Jared’s Story

Sep 27, 2024 | Uncategorized

I moved to Colorado in January for an indoor children’s ski and snowboard instructor job at a school outside Boulder.  After starting my job and settling in, my first Sunday living in Colorado, I visited a small house church in Boulder and was introduced to one of my now closest friends, Matt.  Matt was trying to start a slope ministry at Eldora Ski Resort. Eldora is the nearest ski hill to Boulder and is often referred to as “Boulder’s backyard playground.” Since I had begun working in the ski industry and had a love for Jesus and shred culture, he asked if I’d like to be a part of this “Slope Service Ministry,” as we called it, and I quickly accepted. 

On my first Sunday as a new Colorado resident, I was learning how to wax skis and snowboards, sharpen their edges, and other basic maintenance.  I had known for years that I felt called to missions somehow, but I didn’t know what that looked like.  But before long, I quickly felt like this type of ministry was exactly what I wanted to do.

I knew that our ministry at Eldora was connected to SFC, but I needed to learn more about the organization. Matt told me that SFC was hosting a gathering in Jackson Hole, Wyoming called SFC CAMP. I was interested, but I was curious about whether I could make it.  Matt and his wife were going to be out of the country for their anniversary, and the other few members of our ministry team were busy and couldn’t make it.  So if I went, it was just going to be me. On top of all this, I wasn’t sure how I would pay for camp. I had just lost my job a few weeks prior.  I knew that SFC offered a scholarship for those struggling financially, but I was still skeptical whether it would be enough to afford the trip. I was surprised when SFC offered me free registration, saying they didn’t want finances to be an obstacle.  I shared about the event with my family, and much to my surprise, my parents offered to pay for my gas to and from the camp!  This confirmed that this was something worth investing my time and effort into. I felt God leading me down this path when I couldn’t do it alone.

The campout was awesome!  I met some pretty amazing people and built new relationships that would help get me more connected with SFC. While at camp, I played hard, napped, and worshiped hard, surrounded by God’s beautiful creation and people who made me feel very welcome.  The amount of moose we saw near or in our campground was crazy, the hikes were lovely, the worship was heavenly, and the bonds formed were unforgettable.  Now, I have Jesus-loving snow-bros all over the country from whom I get to learn and be encouraged. Some people I met live near me, and I can’t wait to see them again and hopefully share them on the mountain sometime soon! 

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