InsideOut: How long have you been in student ministry?
Dustin Williams: One and a half years.

IO: What is your favorite fast food restaurant?
DW: Taco Bell

IO: What about your favorite Scripture?
DW: I Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness.” It’s compact, yet so complete.

IO: Who is the biggest influence in your life?
DW: My wife, my parents, and my two closest friends, Mike and Daniel.

IO: What is the most impacting book you’ve read other than the Bible?
DW: I’ll have to pick two from a long list. Nonfiction: “We Become What We Worship” by G.K. Beale; Fiction: “1984” by George Orwell.

IO: Tom’s or Converse?
DW: Converse. I’ve had the same pair of hi-tops since I was sixteen!

IO: Mac or PC?
DW: I work with both regularly, with a little Linux thrown in for good measure. My personal preference leans toward Mac.

IO: Did you attend college? Bible college or secular?
DW: Yes, both. Community college for Business Management and Gateway College of Evangelism for Theology/Pastoral Studies.

IO: Are you single or married? Kids?
DW: Elly and I have been married since June 2011. No kids yet!

IO: What is the name of your student ministry?
DW: Fusion

IO: How did you get started in student ministry?
DW: I started helping out at my local church, doing what I could to help my friend, Daniel Turnbull, with youth ministry. I relocated for Bible college and led the ministerial alliance there for two years. As graduation neared, Elly and I felt God was leading us to serve the church in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

IO: What is the dumbest thing you’ve ever done in student ministry?
DW: Planning two overnight events within two weeks of one another. I already know this, and as of me writing this, these events haven’t even taken place yet. They’ll be crazy awesome fun and packed with God moments – but we’ll all be tired!

IO: What is the most unique prop you’ve used to illustrate a lesson?
DW: We did a series of lessons on the Ten Commandments. I used two giant slabs of heavy cardboard and made a replica of the stone tablets the commandments were written on. They stayed in our youth room for all ten weeks!

IO: What is your most memorable moment in student ministry?
DW: During our first youth week, I was able to baptize one of the young guys in the church. Anytime a student decides to be baptized or is filled with the Holy Spirit, I count it very memorable.

IO: What song would you say is the anthem for your group?
DW: Probably “Freedom” by Eddie James

IO: What is your favorite online resources when planning youth services?
DW: My first stop is The Commune-ity. Other favorites include the lifechurch.tv resource page, studentministry.org, and lots of personal blogs of youth workers I know and trust.

IO: What do you do to keep ideas fresh?
DW: Lots of prayer, obscene amounts of reading, and plenty of dialogue with other youth workers I’m networked with online.

IO: I’m in student ministry because…
DW: I believe in preparing the next generation of disciples so they can make more disciples and everyone can hear and respond to the gospel.

IO: Is your youth group active in giving to SFC?:
DW: Yes, very. The church in Poplar Bluff is consistently supportive of SFC and the Fusion students do several fundraisers throughout the year to aid in the effort. Last year, we held our first SFC Awake-a-thon and raised more than $1200 in sponsors.

Dustin and Elly Williams serves as the student pastor for Fusion at Apostolic Worship Center in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Rev. Jerry Williams is their pastor.