Serving the modern day "orphans" in our society.
Our Life Launch team is small but mighty. They are dedicated to making sure that the young adults we serve have a safe and reliable community.
Can you imagine if your whole cell phone was full of contacts who were paid to be in your life? TJ, Becky, and Alicia are changing the story for many of Oklahoma’s young adults by forming small mentorship teams around 16-24 year-olds from hard places.
Our Team
Click on a team member's photo to learn 8 things about them.
Definitely watch a good movie!!
2) Aside from necessities, what is one thing you could not go a day without?
Oh, probably coffee… I have a problem.
3) Where is your favorite place you’ve ever traveled?
Well, I'm pretty boring and have never been out of the United States…tragic I know! But, my wife and I love the beach. We have gone to Palm Beach in Florida several times and love it every time.
4) Who is your favorite dinner companion?
By far my wife Anna. We both love food way too much!
5) Describe your job.
As the Program Director of Life Launch, I am in charge of the overall developmental trajectory of the Life Launch Program, tasked with equipping our Program Managers with the tools, encouragement and support they need to affectively accomplish their duties, and fostering a Gospel-centered approach to how the Life Launch Program functions and is administered in our communities.
6) What is your favorite biblical story about Jesus?
My favorite story is John chapter 1. The fact that a Transcendent, Unapproachable, Unknowable, Incomprehensible, Holy, and Triune God inserted himself into the plight of the human condition as fully God and fully man in Jesus Christ of Nazareth, to redeem his fallen creation by becoming like us in every way, is the most outlandish, and compelling reality of Christianity. All other religions call their disciples to work their way to god. But in Christianity God makes his way to us.
7) Did you have a mentor when you were growing up?
Not really. I was graciously blessed with a great intentional family.
8) What is the toughest part of your job?
Learning to deal with the hard stories we hear from the young adults we are seeking to serve. And relying on Jesus to provide me with the vision, skill, and insight necessary to do the job. I love to rely on myself, but the best thing is to be cast back upon Jesus for my success and not back upon myself. This is a lesson I am still trying to learn.
This is a tough question- I love doing all of these things! If I had to pick one, I would choose reading a book, because I hope to continue to learn new things and stay informed.
2) Aside from necessities, what is one thing you could not go a day without?
I really, really love music, and almost always have something playing in the background while I work, read, cook, or clean. I love all different types of music, but rely pretty heavily on my Spotify subscription. I think life would be pretty quiet and boring without my soundtrack!
3) Where is your favorite place you’ve ever traveled?
During my college years, my dad and I went on a road trip through the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park. I really loved watching the wild animals and appreciating the diversity of the landscape- it was beautiful! I love photography and hiking, and got to do some of both.
4) Who is your favorite dinner companion?
I love cooking for friends, but really cherish most conversations that occur over shared meals. Right now, I really love meals shared with a family in Tulsa who I lived with over the summer and grew understandably close to. They have four biological kids, and four little ones adopted through various avenues. Between the parents and their eight kids, dinner is always lively, and I always leave feeling loved.
5) Describe your job.
I spend my time investing in local ministries, agencies, and organizations that serve 16-24-year-old young adults who have experienced trauma and/or a wide variety of life circumstances that have contributed to them not having relationships with safe, unpaid adults. I simultaneously work to build relationships with local churches, where I recruit volunteers to serve as mentors for these young adults. I put these mentors together into teams of 2-4, and then match them with a young adult based on their needs. I oversee this relationship for a full year, and ensure the team is healthy, safe, and moving in a beneficial direction. After a year of meeting, I have the joy of graduating the team, and handing off the upkeep of the relationship to the mentors for the foreseeable future!
6) Did you have a mentor when you were growing up?
I’ve had several really great mentors. Some of my most meaningful relationships through my school years were with women from my church who invited me to be a witness to their lives; how they mothered their children, stewarded their jobs, and maintained relationships.
7) What is the best part of your job?
I really love spending time with the young adults we serve. As the youngest member of the SITG team, I have a natural and typically immediate bond with our young adults, and am able to quickly relate to them through a mutual trust and respect as someone near to them in age. I truly cherish those interactions and am really grateful to have that relational equity, which makes identifying their needs, understanding their stories, and ultimately connecting them with their mentors much easier.
8) What is the toughest part of your job?
The toughest part of my job is closing teams before they reach their one-year celebration and graduation. Typically, this is a result of a young adult being relocated or moving, and the resulting team closure can be hard on everyone involved. Mentors and mentee are disappointed, and my focus is typically turned to transitioning the existing relational dynamics as seamlessly as possible. I desire to see all of our teams remain in contact for years to come, and am always disappointed and saddened when those relationships are severed for any reason.
My 5 children! They are the best and are so smart and all their personalities are so different, which makes it fun.
2) Pick one: play a game, watch a movie, read a book
watch a movie
3) Aside from necessities, what is one thing you could not go a day without?
Having some sort of connection with my kids. It doesn't necessarily have to be seeing them or talking to them, but could be as little as looking at a picture or watching a video of them. I just need some form of them in my day.
4) Who is your favorite dinner companion?
(I know I always say my kids but...) Whenever I get to have 1-1 dates with my kids. I love getting to know them individually.
5) Describe your job.
My job is to connect adults within the church with young adults (16-24 yrs old) who could benefit from having safe, unpaid adults in their life with no agenda except to walk alongside this young adult through life.
6) What is your favorite biblical story about Jesus?
Mary and Martha is one of my favorites BECAUSE I always need that story as a reminder to get my focus back to where it needs to be.
7) What is the best part of your job?
I love connecting people! I love helping people find the right person or organization for whatever it is we are trying to accomplish (this goes for my job but also outside of it as well). So working at Stand in the Gap is the perfect job for that since I get to go meet new church partners and find new mentors for young adults that are referred to us.
8) What is the toughest part of your job?
Since this is a long-term commitment for volunteers, I would say FINDING enough mentors is challenging.
