For the Kingdom: Raising Up Others Is Part of the Calling

If what you do matters, then raising up others to do it matters too.

Multiplication has been baked into who I am and what I do for as long as I’ve been doing ministry. Long before I had language for it, God was forming a conviction in me that the work doesn’t end with us—it moves through us.

That conviction was solidified during a life-shaping summer experience at Nappanee Missionary Church called SOAR in 2008. That summer confirmed the anointing God had placed on my life in ways I still struggle to fully articulate. What I knew then—and what has only become clearer since—is that ministry is never meant to be hoarded. It’s meant to be shared, stewarded, and handed off.

After graduating from Bethel College (now Bethel University), I stepped into a “transition to ministry” role at NMC. In my first year, I found myself leading Summer SOAR interns through programming and key elements of our high school ministry. I may have only been a couple of years older than they were, and I was very much learning the ropes myself, but even then I was beginning to see how God uses imperfect leaders to shape future ones.

Later, God moved me to a small church in Yoder, Indiana. It was there that I met a student pursuing a ministry degree who needed an internship opportunity. Even in a church of fewer than 100 people, we were able to create space for growth, responsibility, and calling. That season reinforced something I still believe deeply: you don’t need size or resources to invest in leaders—you need intentionality.

Over the last twelve years at Hope Missionary Church, that conviction has continued to grow. We’ve consistently provided opportunities for interns, and in the past year, our church took a significant step forward by launching a ministry residency designed to develop college graduates.

What had long been a dream became a reality this year in the person of Rylan Lochmueller.

There is so much that having Rylan in our ministry has taught me, and so much this residency has surfaced in my own leadership—but that’s not the point of this post.

Today is Rylan’s final day with us as a Ministry Resident.

On Tuesday, we prayed over him and asked the Lord to continue to guide him and make clear the path ahead. Moments like that are always both joyful and heavy. The end of a season carries weight—but it also invites reflection.

As I look back on this year, there are three things that stand out clearly.

First, Rylan invited students into a greater view of Jesus.
He is a deep thinker with a lot to offer, and I was consistently challenged by the depth he brought to his teaching. It was encouraging to watch someone so committed to helping students wrestle honestly with faith, Scripture, and theology. I’ll always cherish the moments we spent working together to translate that depth into strong, concrete handles—ways to make rich truth accessible without watering it down.

Second, Rylan has a genuine love for orthodoxy.
I’m not sure I’ve ever encountered someone more drawn to the beauty of historic faith and liturgical expression. During our time in Irapuato, he was often the first into churches and the last to leave—taking in the iconography, the architecture, and the intentionality behind those worship spaces. His appreciation for the Church’s story and continuity is a gift, and it has shaped our ministry in meaningful ways.

Third, and most importantly, Rylan deeply loves Jesus.
There are certain things in ministry that cannot be taught or manufactured. A genuine love for Jesus and a hunger to experience the fullness of who He is simply cannot be coached into someone. I will always be grateful for the ways Rylan sought Jesus intentionally—often through practices that were new to me, but deeply formative for him and, at times, for me as well.

Investment in the next harvesters is rarely neat or predictable. It requires patience, humility, and the willingness to tend the soil of the soul—work that is far from a perfected science. But it is always worth the effort.

As we send Rylan into the next chapter of his ministry journey, my prayer is simple: that he would continue to walk faithfully with Jesus, lead with depth and humility, and trust God with whatever fields He is called to steward next.

And my prayer is also this—that we would never stop making room for the next generation of leaders God is already raising up.

Because if the work matters, then multiplication matters too.