Michael – streetleader

Humber College student, Michael Brown, found himself at UrbanPromise Toronto (UPT) for his placement and ultimately found Jesus while serving our youth in Rexdale, Etobicoke as a Streetleader.
     In his third year studying to be a Child & Youth Worker (CYW), Michael was stuck trying to find his next placement. Tired of the usual options, he was looking for something different, somewhere with kids he could relate to.  His teacher eventually told him about UPT and after some research, he knew it was what he’d been searching for.
     Then Michael’s friend told him that UPT is a Christian-based organization, but it was surprisingly an extra incentive.  “The Christian thing didn’t really deter me because a few years leading up to this placement, I’ve always had Christianity, religious stuff on my mind but I never went out of my way to learn about it,” said Michael.
     Knowing what it’s like to grow up fatherless, he was ready to use his skills and experiences to reach the youth in YMAD Victory.  But a couple weeks into his new placement, he wasn’t quite ready to take on the new challenge of being in such a different environment.
     “I didn’t really feel like I was part of the whole thing, I felt like a big observer, especially the (staff retreat)…we were doing devotionals, worshipping, bonding, and I felt like I wasn’t really part of it, but just in the mix of it,” he said.
     Feeling like an outsider, he kept at it and participated in all camp activities like helping youth with their homework, playing basketball and just having fun with them.  When it came time for WordUP (devotionals), he quietly listened and took in what was being said.

After a while, he knew what he was hearing was the answer to the desires that had been brewing in his heart.  “I was used to being a student, using my skills and working with kids. Here it was more than just a placement. I had my placement life of being a student, then I had my mind on Christianity and getting to know the Lord.”
     But he realized that as soon as he left camp, his interest in God faded and he went back to ‘normal living.’  But he wanted that to change.  In the mix of the UPT family, being so welcomed and loved, he saw something he longed for – to be part of God’s family.
     The turning point for Michael was when he got rides home with a fellow Streetleader, who helped him understand everything he was going through. “He was a big impression, a big motivator in my experience…he’d debrief with me on the way home about everything that happened.” He was someone in the same age group and also a new believer who had dealt with the same conflicts.  He even introduced Michael to music that opened his ears…and eyes, to the truth.
     It was those conversations and the new music that gave him the courage to receive God into all of his life, not just his placement.  “In November, I told (my class) I accepted Jesus into my life, that He’s my salvation and everything, that I know it’s not gonna be easy, but I’m giving myself up for it cause it’s something I’ve been thinking about my entire life,” said Michael.
     With a new bible in hand, Michael led his first devotional with the staff and his growth caught the attention of the youth who noticed he was participating in WordUP instead of just listening. As Michael said, “before I was crawling, but I started to learn how to walk.” 
     A year later, Michael is still faithfully serving God and is a CYW with Peel Children’s Centre. “I found my purpose through being at UrbanPromise, which is not to live for myself, because before that’s all I knew.  Now I’m living to glorify the Lord, grow with Him and just try to let His light shine through me everywhere I go,” Michael said as he reminisced about his time with UPT.