Each Friday, Baptist Women in Ministry introduces an amazing minister. This week, we’re excited to introduce Carrie Houston.
Carrie, tell us about your ministry journey, the places and ways you have been serving and are serving.
After graduating from Truett Seminary in 2009, I struggled to find full-time employment in ministry. I began to question my calling to ministry. It wasn’t until I stumbled upon a youth ministry internship at a Lutheran church that my calling was reaffirmed and I was determined as ever to find that perfect ministry position. A few years later, in June of 2017, I joined the staff of First Baptist Church, Austin, Texas as minister to students. I couldn’t have found a better place to spend my first years in ministry to learn, grow, and step outside of my comfort zones.
What have been your greatest sources of joy in ministry?
My greatest source of joy in my ministry comes from my teenagers themselves. Being able to get to know them and share life with them is the reason I do what I do. I tell everyone I meet that I am the luckiest person in the world that I get to hang out with teenagers…and get paid to do it! There’s no better job out there! I promise.
What have been the greatest challenges you have encountered in ministry?
Understanding youth culture and the way they communicate with each other has been a challenge because students do not communicate the same way their parents do. I can send a simple email to parents, but not all students have email. If they do, most don’t even check it. I find myself having to communicate with texts, Instagram, Facebook, GroupMe, phone calls, emails, and through our church website. It’s exhausting!
How do you stay healthy, physically and spiritually?
One of my favorite ways to stay physically and emotionally healthy is to do CrossFit three to five times a week. There is something so empowering about lifting a heavy barbell over your head to make you feel like you can take on anything. The gym is my place where I can go and forget about all the stress and worries I might have and just focus on doing the best I can in my workout that day. To stay spiritually healthy, I check in frequently with my trusted friends to talk about what God is teaching me or showing me. Having someone you can trust that can help you discern God’s will for your life is vital for you to stay healthy.
What advice would you give to a teenage girl discerning a call to ministry?
Don’t get discouraged. God really IS calling you to ministry! Find people you trust and respect that would be able to counsel you and help you meet other women in ministry. Read stories of the women in ministry that have come before you. Talk to your mentors. Don’t be afraid!