Inside Out: When did you first feel the call to youth ministry?

Chad Flowers: I discovered a calling to youth ministry while evangelizing. Doors would open for me to preach youth revivals or special-focused weekends for youth groups, and God would move! Eventually, the door opened for my wife, Mendy, and I to come back to my home church to take the position of youth pastor.

IO: What are some of the challenges of becoming a youth minister?

CF: The biggest challenge is making sure you possess a true burden for this age group rather than trying to just use the position as a stepping stone to something else. It helps to be in tune with what is happening in their worlds and possess an understanding of how they communicate and spend their free time, but more importantly than that is being able to genuinely “love” them. Whether you’re up-to-date with the times or not, showing godly love can conquer more than just being relevant.

IO: What would you say to a teenager that wants to work with youth?

CF: First, establish your own walk and relationship with God. Then take advantage of the fact that you are very much in your youth and can relate better to young people than even someone my age in their late twenties.

IO: Where were you born and raised?

CF: I’m a born and bred Dallasite (Dallas, TX).

IO: Did you go to Bible College? And, if so, when and where?

CF: I never attended Bible College, per se. I always tell people I attended the Bible school of Steve and Barbara Willoughby while serving on AIM under them in Singapore. They broke me into ministry like I had never experienced before—both at the Tabernacle of Joy in Singapore and while making frequent mission trips with them and their church into Southern Asia. For the last three years, I have served under my father at EPC, learning the lessons of patience and loving people of all ages, two key components of building a church. I would call all of this my “Bible college.”

IO: Did you go to secular college? And, if so, when and where?

CF: I did my basics at Eastfield Community College close to my parents’ home. I then transferred to Dallas Baptist University where I completed a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2004 and a Master of Arts in Counseling in 2008. I’m currently working to be certified as an L.P.C. (licensed professional counselor).

IO: Tell us about your family?

CF: On November 12, 2005, I married my best friend, Mendy Chandler. She is the most incredible person God could have placed in my life. On December 20, 2008, God blessed us with a precious little girl, Jadyn McKenzie Flowers. I know I am a very blessed man!

IO: What is your favorite food?

CF: That’s easy—chicken fajitas . . . from just about any Mexican restaurant!

IO: If you could have dinner with one person that is alive today and that you have never met, who would it be?

CF: I would be interested in having dinner with former President George Bush. I would love to pick his brain and hear his take of the experience of being President of the United States for the first eight years of this century!

IO: Who is your historical hero?

CF: I have several, but perhaps my top two would be George Washington and Ronald Reagan.

IO: Do you have a hobby?

CF: If I could pick it back up someday, I used to scuba dive and loved it. I’m definitely a water-sports person—water skiing, tubing, knee boarding, and wake boarding. There’s also nothing better for me than taking my daughter to the park and watching her play and discover this world!

IO: What is your favorite book?

CF: I don’t have just one. To name a few, If You Want to Walk On Water, You Have to Get Out of The Boat by John Ortberg and The Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards. For fun reading, I enjoy books by John Grisham or Jeffrey Archer.

IO: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

CF: Singapore. Definitely Singapore. I spent three months on AIM there with the Willoughbys in 2005 working with the church and loved every minute of it! The people are awesome, the city is beautiful, and a part of my heart will always be there.

IO: If someone wrote a biography of your life, what would be the title?

CF: I have no idea. You tell me.

IO: Has there ever been a time where you felt like you didn’t know God’s will?

CF: Yes, there have been a few. When I find myself questioning whether I’m in God’s will, I take time to carefully pray about it. I go back to the last time I felt like I was in the will of God to check the path I’ve traveled. I counsel with mentors and leaders in my life to review everything that has led to my concerns. Thus far, I feel confident I am pursuing His will.

IO: Today’s youth are dealing with issues that no other generation has had to face; what do they need to survive?

CF: The short answer is, “an intimate relationship with God.” In order to do that, it’s going to take submission to authority, a desire to move away from the surface, not being easily swayed, and lots and lots of patience! Until they find their identity in Jesus Christ, today’s youth are going to grope for anything that seems appealing and satisfying, only to end up with regrets, frustration, and confusion.

IO: When did you first know you were called to preach?

CF: I was 18. I had been prophesied over two years before, in a revival, that God would start putting pieces of the puzzle together for me. I was sitting in the home of a missionary getting ready to preach my first Sunday sermon when the missionary began to tell me that God was putting pieces of the puzzle together for me now. I was looking down at my simple sermon and something inside me just “clicked” and I knew this (preaching) is what I was supposed to do.

IO: Is it what you imagined?

CF: Every bit and more so! Life in ministry has had ups and downs. I’ve experienced a few times with sweaty palms waiting for God to come through with a miracle for our survival, and then there have been times when I feel like I’m soaring on eagles’ wings! The most fulfilling part is knowing that I’m making a difference for the Kingdom!