How does a Korean American stay-at-home mom start a chain of middle school Bible clubs and lead hundreds of high schoolers to Christ over pizza? Kristen You, a wife, mother of two, and volunteer from Yorba Linda, California, would say she never imagined herself doing any of these acts. When she said yes to God, she was simply a mom with a knack for baking cookies moving to the suburbs with her family.
When Kristen was a college student, she was shocked to learn about the high volume of unreached nations that lacked access to local churches, Bibles, and people to share the Gospel. She yearned to dedicate her life to serving Christ and took an opportunity to join a missions organization that sent Christian English teachers to Mongolia. Packing her bags and buying a one-way ticket, Kristen said goodbye to her friends and family in Massachusetts with the plan of spending the rest of her life serving God in East Asia. But as He so often does, God had other plans for her life.
After one year in Mongolia, Kristen visited America for a short break to see her friends and family. However, within those few months at home, Kristen got engaged to a Californian surgeon, and her missions director encouraged her to get married and stay in America.
During the first few years of her marriage, she struggled to recognize the value of local outreach. Most Americans had churches on every street corner and dusty Bibles tucked in the back of their bookshelves—what work was there for a missionary to do here? However, a dear friend in Rhode Island reminded her that everyone, even Americans, needs to hear the Gospel. After understanding this, she began to ask God how He could use an ordinary person like her in her daily life to bring Him glory in her neighborhood.
Over the years, Kristen was an active soccer mom, classroom volunteer, PTA parent, found her mission field through a program at my elementary school called Chapel on Wheels. As her daughter, I have been blessed to learn how to glorify God through our lives in watching the way my mother has loved and served her community. I interviewed my mother about how God has used her these many years and how she was able to follow His call, even when it was difficult.
Karisa You: What is Chapel on Wheels?
Kristen You: Chapel on Wheels is a program where fourth and fifth graders come once a week during their lunch period to a mobile trailer outside school campuses to learn about the Bible. For 45 minutes, the students learn Bible messages, sing songs, are tested on Scripture, and play games.
I baked fresh cookies and gave prizes. After, I emailed parents a summary of what their children learned that day. We gave salvation invitations, and many students chose Jesus as their Lord and Savior. More than half of the students were unchurched. Students loved coming to Chapel and competed over sitting in the front row.
How did you get involved?
My oldest daughter was the first to be involved in Chapel. After my younger daughter joined the program, I volunteered to teach the class, and the class size grew from 2 students to 35 every week.
[The program] continued to grow by word of mouth as students would invite their friends. Also, because I was the soccer and PTA mom, parents knew and trusted me to teach their children. My involvement in these secular activities allowed parents to trust me with their children.
How did this ministry opportunity lead to new ones?
Five weeks before graduation, students and parents asked if they could continue Chapel at middle school. I told them there was nothing currently like this at the middle school but they could pray and ask God, and He’d hear their prayers. Later, God gave me the idea to start a Bible Club in the middle school.
What did it look like to start the Bible Club?
I had received a district award from the superintendent after organizing a relief program that provided resources for families affected by the Yorba Linda fires, and the middle school principal was at this award ceremony. Two days later, after much prayer, I approached the middle school principal, who now knew me, and asked to start a Bible club. He was afraid this was against district policy but said he would allow me to do it if I was very quiet about the program. The difference between Bible club and chapel was that Bible club was held on the public campus in a classroom, so it could not be led by an adult.
What was the structure and set up of Bible club meetings?
I trained ten leaders per Bible club, with a structured outline to run a thirty-minute Bible club meeting. We started with introduction and opening prayer, a lesson, games, and ended with closing prayer. We had first and second lunch Bible Clubs, so 20 students would come to my house each week for pizza and training. The first year we had 36 students in attendance.
How did parents feel about this?
Students needed parent permission to be leaders because leadership meetings were at my house after school. Every parent loved that their student was a Christian leader on their public-school campus. Some parents were not believers, but they allowed their students to participate in leadership activities.
You supported the Fellowship of Christian Athletes as well. What is FCA?
Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a student-run club where Christian speakers/athletes are invited to share their testimony and the Gospel message of Jesus Christ at public school campuses during lunch time. Generally, two hundred, on average, students show for free pizza, cookies, and water.
How did you get involved with FCA? What does your involvement look like today?
At Yorba Linda High School (YLHS), my oldest daughter was asked to be President of her high school’s FCA club. I had wanted to help out before but I had had conflicts in my schedule with Bible Club. Later, I was able to make it to YLHS FCA meetings.
After training students at YLHS, I realized I had the gift of administration and a desire to help others use their God given talents for God’s glory. I’m happy to train students to be efficient with their time and money to get the Gospel message out to as many students as possible. I had a passion for training, and learned that other schools could benefit from this.
This past summer, I trained FCA student leaders from five different high schools in Southern California. I also trained moms and wrote fundraising letters. God supplied funds for four high schools, which totaled over $5000 of free pizza to be served over the entirety of the year.
What did you learn about God from your experience?
I am not a dreamer or visionary: God gives me what to do for the day, and I try to obediently do it. I never imagined myself starting FCAs or Bible Clubs in the district—I just imagined teaching Chapel once a week. As I faithfully completed each task, God would naturally bring the next. It was not scary or daunting; God had prepared and opened all the right doors according to His timing.
I learned that God owns all the resources we need. There is nothing that is impossible for Him, from getting club approval to raising full pizza support and getting speakers or having classroom access. It’s not my power, strength, wisdom, popularity, or law degree that brings these opportunities, but the fact that God can do whatever He wants to do and provide the ways to do it when He wants it. God reminded me that this was not from me or of me but according to His timing. I learned that this wasn’t my club but God’s. I constantly told the student leaders that God is in charge, and we are all His hands and feet.
Do you have any advice you would like to give to people seeking to glorify God in their daily lives?
I’ve heard it said many times: if you want to serve, start serving. Once you start serving, other service opportunities will be opened to you. Serving opens up in you an interest and ownership in the group. There are many services opportunities all around us in the school districts, hospitals, nursing homes, and with your neighbors and church. One thing I learned from being president of over 950 PTA members is that everyone has the talent to do good, whether that’s bringing water bottles, proctoring an exam, or baking cookies. Everyone is capable of contributing.
I’ve been asked to speak at several engagements. Each time, it wasn’t a matter of “Am I qualified?” but “Is it God’s will?” So I prayed and asked God. And if it was yes, then I had to obey.
Since leaving my home and family and moving to Mongolia, I have always found it more important to be content with God and uncomfortable with life than comfortable with life and discontent with God. I look at Abraham as he left his home and family to obey God. Being content with God means no conflict in your soul. And for me being content with God is a resounding yes.
“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)