At YMI, we often quote 2 Timothy 2:2. It says, “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” Our ministry exists to train those who can train others.
We call it “Training the trainers.”
These last few weeks have given me increased joy as I have had the privilege to minister alongside a few special people who I have trained.
When I was in Mexico a few weeks ago teaching the Youth and Family Class for the Mexican Baptist Theological Seminary, I brought Josue Lara along with me to co-teach the course. He had taken that course from me and said how much it helped him and Kareny, his wife, as they have been ministering in their local church the last few years.
As I sat in class watching him teach, I was excited to see how much God has been working in his life throughout the years and how much he has matured in the ministry. I sat and watched him teach as someone who has not only thought through the material from a theological standpoint but has also lived it in a ministry setting and contextualized it for Mexico. He is more than qualified and gifted to “teach others also.”
Then, this past weekend, I had the privilege of leading a youth ministry workshop in Miami alongside Darwin, one of my former students in Cuba. I taught the first hour of the workshop and Darwin led the discussion during the second half. It was such a great experience to watch him take the material and speak with authority about the Biblical principles of youth ministry.
In fact, Darwin will be teaching this workshop in some other events that I cannot attend. The Florida Baptist Convention hispanic ministry director has already been in touch with him to invite him to the other events.
These guys are just two of over 850 graduates that YMI has trained over the years. Each of those 850 graduates has a story and the majority of them are seeking ways to train others, multiplying the ministry. It is a privilege to watch them take their training and entrust it to faithful men who will be able to teach others.