“And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” - Luke 10:2
Citylight Church believes that God’s primary means of advancing the gospel is through the local church and, therefore, we are committed to multiplying disciples and churches. We pray every day at 10:02 AM for the Lord to raise up and send out new and more laborers to the infinite harvest of people needing desperately to hear the Good News. Each of us, believers in Christ, are called into the harvest with and for the Lord. Praise God.
One strategy our church has in multiplying disciples and churches is through the residency program. The purpose of Citylight's Leadership Development Program is to raise up, equip, and send ministry leaders into the harvest. This 2-3-year development program is crafted to give leaders foundational and practical tools to enter full-time ministry healthy, supported and with endurance.
This fall our residency program kicks off with 17 full time residents. The largest we have ever had, and we couldn’t be more excited. These men and women have completed a bachelor’s degree; have a desire to be developed personally, professionally, and theologically; and have shown seasons of faithfulness in their capacity to be leaders who are eager to build God’s Kingdom.
Meet Maddie Garcia, first year resident
“I truly encountered Jesus my freshman year in college. There were people that pursued me and invited me in and showed me what it looked like to follow Jesus. That totally changed my life. Going through college I majored in communications and worked in marketing and social media all four years. I had a lot of opportunities to lead ministry but in the middle of all of that, God gave me a deep burden for the lost on my campus. Truly nothing else stirred me in a way than seeing students stuck in their sin and then to experience Jesus ... To come to know Him and put their trust in Him. That is what pulled me out of apathy and into a passion to give my life to ministry.
This year, as I was looking for residencies all over the country, Citylight and the Salt Company stood out. After my interviews and talking to the directors, it was clear that it just wasn’t what I could do for the church, but it was about a team who wanted to invest in my life and invest in my growth both spiritually and vocationally. I could tell right away they wanted to see me grow. The past couple of months I have experienced this already.
Right now, I am celebrating the curiosity that we are already seeing in students. My specific role is connecting with students on Creighton’s campus. There are many who come in thinking they know the gospel and mostly who are culturally religious. It’s been amazing to watch student’s eyes stretch open to the truth of who Jesus really is. The potential of these freshmen is amazing. If they start walking with Jesus now and for the next four years, the change could be radical. They could influence friends, the people in their dorms, on campus, and after college with their families and in their jobs. I am encouraged by the conversations with students who are wrestling with questions and seeing how God is using my story to impact them.
Please pray that students would come to know Jesus and made into disciples. Every freshman has this potential to a four-year impact. God can multiply the gospel far beyond what we see right now. Pray for salvation and multiplication. Please pray for me as this is my first year of residency and moving here. There are a lot of transitions. Pray for my growth and community and a heart that stays teachable. That I will remain deeply dependent on the Lord and my ministry would abide in Him would flow from Him alone.”
Meet Brenden Fjelsted, second year resident
“I became a Christian in college as a freshman. I worked at a Bible camp the next summer and a got taste of working in full time ministry. I loved it! It was the best nine weeks of my life. I felt so alive. It was a gift to see the Lord work through me in supernatural ways. When I came back for my sophomore year, I almost considered dropping out to pursue ministry. The Lord revealed to me later that it was an idol and my actual ministry was the college campus. I spent the next few years diving into my pre-med undergrad. At the same time, being intentional with my classmates and pursuing my education in a God-honoring way. I lived the college life while faithfully pursuing Jesus. My senior year came; it’s a year where you either apply to med school or additional training. Deep down inside of me, there was still the question of ministry. Should I step into it? What could that look like? What doors are open? I felt a nudge that year while at a conference. It was at the conference where I felt God calling me into college ministry. When I came to college I needed someone to teach me and tell me the gospel. I felt a deep burden to go back to college campus and give my time and my life to students who were just like me ... A freshman lost without Jesus. The burden hit me like no other at that conference. I couldn’t continue worshiping unless I said in my heart “YES, Jesus. I will go and commit my time and energy to the next generation.”
That was in January of 2024. I started to look for open doors. A few months later the door at Citylight Salt opened. I talked to Pastor Joe and Travis, Salt Company director, and there was something about this church. It was genuine, had a culture of grace and a true desire to see my life flourish. In other churches it seemed like they only cared about what I was competent with or good at or what I could do for them. Citylight’s culture was like ‘we want to equip you and see you become a man of God and follow after Him, we want to help you learn what it looks like to follow Jesus and to become a missionary and advocate for Him.’ I was caught by this vision of the residency of not what I can do for them, but instead, how they could grow and pour into me. I have already seen this! I feel loved and cared for and poured into. They want the best for me and to equip me well and maybe send me somewhere. I am in my second year, and I am more excited. I feel like I understand more what is happening in my job and in my life.
One thing I am celebrating is vocationally in my last year of work I saw the Lord move through me. I became friends with this group of guys and a part of their friend group. In that group I have seen so much life change among them. One went overseas this past summer, one is considering stepping into ministry, and one is considering going overseas. Personally, I’m celebrating the first year of residency and realizing I could not have done ministry without it. I feel so much more effective now. I understand the heart behind ministry, how to do ministry, to have a team around me that supports me and spurs me on and who teaches me and equips me.
Please pray the Lord would lead people to Christ. For deep discipleship and maturity that comes in the guys who I spend time with over this next year. That the people I spend time with would be raised up as teachers, missionaries, leaders of churches who are sent out to the world. Also, pray that the Lord would sustain me and protect me while I pour out my time in ministry and I don’t lose site for my own deep relationship and walk with Jesus in the midst of pouring out for others.”
Citylight Church, would you pray for and support our residents? You can find out more about the residency program, support our residents financially, and see what residency positions are available at citylightomaha.org/residents.