My name is Jordan Boyce. I am an 18 yr old teenager who moved across the country to go to the internship that overtook my dreams countless times from the age of 15. It wasn’t easy to pull away from my youth church, family, and friends to move 3,000 miles away immediately after high-school, but I am more convinced now than ever before that Generation Interns was Gods idea and not my own.
September
If you had asked if I knew who I was and had a solid foundation Christ when I arrived in Seattle I would tell you that my identity and foundation were unshakable. Ironically the Bible claims that everything that can be shaken…will be shaken. Pastor Jude started out the year with the revelation from Acts 6 that the Apostles gave themselves to the study of the word and to prayer. This shook me. Give yourself to word and prayer. I still struggle with reading my Bible everyday, and I still desire to pray so much more than I do now…but I will never be the same in my thinking about the Bible and prayer. It is not something to add to yourself, it is something to which you give yourself. I know that as I continue to grow in my life that phrase spoken in my mind by the unforgettable voice of Pastor Jude will reverberate for as long as I live, driving me back to that place of being given to the word and prayer.
October
As I was leaving Rhode Island I told many of my friends that I wanted to be in a place where I could grow as intern #82- just a face in the crowd with no last name or previous accomplishments of many merit. Though this was exactly what I needed, I underestimated what Christ would do to someone asking to be humbled. My October/November months I would constantly ask myself “What am I doing here?”. I had gotten what I asked for. It was through these times that I would crave prayer in the morning or Basic Doctrine. These had become escapes for me, and the few reasons I wanted to stay. Christ was ripping from me my pride, my self-centeredness, and my thinking that I had something to say to which everyone needed to listen. It seems like I had a crash course with all those proverbs that would essentially say “Shut up, and listen”. I felt no movement, no accomplishment, and no glory- Christ kept me perfectly still and in the stillness I remembered who was God. Christ got me to shut up long enough to stop telling people about Christ and actually meet Him myself.
November
During this month I had the chance to go on a trip across America to New York with the infamous Pastor Jude Fouquier. Pastor Jude was the reason I had wanted to be an intern in the first place. The unique thing about Pastor Jude is that he is the same Pastor Jude in Seattle, in New York, in a pulpit, or out of one. Of the dozen of life changing things I learned on that short trip two stand out above the rest. The first is that Pastor Jude is serious about Jesus Christ. In the waiting area he talks about Him, on the plane He reads about him, in the hotel room he prays to Him, and in the pulpit he preaches about Him. His fervor for Christ is unmatched, and more importantly, it is contagious. The second is that Pastor Jude is just as serious about having fun. Ill never forget all the stares we got when Pastor Jude decided to tune into a portion of “The Office” during the flight- his laugh could be heard in the cockpit. When Pastor Jude was at dinner with a group of world weary pastors he talked about the joy of ministry, told the same hilarious stories, and electrified the atmosphere with the pure joy he carries with him. We walked back to the hotel room waking half the floor with our uncontrollable laughter. It seems Pastor Jude has chosen to let no one outdo him in seriousness, or having fun- which is a decision I have decided to take on in my life.
December
Finally I began to feel at home in The City Church referring to Pastor Wendell and Gini as my pastors, GC as my youth group, and Seattle as my city. I decided that 4 months in Generation Interns was most certainly not long enough. Things began to kick into high gear as the Intern Christmas part was announced along with The GC College Cruise, which was almost immediately, coined the infamous “Booze Cruise”. Interns citywide ignored the “no dating” policy by immediately asking friends and other interns to attend the Booze Cruise with them. An announcement was soon made stating that we could not bring dates to the Booze Cruise, only friends of the opposite gender…okay. Towards the end of December the interns gathered for to celebrate Christmas as one. I can remember few times in my life where I felt more awkward than standing in front of 100 people rapping a Christmas song with Spencer to a Vanilla Ice beat blaring from my tiny Iphone speaker through a microphone so all in the room could enjoy these twisted sights and sounds Pastor Jon Smith created to torture us for the fun of others. It was at this party that I saw a side of my friend Dave Fernandez that i never knew existed. Ironically by the time I finally feel like I am home in Seattle I get on a flight to return to my real home: Rhode Island.
