Please join us in celebrating Keith Chapman, our youth worker for the month of March!
Keith remembers the exact moment that he was called into ministry. He was a junior in high school and attending a Wesleyan winter convention. While at this convention, the speaker, Kevin Myers at 12Stone Church, asked if anyone was sensing a call into ministry. He describes how at the moment, everything came together for him. Throughout his life, people were speaking into his life that he was going to be a pastor, yet it was not until that moment that he actually felt God calling him to be a pastor. Since then, he knew that God was calling him to help shape the next generation.
Keith has now been involved in youth ministry of some sort for around 12 years. After he graduated from high school, he jumped right into getting involved in his home church. He became the interim youth pastor for some time. Throughout college, he helped with many different student ministries. After graduation, he said that he was blessed to have the opportunity to participate in the residency program at 12Stone Church. After his residency, he received a job in Northwest Indiana and have been there since.
One of Keith’s favorite parts about student ministry is seeing a student have an “aha” moment for the first time. He describes how some of them have that moment where they realize they have messed up, and yet there is a God that loves them no matter what. For others it’s when they open up their Bible and really begin to dig into it themselves and they start to spend time in prayer with God. Keith says, “I love getting to see all of the firsts through their eyes.”
Keith’s favorite passage is 1 Corinthians 3:7-9 because these verse are a constant reminder to him that Christ’s followers are in this together. Keith says that God uses every one of our gifts and ministries in different ways and ultimately he is the one who is going to grow the person.
Keith enjoys going golfing because it helps him relax along with watching and playing many sports. He also loves to be outside.
His favorite sports team is THE Ohio State buckeyes and expresses his pride for the team by saying, “The greatest football team in the world!”
He enjoys comedy and action movies along with TV shows. Yet he would have to pick The Office as his favorite.
A fun fact about Keith is that he is related to Jonny Appleseed (Chapman). He says that he did not believe that at first yet had to do a family tree project in school one time and found out that Jonny Appleseed is truly his fifth great uncle.