Not too long ago I “met” Ileana Ortiz via twitter. I found out that she serves in some BIG ways at her church, Flamigo Road Church, which was cool. I made the assumption that she was in her 20′s and maybe married…just someone who loves Jesus.
When I found out she was a high school student, it blew my mind away! I HAD to learn from her. I thought that what she shared with me might be helpful to pastors out there. Incredible stuff…check it out:
Ileana, share who you are, what you love, what you do, age, etc in a few sentences.
My name is Ileana (aka @CountryCuban), I’m 17, and what I love are Jesus, and people. What am I most passionate about in life? Loving Jesus, loving people, and making sure the latter can tell I love the former. It really is that simple, the rest of my life is just details.
What ministries do you serve in at your church?
Currently, I serve at Flamingo Road Church in Cooper City, FL. Flamingo Road is a multi-site Church, and I serve at the Internet Campus as the Director of Online Communities. I also serve on our outreach team called Seats2Streets. My heartbeat has to do with mass communications, social justice, and intertwining the two.
Many high school students attend some sort of youth meeting…and that is their extent of church involvement. What motivates you to serve your heart out at your church?
Honestly, my love for Jesus and people is what ultimately motivates me to serve my heart out. I love people way too much to just sit in a chair, and not try to impact their lives. Miami is the second most unchurched city in the United States, and I firmly believe it’s because many people here see Miami as a lost cause. It’s not a lost cause…it’s a city that God loves, Christ died for, and an amazing plan for it. If I can do anything to contribute to that plan, I’m going to do it.
What do you think pastors can do to get high school students excited about serving in a ministry role on the weekends?
The first thing that the pastors can do, is tell them that they need help! Us teens aren’t usually the ones who are going to make the first move. Tell us about the need, so that we can fill it.Don’t assume that we’re going to say no…give us a chance. If you need help in the tech area, say it! If you need help in the children’s ministry, say it! Don’t only say it, but take time to actually know the youth in the youth group. Obviously it might be hard for the youth pastor to get to know everyone, especially if it’s a larger church. Get a core group of 5 young leaders (which is what Flamingo has) to really get to know the students. When the students feel that they belong, they will want to serve. We have to feel like we belong to something before we would want to contribute to that something.
What was it that initially led to you getting involved at your church? Are there many students involved at your church or are you one of the few?
Really, it’s the way that Flamingo chooses to partner with people to reach their God-potential. It’s not just a cheesy motto, it really is what they do. I’ve been a part of many churches, but none have invested so much into me, despite my age.Flamingo didn’t see my age as a disadvantage like most did, they saw it as an advantage. I think that’s where the real problem lies in many churches. There are many kids like me, and not all of us are called to serve in the youth ministry, contrary to what many may believe. I started off serving in the youth ministry and it was great, but I wanted to do something different. Flamingo didn’t make me stay serving there just because I was a teen. They let me take on an extremely vital position in the Internet Campus, and it was a perfect fit, because it was a passion of mine. That’s the cool thing at Flamingo. Of course we have teens serving in the youth ministry, but we also have them serving in parking, children’s, the internet campus, doing tech, making food, and so much more. Flamingo firmly believes in building up people, not just ministries… no matter their age.
Is there anything else you can share that might help pastors connect high school students?
Really, I would just continue harping on not limiting teens because of their age. 1 Timothy 4:12 has a pretty big thing to say about that. I am grateful that they chose to not clip my wings.The last big thing I would say would help is mentoring. I know mentoring can sound like a scary and intimidating thing, but us teens need more than you can imagine. The world we live in is a crazy, peer pressure filled environment, and we need to be able to turn to adults other than our parents sometimes for advice. Invest in a teen… you won’t regret it.