I returned home not expecting to give of myself, but was immediately thrust back into ministry mostly by coming alongside my friends who had become “weary in doing good”, I discovered during this time that I had more deposited in me during those 4 months than I had originally thought. What I had to give my home this time around was a world away than what I had to offer just 4 months prior. I knew I was still like a pot in the hands of God, but I was amazed at the change He had done in me through Generation Interns without me even being aware of the majority of it.
January
I arrive back at interns during the third week in January. Pastor Jude dives in Basice Doctrine II as the second half of the year kicks off. In the end of January a small group of interns and I decided, during doctrine class, to leave in 2 hours for Portland to attend GenUnleash Conference. As worship kicks off with 3,000 teenagers are packed into City Bible Church, I am inspired. The lights, the music, the words all blended together to capture every heart in the majesty of Christ. It is experiences like these that I will hold in my heart forever.
February
In early February Pastor Judah Smith announces that the workshops at this years GC Conference will be preached entirely by interns this year- myself being one of them. Personally this statement could not have been more of a shock; I even remember my friend Stephen laughing thinking Pastor Judah was joking. The next 8 weeks before conference was spent gearing up for our messages. During this time we met with Pastor Judah weekly at 5:55 am, where he taught us about effective communication. In just one hour with Pastor Judah I learned more about communication than I thought I would all year combined. I will hold those times of mentoring in my heart forever, because I know just how many youth pastors worldwide would give their whole paycheck to spend one hour with Judah Smith talking about preaching and leading. It was such an honor to sit under him during the year.
March
Finally Generation Church Conference came at the tail end of March bringing 2,500 teenagers from around the world with it. This was the moment when I along with 5 other interns were to preach- thinking back to that event I am shocked that Pastor Judah chose to have faith in a bunch of 18-20 yr olds. The support in that experience was overwhelming. My good friends Caleb and Dave prayed for me before the sermon and made fun of the fact that the one day I ever cut myself shaving was that day. Pastor Jon Smith introduced me- which meant so much to me, no one has captured more of my respect in such a short time as Pastor Jon. In the beginning of the intern year Pastor Jude stated that Pastor Jon was going to be the most impacting person in our intern year- he was right. My good friend from Hillsong Church in Australia, Adrian, was doing sound, and all my good friends were filling the first few rows. That message was the most fun time I have EVER had in my preaching, and it was impacting also. I know that day was a leap in one aspect of my growth, and I thank God for surrounding me so many awesome people to create that experience.
April
Immediately after the epic GC Conference a group of us interns flew off to the fabulous Las Vegas on a week long mission trip supporting Pastor Benny & Wendy Perez at The Church at South Las Vegas. We helped with The Kids at The Church at South Las Vegas, prayed with The Staff at The Church at South Las Vegas, and participated in Outreach at…you get the picture. Attending their youth church; Seven was an incredible experience. They had their entire lobby was set with blaring music (the louder the better), a stage complete with an open mic, and a tangibly excited atmosphere. This place was legit. Inside, worship was loud and crazy, the youth were serious, and the preaching was real talk. Seven is an awesome example to me of how youth church should be serious about Christ, and serious about fun- If Las Vegas is all about being over the top in all they do, then The Church at South Las Vegas has decided take that on- creating a church as alive and buzzing as the city it serves.
May
It was the beginning of the end as May 18th soon approached. I prepared to coast into May considering that interns was wrapping up, but Pastor Jon returned from a DC trip at the beginning of May bringing a new anointing to the internship. Things began to accelerate in prayer and worship as the end drew closer. Interns became like a rocket just about to break through the atmosphere- the pressure got highest, and the heat was at its most intense. The relationships that had been formed during the year began drawing closer as their time began to run out. God gave me the greatest group of friends to do life with this year, and I already miss each of them immensely. There are few people in this world who can, like Jesus, enjoy life and enjoy God at the same time, and I found a few of those people in my short year in Seattle.
A few days before graduation we had a 10k race for all the interns. That race reflected my year at interns- though I was frustrated at times, wanted to quit halfway through, and at times too tired to care- I put my head down and ran the race set before me.
I finished this race on May 18th as I awkwardly hugged and handshaked every City Church pastor imaginable. I gained friendships that I will have all my years, I gained mentors who have poured into me more than they will ever know, and I gained knowledge of Christ, His Church, and His People. Above all I gained a sturdy foundation in which Christ is the cornerstone. It is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me and as I return to Rhode Island the life I now live, I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
