Grace Baptist Church, Batavia, New York, is intentionally cultivating future ministry leaders by investing relationally in its youth.
“We invest heavily in our youth of all ages” to make “more and better followers of Jesus . . . and to remind people that God strategically put them right where they are to reach people for Christ,” says Jeff Bartz, pastor of Grace Baptist Church.
Grace Baptist’s ministry leaders “genuinely love young people and know how to have fun,” Jeff says. That fun and loving environment creates “optimal conditions for spiritual growth, where youth want to participate in the life of the church and are more receptive to Biblical truth.”
As soon as students begin attending the church’s student ministry, its leaders invite them into intentional discipleship relationships and service opportunities. For those interested in pursuing ministry, leaders also provide pathways, like internships and pastoral residencies.
One of those students is John Phillips. John, who is studying pastoral ministry through the Northeast School of Theology and Ministry, has been a youth and young adult intern since April 2025. Last year, Generate gave Grace Baptist a residency grant to support his internship.
“The next generation is the future of the church,” Generate says, “and well-equipped leaders are essential to fueling healthy, reproducing churches.”
Paul Davis, president of ABWE, agrees, saying that Jesus expects ministry leaders to multiply ministry leaders. Speaking during the March 22 worship service that Grace Baptist called Send Sunday, Paul pointed out 2 Timothy 2:2: “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”
“Every generation must raise the next,” and “churches are the sending pipeline,” Paul said. He explained that Jesus used a simple system for multiplying and sending leaders into ministry: “identify, train, send, repeat.”
“If you’ve identified [future ministry leaders] and if you’ve trained them up well, don’t be afraid to send them,” Paul encouraged Grace Baptist’s leaders and congregation.
The next Sunday, the church unexpectedly had the opportunity to send out one of its pastoral residents, Owen Mileham.
Owen, who serves on the same Air National Guard base where Jeff Bartz previously served as the wing chaplain, had received word that he would be deployed. So the church held a commissioning service for him at the end of the worship service March 29, choosing to send him out as a missionary from Grace Baptist Church.
As ministry leaders, interns, deacons, and trustees gathered around Owen, Jeff read from 3 John 1:6–7: “You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of [Jesus’] name. . . . Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.”
“I couldn’t be more proud of [Owen],” Jeff said. “I couldn’t be more thankful for him. He has become a trusted co-laborer, friend, and fellow soldier, and I would go to war with him any day.”
Jeff gave him several new Bibles to take with him on his deployment, after which Owen’s dad led everyone in prayer, praying that Owen’s “pulpit ministry and his time here would continue over there.”
Front row, from left: Silas Calderon, Bailey Morse (pastoral intern), Landon Suro, Emery Guenther, and Owen Mileham (pastoral resident).
Back row, from left: Gabe Mileham, Timothy Bartz, Pastor Jeff Bartz, Joshua Bartz, and John Phillips (pastoral resident and Generate residency grant recipient).
