone 😏 *cough (Sicily) cough*

Lynda! One of the co-leaders on the trip! Her energy and personality are contagious!

Mark, Meghan, and Brandon (me) - MMB! It was a such a joy to be a leader on this trip alongside some of my closest friends!

Sunsets are always special, but there’s something about the sunsets over the Rockies.

Some of us leaders (and on

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So…Yesterday evening was my last night serving as the Youth Pastor of First Alliance Church.

God opened this door for Ellen and me in June 2021, and now He has called us to step into a new area of ministry within the church. What a joy and blessing it has been to walk with so many amazing young people as they journey with the Lord and discover His love for them.

I am humbled that I had the chance to play a small part in God’s redemptive work here at First Alliance. I will definitely miss the retreats, the life conversations, the summer experiences, and, of course, the Lock-In. But more than anything, I am grateful. What a blessing it has been to witness God do such amazing things in and through our students.

To our students: keep pursuing Jesus. Keep allowing Him to meet you in deep and powerful ways. Keep surrendering to His love and letting Him transform you from the inside out.

To our leaders: keep letting Jesus shine through you — in your words, your actions, your character, and your love for students.

To Mark, my dear friend and brother in Christ: you are going to do an amazing job as the next Youth Pastor. It has been such a blessing to work with you, dream with you, and serve the Lord alongside you in this ministry.

To FAC: thank you for trusting me with your students. I pray that, in this season, I have reflected Jesus in all that I have done.

To my wonderful wife, Ellen: thank you for everything. Thank you for your patience as I have learned and grown in what it means to be a follower of Jesus, a husband, and a pastor. Thank you for your prayers, your encouragement, and your steady love.

So, what’s next?

The Lord has opened an amazing opportunity for me to serve our First Alliance church family as the Pastor of Spiritual Formation and Discipleship. I am honored and humbled to serve our church and Alliance family in this new way. All glory to God.

Please continue to pray for our students at FAC. God is at work, and He is moving powerfully through them.

And please pray for Ellen and me as we look forward to what God will do in and through us for First Alliance Church and our Erie community.

May God be glorified and honored.

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2025 facYOUTH Christmas party is in the books! Got a free mustache by agreeing to be a conductor, so there's a bonus right there. So many kids, so many cookies, so many white elephant gifts (once again, I ended up with something that was toilet-themed, starting to think it's a plot) and A Very Special reading of the rewritten 'Twas the Night Before Christmas by our own toilet-paper-bearded Santa and his gingerbread buddy. ❤️ #meanwhileatfac

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July/August!
- facKIDS VBS - Wonder Junction 🤠
- Lots of ice cream 🍦
- LEGO 🦖
- Weddings 💍
- Golf ⛳️
- Pokémon 👾
- facYOUTH Messy Game Night 🧽
- Tattoo No. 2 ⚕️

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LIFE 2025.
Glad to have been a part of it.
Met one of my favorite Bible teachers, an artist that have blessed me with his music, hung out with my amazing youth and other amazing people... but most importantly, witnessed the Holy Spirit moving in a powerful way in this generation of students.

(Side Note: Should've gotten White Castle when i was there...)

Thanks @cmallianceyouth and @cmalliance for creating a space for this to happen.

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I once heard someone say that youth ministry is one of those ministries where you don’t always get to see the fruit of your labor. And honestly, I’ve found that to be true.
...
*insert Rich Villodas or John Mark Comer quote* (Iykyk)
...
Youth ministry has a way of testing your faithfulness—you never really know when a student is going to show up, if the lessons you’ve poured into will stick, or if they’re making Christ-centered choices when you’re not around (because let’s be real—we can’t have eyes on them at all times). You pray over them, hoping those prayers will be answered, but sometimes, it feels like you’re just trusting in the unseen. And if you sit with that thought long enough, it can lead you down a rabbit hole of "what ifs" that challenge your faithfulness to the call.
...
But every so often, God gives you a glimpse of what He’s doing behind the scenes—things you had no idea were unfolding, moments you weren’t expecting. You just show up, and suddenly, students start sharing about how God is moving in their lives.
...
That happened this past weekend during one of our Student Ministry Team meetings. This amazing group of students shared their ideas for games, themes, and events.
To some, it might seem like a small thing, but to me—it was, and IS, a huge win. Their excitement and joy as they shared became an encouragement to me, and I’ll admit, it made me emotional. Because these are the moments when you catch a glimpse of the fruit of faithfulness.
...
And let me be clear—this is all God’s doing. I’m just grateful to be along for the ride.
...
So, thank you, SMT, for letting me walk with you in this season. You’re a reminder that God is always working, even when we can’t see it.
...

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2024 highlights

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In the words of the late, great Kobe Bryant: "The lesson I cherish the most is how important it is to love what you do."

And if you know me, you know I LOVE what I do. This year was an absolute blast—from lock-ins to retreats, leadership trainings to small getaways, 2024 was overflowing with love, growth, and a whole lot of fun.

Thank you, Jesus, for letting me be a part of what You’re doing.
Thank you to my wife for being the best and drawing out the best in me.
Thank you, facYOUTH, for being the absolute best.
Thank you, FAC, for being such a dope place to call home.

As we close out 2024, here’s a lesson I’m taking with me into 2025: “There has never been a sadness that can’t be cured by breakfast food.” — Ron Swanson.

Here’s to more Jesus, more laughs, more adventures, and maybe even more waffles in 2025!

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VSCO saw these first :)

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“Friendship…is born at the moment when one man says to another ‘What! You too?’” - THE FOUR LOVES. CS Lewis had much to say about the topic of friendship. It has no survival value, rather it adds value to survival.

As I’m in the midst of residency interviews and finishing up fourth year of medical school, my friends never cease adding value to life’s moments.

Enjoy these snapshots of the past few months! They’re but a few of the times and a handful of the friends I’ve been blessed with.

👨‍💼⚕️🤪 🍇 📸 🧂🏂 🥣 🎸 🦖

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Refined 2024☀️🤍 This trip was absolutely incredible and I am so grateful for everyone who went and for the testimony’s that I heard. My outlook is completely different now. Thank you so much @fac_youth for this experience and helping me grow spiritually!❤️

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Fall Getaway ‘23 🍁

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