Growth doesn’t always happen overnight. But consistency always matters.
That’s what Jay Newby has learned since he became a ministry partner with Nothing but the Truth in 2019. After his first visit to Truth’s Place, he knew he wanted to get involved.
“I was an intern with the City of Lawrenceville out of college, and towards the end of my time there, I joined the mayor for ‘a day in the life of the mayor.’ One of the stops we made was to Nothing but the Truth and [Truth’s Community Clinic],” Jay explained.
He started out helping on Thursday mornings in the food pantry. Then he heard about Thursday night Life Conversation Groups and opportunities to spend time with youth.
“We’ll start off with games — sometimes we’ll play soccer or bounce around the volleyball. We may play chess or do some arts and crafts,” he said. “Then we’ll serve food and get into a discussion about the Word. Usually we finish the night with a big group game to get everyone involved and interacting.”
Building relationships is the foundation of Thursday nights at Truth’s Place, whether it’s relationships between the ministry partners who serve together or between the ministry partners and families who visit Truth’s Place.
“When we come here on Thursday nights, it’s not about being a leader over students. It’s about believers helping other believers get through life, at the end of the day,” Jay shared.
“We genuinely care about each other’s lives. We ask about new things going on or how people are doing. If there’s a sad time, we come together and pray about it. If there’s a happy time, we come together and celebrate it.”
When he and his wife welcomed their son last year, the other ministry partners weren’t the only ones asking about him. The kids were too!
“They were asking, ‘Hey, where’s your baby? How’s he doing? Is he getting big?’”
By consistently showing up and planting seeds in young hearts, Jay and other ministry partners are creating opportunities for parents and their kids to ask questions and learn more about a Father who will always be there for them.
“One young man was coming [to Truth’s Place]. He was quiet and shy. He didn’t interact much, but he was respectful and never rude. At times, we wondered why he was coming because he seemed old enough to stay at home by himself. We figured maybe his mom was making him come,” Jay explained.
As ministry partners continued showing up and sharing the Word with him, they started to see him wrestle with the truth they were teaching.
“He had that internal struggle as he grappled with Jesus’ coming, His death and resurrection and what it means for our lives,” Jay said.
“After our messages, we make sure everyone is very aware that if there’s ever a time you want to have a conversation about the Word or you have questions about life, you can pull us to the side.”
One day, this student did approach ministry partners, asking to learn more about Jesus.
Stories like this remind Jay that consistency matters.
“We’re doing life and sharing the Word. And maybe not everybody every week is understanding it. But there could be one kid you don’t expect the Word to [impact], and one week, it does. Consistency allows you to reach them where they are.”
Though Jay is building a career and serving as a mentor in other capacities, he carefully guards his commitment to Truth’s Place because he knows what kind of difference showing up makes. And it’s a commitment he wants to pass on.
“[Nothing but the Truth] is providing a safe space for people to fellowship and get to know the Lord. We’re doing life together, and it’s the core of what Jesus is about,” he said.
“[I want my son] to be a part of this once he gets a little bigger.”