Fruitfulness
How would you like to spend a year in a community where you can grow in your faith, make lifelong friendships, and develop a deep love of God’s heart for the nations?
Lauren Herd had the best year of her life when she did Year 13, a Christian discipleship program from Youthworks that gives school leavers a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be equipped for a life of serving Jesus in whatever they do and get a taste of mission work in Fiji.
Lauren wasn’t sure what she wanted to do when she finished Year 12 on the Gold Coast, but when her cousin raved about Year 13 as the best thing ever, she decided to enrol in 2017.
(Year 13 Students on mission in Fiji with Lauren as their Local Church Mission Leader)
Lauren wanted to set solid foundations on Christ in the real world but got so much more than she imagined. She loved the four-week mission trip to Fiji so much that she’s been back six times as a leader, running kids’ activities and Bible studies in the village of Naimelimeli.
Over those years, she’s seen the incredible fruit of the students’ ministry in previous years. “Every year I go back, the kids have framed all their artwork, their craft, and they’re singing all the songs. And in the village of Naimelimeli last year, we started up a youth Bible study discussion and that’s still continuing. So seeing the reaction from the local church to receive Year 13 is really encouraging.”
Lauren believes it was Year 13 that developed her missional heart.
“So, while I still work in a bakery, I see mission work all around me, which is really cool because you don’t have to go to Fiji to do mission work.
“My biggest takeaway from Year 13 was that I felt God say to me, ‘I don’t mind what you do as long as you glorify and serve me in all you do.’ I wrote it in my journal. It wasn’t a big audible voice saying ‘Go do nursing or go be a teacher.’ God cares more about my heart and my character than my occupation. So, from Fiji, I realised that if I’m working in a bakery or a cleaner, whatever I’m doing, it doesn’t matter as long as I’m glorifying and serving God.”
Lauren says the Fiji experience gave her a “whole new perspective” and the friendships she formed were the best ever.
“I loved the Chaplaincy Groups in Year 13. I found it really encouraging to be able to be vulnerable with people, which I haven’t done before, and just to have a solid group of people around me praying was so special.
“I catch up once a year with a few friends who live in different states and I know that I could message anyone from the year asking for prayer, and I know that they would pray for me. That team is a pretty special community – it’s like a little gold nugget!”
Lauren also enjoyed the apologetics subject which helped set solid foundations on what she believes.
“That’s been really helpful in helping me to share the gospel. It’s like you don’t have to be weird about sharing the gospel. It just comes through a relationship and an overflow from your love of God. So, Year 13 just solidified what I already believed in the real world, and equipped me for work and ministry, which school doesn’t necessarily do.”
In addition to gaining an understanding of the urgency of sharing the gospel, Year 13 helped Lauren keep following Jesus in the modern world through daily quiet times with God.
“During Year 13, we had solo time with God every day. Because of that, that’s how I start my day every day. That sets your day up well so that no matter what happens that day, you’ve started your day with God.”
She found studying for the Diploma of Christian Studies more full-on than she anticipated but said the knowledge she gained was priceless.
While she is excited to help her church plan a mission trip to Indonesia, she feels that you don’t have to go overseas to do mission work. “I like exploring what that looks like in our own country,” she says.
Summing up, Lauren says: “I wish I could just keep doing it. I can’t recommend it enough. The growth that happens in that year. You can do uni whenever you want in life. You can work whenever you want in life. But having that foundational year is so crucial. You’re still growing and learning so much as a 17, 18-year-old. It’s unique being surrounded by a bunch of other people your age who love the Lord. It was amazing. I had the best year and couldn’t recommend it enough.”