Graduation Year(s): 2015
Major(s): Biblical Studies with a minor in Music Production
Current Position/Job Title: NextGen Director for the Southern Idaho Ministry
Network
City and State: Nampa, Idaho
Tell us about your career and what you do now.
I have the privilege of serving as the Southern Idaho Ministry Network’s NextGen Director for the Assemblies of God. This means I get to resource, serve, pray for, connect, and inspire our youth and kid’s leaders as well as help direct and coordinate our youth and kid’s camps, our Called Conference, Fine Arts, PK retreat, monthly leadership dinners, and more! I absolutely love what I get to do and I consider it an incredible honor to get to serve and resource our pastors and leaders to do what God is calling them to do in their ministries.
Tell us one achievement or accomplishment that stands out in your career!
In the year and half I have been serving in this role, God has done some amazing things in our network! We have added an additional youth camp to accommodate record summer camp numbers, we launched our first ever CALLED Collective discipleship program across the state in partnership with the
local church to help disciple and train students who feel called into ministry, our Fine Arts program has grown dramatically, and our Youth Conference attendance has more than doubled in one year! I am so grateful for God’s faithfulness in growing our churches and I am so excited that I get to be a part
of leading a move of God in Southern Idaho!
What is your favorite memory from Evangel?
My time at Evangel is full of so many incredible memories that I will always cherish. It’s impossible to pick just one favorite memory! From time spent with my amazing friends, the “family” dinners, meetings with the patient and kind Dr. Fred Haltom about theology, running for the Track and Field team #docstatus,
serving on the chapel worship teams, traveling the country with Evangel’s Concert Choir and the national AG Cuban Choir, to my time dating and getting engaged to the love of my life and my now wife Ivy CdeBaca, there were many amazing memories. Evangel was not just a place that I went to school, it’s a
place that deeply marked my life and helped shape who I am today. I will forever remember and cherish my time there.
How did Evangel help you identify/develop your calling?
Evangel helped me develop my calling through its phenomenal staff and teachers, its incredible academic program, its challenging and necessary course work, and its unrelenting desire to help me accomplish my goals.
How did your experience at Evangel prepare you for life after graduation?
Evangel prepared me for my life after graduation by shaping me into a lifelong learner. I believe it helped build a structure for study, a pursuit of excellence, and a humility to learn from others, which will help me as I continue to do my best to grow and serve others well.
What advice would you give a current student preparing for the workforce?
Put God first in all you do. Look for ways to add value, be a problem solver not just a problem identifier, listen often, serve humbly, create sustainable rhythms, and work hard. Ask God to lead and direct your life then listen to what He says.
What would you look for if you were in a position to hire new graduates from
Evangel?
I would look for someone who demonstrates Godly character, is proactive in problem solving, is willing to listen and learn, is humble, hungry, and emotionally smart.