In this blog post, it’s my honor to practice the ministry of lifting. What do I mean by that? Athletes will sometimes attempt to inspire each other with the exclamation, “Do you even lift!?” I’m not really sure that I have the best word for what I mean, but by lifting I mean I am loaning my influence for the specific purpose of promoting others.

Most anyone in life who has achieved any measure of success would concede that they did not achieve it by themselves. Someone helped them. It was probably much more than one. These individuals know that they did not get where they are all by themselves. There were lifters in their lives that were used in strategic ways to help make them better.

I know this is true for me. Lifters, used by God to influence me have caused me to want to do more, be better, and not give up when things weren’t going so well. So I determined long ago that when and where I could, I would also be a lifter for those in need that I could help. It’s usually a behind-the-scenes ministry, but sometimes lifting means going public with your influence.

In this post, I want to introduce two millennial ministers with Christ-like character. They are fun to be around and gifted in so many ways. Enjoy this interview styled post as you meet the Inmans – Justin and Rebekah.

How were you called to the ministry?

Justin: My whole life people told me I was called into ministry, and I always just said that if or when God told me that, then I would do it. After I graduated from high school, I was praying about what to do with my life. Over the course of one week, two women came up to me and asked if I knew what God wanted me to do, then simply said, “It’s time to get up and go do it.” Two different people at different times and places told me the exact same thing. After that, I was praying about it and just clearly felt God speak to me, “I’ll close every door until you walk through Mine.”

Rebekah: It’s funny. I attended a revival service at a church in our area and just really felt the Spirit of God drawing me to a ministry of teaching and leadership in the Body of Christ. I was actually called to preach when I was only thirteen, and I guess God probably did that on purpose. I had already accepted the call and began moving in that direction before I ever realized how difficult it can be for women in ministry so I might have never received that call, to begin with, if I’d known how tough it was. I say that jokingly, but I have seriously been so blessed by the support and encouragement of others along the way!

What has been your involvement in ministry so far?

Rebekah: Although we are called to pastoral and teaching ministry, I have served most heavily in music ministry so far with occasional opportunities to visit other congregations to preach. I’ve been involved in the music ministry at our local church for over eight years now. I love to lead congregational worship, play the piano, and work on original songs. I worked as a summer intern during my undergraduate college years and now serve as an administrative assistant with Christian Heritage Church (Graniteville, SC). In 2014, I received my ordination from our denomination, the Congregational Holiness Church, Inc. This took place just before Justin and I got engaged. I grew up in a CH church, attended yearly School of Youth Leadership weekend seminars when I was younger, and stayed involved in our district’s youth camps and camp meetings. So it has been a good home to me.

Justin: I am originally from Bladenboro, North Carolina. When I received the call into ministry, I enrolled at Holmes Bible College and moved to Greenville, South Carolina. Over the course of the four years I was there, I was involved on a youth staff, served as a children’s pastor, and played in the band at the local church I attended. After college, I worked for a year as a houseparent at Falcon Children’s Home in North Carolina with the IPHC. When Rebekah and I got married, I moved back to South Carolina and have been involved at Christian Heritage Church working with the Sunday School, midweek youth program, music department, kids’ ministry, and the first impressions team. I received my local preacher’s’ license with our denomination in July of 2015 and I am working towards my ordination now.

What’s your educational background?

Justin: As I mentioned, I attended Holmes Bible College from 2010-2013. I loved it because everything there is about preparing believers for greater ministry. I got my bachelors of science and studied Christian education, specifically youth ministry. My education has certainly helped me in ministry so far and I think it will continue to serve us well in the future. Rebekah and I have both studied Christian education. I emphasized youth ministry while she approaches it from a theological standpoint, so we pair really well together.

Rebekah: I graduated from Heritage Bible College in May of 2016 with a Bachelors of Religious Education in Biblical Studies. I double-minored in discipleship and counseling there. Now I’m an online student at the Pentecostal Theological Seminary working towards my Master of Divinity degree. I hope to teach as a Bible college professor in the future because I think that empowering and equipping future ministers is definitely a part of my calling. I’m not sure exactly how that will look throughout my life, but that’s one of the areas I’m pursuing now.

Tell us about your family.

 Rebekah: We have been married since March of 2015, and we have an amazing little girl named Emma Sonnet who was born in March of 2016. My birthday is in March too, so that’s a pretty big month for us! Our marriage is such an amazing blend of my theoretical musings and Justin’s practical, down-to-earth wisdom. He is an amazing person to just journey through life with, and I can see how greatly God blesses His children with spouses that complement each other so well.

Justin: Well, I am married to my lovely wife Rebekah. She is my helpmate and my best friend. We have a beautiful daughter that we feel is already just a little spoiled rotten. We have great friends and an amazing extended family. Our home is full of love and even though life is chaotic and cluttered sometimes, I feel very blessed to have a wife that’s so intelligent and beautiful with the same calling, and we really feel like we’ve been brought together for this purpose.

I’ll wrap up this post with a request. Would you assist me in this lifting ministry? Please pray for this ministry minded couple and be a lifter. As opportunities arise, prayerfully consider how they might be able to speak, sing, and serve the Lord through helping meet that need. Find out more at www.facebook.com/JustinAndRebekah or by visiting their new blog at The Softy and the Seminarian. Or feel free to contact me some time with any questions.