Justin Wilkerson and his wife, Allison, first came to Pinelake in 2006 and immediately joined a small group. They understood the importance of living life in relationship with others and 11 years later they are still a part of the same group. Yet Justin knew he needed to go deeper in his faith, so he set some spiritual goals for himself. He began reading his Bible with greater intention and regularity and committed to memorizing Scripture. He also made worship music and Christian podcasts a staple in his daily routine. Yet Justin knew something was still missing.

Justin loves to serve and over the years he has been involved in many different service projects through Second Saturday Serve and Shine. They have been a growing experience, but he felt like he was missing out on the opportunity to build relationships through his service. While serving at a DNow weekend, Justin was introduced to middle school pastor Adam Day. Adam believed Justin would make a big difference as a small group leader at Ignite. In the last few years, as the weekly middle school gathering has seen consistent growth, the need for leaders has become greater. Justin knew the commitment would not be easy since Allison had a regular conference call for work on Wednesday evenings, but through prayer they both decided to make room in their schedules so that Justin could serve at Ignite.

Now Justin leads a group of middle school boys every Wednesday night. A few months after he began serving, Allison’s Wednesday evening conference calls were cancelled, which they knew was God affirming their decision. Justin made room in his life for more people and is playing an important part in writing new Life Change Stories in the next generation.

— Justin and Allison Wilkerson, Pinelake Reservoir