Leadership Stories
Fueling the Future
FUELING THE FUTURE: UYWI IS DRIVING CONNECTION AND ENGAGING YOUTH LEADERS FOR CHANGE Jay English, Co-Campus Pastor at Journey Church Beach Park It was Jay English’s bright and bold personality, boisterous laugh, and deep desire to serve both the youth and youth workers of Milwaukee, Wisconsin that sparked the connection between Jay and Tommy Nixon,…
Read MoreThen and Now: UYWI a living testament to “whole person” ministry
THEN & NOW: UYWI A LIVING TESTAMENT TO “WHOLE PERSON” MINISTRY Jeremy Del Rio, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Thrive Collective I was eight years old, walking the streets of New York beside my parents and two younger brothers to bring the love and freedom of Jesus Christ to anyone who would listen. I was…
Read More30 Years, Decades of Impact
“We believe that it is through the efforts of urban youth workers — who lead and disciple urban youth — that the tide of disinterest in following Christ will change.” 30 YEARS, DECADES OF IMPACT To quantify how many hearts have been healed, mindsets transformed and stereotypes challenged after an encounter with the UYWI movement…
Read MoreWhat’s Happening in the Certification Program
The UYWI Certification program, formerly known as 90 Degrees, after a brief hiatus in 2020, relaunched in the Fall of 2021. The program is a year-long journey for leaders and offers both leadership development and personal development designed to equip high-capacity urban leaders with key elements of effective leadership in ministry. The certification was created…
Read MoreBrave Girls
MILEY WATERMAN NXT LVL Leader BRAVE GLOBAL The CEO of Brave Global, a non-profit determined to bring the gospel to young women, specifically young women ravaged by the evils of sex-trafficking. MILEY WATERMAN Instagram – @mileswater CEO of Brave Global WRITTEN BY: Kyle Kohner PHOTOS BY: Brave Global In Luke 15, Jesus asks His disciples,…
Read MoreFund The Future: Tamar Reyes-Fernandez
TAMAR REYES-FERNANDEZ FUEL NETWORK LEADER NORTH BERGEN, NEW JERSEY “A million young people are leaving the church, I have seen it with my own eyes; it’s like once they finish high school they finish church.” TAMAR REYES-FERNANDEZ WRITTEN BY: SUSAN TRIPI DeLANO CONTRIBUTOR PHOTOS BY: JOSEPH RIVERA MOODY COLLEGE STUDENT ARTIST @jrivera.photo Hey…
Read MoreFund The Future: Tanisha Browne
TANISHA BROWNE FUEL NETWORK LEADER QUEENS, NEW YORK “Through the JQC (Jamaica Queens Collaborative). The goal is to bring holistic change to our city. Through the JQC we care, we collaborate and we connect various sectors with the church to produce holistic change in our community.” TANISHA BROWNE PHOTOS BY: JOSEPH RIVERA | MOODY COLLEGE…
Read MoreFund The Future: Kimy Brennan
KIMY BRENNAN FUEL NETWORK LEADER LONG BEACH “I have been a part of the UYWI network for about five years. When I became a youth director in 2019 networking became very important to help me continue to grow and learn in my role. I realize that I have to be a part of the Fuel…
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