When your mom or dad is on staff at a local church, it is not unusual that the ministry and its people become a second family to you because it’s all you know. There is a unique perspective as a staff kid. Such was the case for Andrew Miller, whose father serves as the children’s pastor at Tri-City Baptist Church in Chandler, Arizona.
“I’ve grown up here my whole life,” remembers Andrew, “and I went to Tri-City Academy from kindergarten through my senior year of high school.” And like his father, Andrew is now on staff at Tri-City Baptist Church as its youth pastor.
When it came time for Andrew to attend college after high school, it was a logical choice to attend IBCS — after all, it has very close ties to Tri-City. But there is also a story behind his decision. Like many students in high school, Andrew was not exactly sure what God wanted for his life, but he wrestled with the thought of pursuing some aspect of Christian ministry. “That was something I definitely thought about in high school,” reminisces Andrew, “where I first sensed the call to ministry.”
One summer while working at Ironwood Christian Camp, Andrew remembers sitting in one of the services. The speaker was helping the campers understand the value and joy of surrendering to a life of ministry. It was during that service that the powerful preaching of God’s Word was working in his life. He knew right then that God was prompting him for a life of vocational ministry. All he knew was that he wanted others to be true followers of Jesus and that he loved being able to encourage his campers in their spiritual growth.
IBCS was the natural next-step fit for Andrew in preparing him for his calling in ministry. His focus was a Bachelor of Arts in Bible and Business Leadership, but it was so much more than the degree that drew him to this college. “I chose to come to IBCS because I wanted to learn ministry. And I knew they were so focused on ministry and mentoring others. And inside the classroom, the academics would prepare me for that.” He was right — what he learned on the campus of IBCS became real as he had multiple opportunities to practically use his training in his church.
Andrew found that each of the teachers in his courses was a mentor to him personally. They were genuinely interested in his life and truly cared about him as an individual. And he was impacted by how conversations were consistently directed back to spiritual needs and his own growth. “I had a few men who, on a weekly basis, would spend an hour or two with me, mentoring me in how to preach as well as how to effectively manage my life and prepare me for the future. I am really, really thankful for the personal mentoring.”
Andrew’s meaningful relationships at IBCS were not limited to the campus. He experienced the value of community in doing activities with others in the student body. Whether hiking in the Grand Canyon, kayaking on the Colorado River, off-roading, or playing games, they all contributed to Andrew's feeling united with others in the student body and feeling like a family.
If Andrew had to pick one area that excited him the most about his time at IBCS, it was helping him prepare for ministry that is influencing his work today as a youth pastor. Andrew understands that his relationship with God must be his sole priority. “Even as a pastor,” Andrew says, “I can learn how to preach and run activities, but if my walk with God is not where it needs to be, then I will never have an effective ministry with others. I always need to be depending on Him, trusting that He will enable me with His power.”