New England's Youth Ministers MATT DANIELS

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Matt Daniels and I was born in Bloomington, Illinois, but my family moved several times during my life. I have lived in Indiana and Texas, and then finally landed back in Illinois for the greater part of my adolescence (from about sixth grade on). I did not grow up in the church, and really did not experience any type of Christian activity until my sophomore year in high school.

Tell us about that first time experience of church for you.

Well, it was after football practice and a friend of mine asked me what I was doing, and then invited me to his youth group. I really hesitated at first, but after some prodding on his part, I gave in and ended up going. Over time, I kept on going and really took an interest in what was being said, as well as seeing that this was more about people believing something - it was a part of everything they did, it was who they really were. That really intrigued me.

How did you hear about Londonderry Christian Church?

Shannon & Matt Daniels

The church where I was ministering took on an interim minister from Lincoln Christian College, and through this contact I became aware of the available ministry positions on their website. Londonderry's ministry opening was on their site. A few phone calls later, my wife Shannon and I flew out and all the assumptions about New England just went out the window when we fell in love with New Hampshire immediately. We have been here for four months now, and the learning curve has been quite the experience - a challenge and a joy.

First impressions about life here in New England?

Weekends are pretty guarded here in New Hampshire. Church is not a huge factor for most in making plans for families as it might be in the Midwest. So I have to really promote and give plenty of notice for events and studies to our families and students here. Individuals in New England really seem to think things through on multiple levels, which is great in the sense that when they make a commitment to Christ, you gain the sense that these individuals have really wrestled through this decision. Getting used to not being able to meet with students in the schools is another thing to really wrestle with for Student Ministry here. Again, in the Midwest, I went to church with principals and teachers. Here, the wall immediately goes up whenever school officials find out I have a religious (Christian) affiliation and that I am a Student Minister. It has forced me to really think creatively about ways to interact and build relationships with the students here. As far as similarities, students are looking for authentic relationships. It is amazing how quickly a student can size up an individual and their motives. It keeps me on my toes and really allows me to think about trying to live an authentic life with the students, regardless of where I am. It really is about "being" instead of "doing", and perhaps that is what students pick up on so quickly with people.

What are the top needs that you see here for students?

Healthy adult relationships beyond their parents is a huge one for me. I am trying to build a team of adults at Londonderry Christian to fill that need for them, and even that will take time and a great deal of effort. I believe that in the long run it will develop maturity and community here as a result. And of course, an authentic relationship with Christ is foremost. This type of relationship on a personal level with Christ will result in better relationships with those around them. The church, their Christian friends and family, become the physical presence of Christ for them on a daily basis

What are your goals for 2008?

Adult volunteers is something you can never have enough of, and I am not always thinking that needs to be the parents. Others need to take ownership of this ministry as well, and I hope to further develop this part of Student Ministry in 2008. In conjunction with that I want to mentor and lead out with some student leaders. I really believe that will be huge for Londonderry Christian this year and I really want to focus on those things. Relationships are key.