For Michael Wilson, serving others is about one simple purpose: creating opportunities for people to encounter Jesus.
Michael serves with Bad Boyz Jail Ministry, Light to the World Christian Academy, New Perspectives Senior Living Center, Barathaven Memory Care, and Rescue Ministry. From young students to individuals experiencing incarceration to senior adults, Michael believes every person has a unique journey toward Christ.
“My ultimate prayer and purpose in serving is to be a vessel through whom others might encounter Jesus for the first time or deepen their existing walk with Him.”
His desire to serve is rooted in Jesus’ Great Commission in Matthew 28:18–20—to go, make disciples, and teach others to follow Christ.
Using the Gifts God Has Given Him
Michael has walked with Jesus for more than 35 years. Along the way, his experience as a teacher and his involvement in part-time missionary work have helped prepare him to serve in a variety of settings.
Those experiences have given Michael opportunities to humbly teach, encourage, and share God’s Word while helping others discover its truth in the context of their own lives.
Pouring Out—and Being Filled
Serving has also deepened Michael’s own relationship with Jesus. He describes service as a constant reminder of Christ’s presence and the Holy Spirit’s guidance in his life.
“The more I pour myself out in service, the more I find my own spiritual well replenished and overflowing by His grace.”
For Michael, Luke 6:38 captures this beautiful rhythm of generosity: when we give, God continues to fill and sustain us.
Hope for Every Season of Life
Michael has witnessed the hope of Jesus unleashed across generations and circumstances. He has seen God’s grace at work in young students, individuals experiencing incarceration, and senior adults embracing the final season of their lives.
“Each testimony is a powerful reminder of God’s boundless capacity to change hearts and bring redemption, regardless of age or circumstance.”
There is no age, background, or circumstance that places someone outside the reach of God’s grace.
Blessed to Be a Blessing
Serving has taught Michael patience, grace, and humility. More importantly, it has opened his eyes to the blessings he has received—especially his relationship with his Creator and the opportunity to be God’s hands and feet in the world.
“It’s a humbling realization of how much I am blessed to be a blessing.”
Find Your Sweet Spot
Michael encourages anyone considering Local Outreach to prayerfully discover their “spiritual gifts sweet spot”—the place where God-given talents meet a real need.
Then?
“Get out of the way” and permit God to work powerfully through us, trusting His divine guidance above our own understanding. Michael’s story reminds us that God can use our experiences, gifts, and willingness in places we may never have imagined.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Interested in serving through Bad Boyz Jail Ministry? You don’t have to go inside a jail to make a difference. One opportunity is to volunteer by grading Bible studies completed by individuals who are incarcerated. Your time and encouragement can help someone engage with God’s Word and take another step in their journey toward Jesus.
Consider using your gifts to help unleash hope beyond the walls of the church. Where do your gifts meet a need? Ask God. Listen for His leading. Step forward. And watch Him unleash hope through you.
“Give, and it will be given to you.” — Luke 6:38
What if your gifts could help someone encounter Jesus?