Search
Search
News
Multimedia
Sports
Arts & Culture
Opinion
Subscribe
Life & Times
Fine Arts
Features
Send a News Tip
100 Years
Archive
Advertise
Donate

Subscribeto The Echo

The Echo

Saturday, June 3, 2023 Print Edition

Donate

  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Arts & Culture
  • Life & Times
  • Features
  • Fine Arts
  • Multimedia
  • Archive
  • 100 Years
  • Advertise
  • Send a Tip
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Arts & Culture
  • Life & Times
  • Features
  • Fine Arts
  • Multimedia
  • Archive
  • 100 Years
  • Advertise
  • Send a News Tip
Search

Subscribe

Subscribe to The Echo

The Echo aims to represent the views of diverse voices on Taylor University's campus fairly and without bias and to be a vehicle of accurate and pertinent information to the student body. The Echo also aims to be a forum that fosters healthy discussion about relevant issues, acting as a catalyst for change on our campus.

Fill out my online form.

10/24/2022, 12:00am

The RedBarn: Ministry serves Upland

Benes, Liberti share passion for ministry

By Kendall Beck
The RedBarn: Ministry serves Upland
The RedBarn is an after-school ministry for Eastbrook students in grades 6-12.

Share

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Mail
  • Print

Troy and Liz Shockey embody the word “hospitality.”

Together, the Upland-based couple have embraced leadership of The RedBarn, an after-school ministry for Eastbrook students grades 6-12.

The RedBarn has served the Upland community for 16 years.

It falls under the umbrella of both Youth for Christ and LightRider Ministries and is open for students Monday through Friday, 3-5 p.m.

Sophomore Katelyn Benes and junior Sofia Liberti both volunteer at The RedBarn.

Benes, an elementary education major, has been working with the ministry since her initial involvement freshman year, prompted by a service prerequisite for her introduction to christian ministries class at Taylor.

She fully believes in the mission of The RedBarn under the Shockeys’ leadership.

“They’ve become like a home away from home for me,” Benes said. “If I am having a bad day, I will just drive over to their house and sit in their backyard.” 

Benes is not the only one to call the Shockeys “home.”

Troy often pours into the students on a personal level, visiting their different middle schools and high schools to eat lunch with them.

“I didn’t realize how involved he was in the kids’ lives,” Benes said. 

Both Troy and Liz attend students’ concerts, sports games and other important life events.

Not only is their presence in the students’ lives a beautiful model for the team that they lead at The RedBarn, but even more, it shows the students what true companionship and consistency look like.

“No one else listens to them,” Benes said. “We are the one constant in their life.”

Like Benes, Liberti originally joined The RedBarn as a practicum requirement and has grown to love the rhythm of weekly community involvement.

She cherishes the connections that she has formed as a result of intentional conversation with the students. 

“My favorite part so far has been being able to create a space for relationships or processing different things,” Liberti said. “And just a break from the stress of school or the stress of home — whatever that looks like, because often you might not know what their home life looks like.”

A day at The RedBarn is full of fun — and full of food.

Often, volunteers are not aware of the access to meals that the students have at home, Liberti said.

Several women from the community work together to cook and serve dinner for the kids, as well as organize snacks for them to take home and to school the next day.

While they do not function as a typical youth group, The RedBarn team ensures that their students are being poured into spiritually.

“By showing up, you are showing the kids, ‘I am mentally, emotionally available for you’” Benes said.

Students enjoy playing board games, sports like carpetball, pool and basketball, visiting the art room and talking with their friends.

Leaders often engage the students in one-on-one conversations, building relationships with them by talking through tough topics and getting to know their hearts.

“They notice the things that are different about you,” Benes said.

The RedBarn’s ministry reaches beyond after-school-care. Every Thursday, students are able to participate in a Bible study from 4:30-5 p.m.

The team even had the opportunity to lead a group of students to the Lord through a winter bash event that they put together.

“I have seen how the Lord has worked in the lives of the children there through the volunteers,” Liberti said.

Liberti is especially grateful for the opportunity to see God work specifically through her prayers for the students that she works with. She treasures the opportunity to connect face to face with the kids and to picture those sweet faces while bringing their requests to the Father.

The beauty of working so closely with the students is that, even as the team pours out everything they have, they come to see the students offer so much in return.

“It’s definitely helped me to see, like, how blessed I am,” Benes said. “But it’s also helped me to grow in my faith in terms of, like — these kids are struggling with the same questions I struggle with. And so, being able to show them that and watch their faith grow has, like, impacted me as well.”

For college students looking to get involved with the ministry, Benes and Liberti offer helpful tips.

Liberti encourages volunteers to go for the first time with someone else, while Benes recommends trying it out once or twice to see if it is a good fit for their specific giftings.

Simply put, the mission of The RedBarn is to create a space for students to hang out and be cared for, but their care is far more than a physical building or a shared meal.

Rather, it is rooted in the provision of resources, help and hope — all of which bring students closer to their ultimate home, kept for them by their Father in heaven.

Share



Related Stories

Students celebrating I Love TU Week. (Photo by Madelynn Palmer)

Our View: School spirit has value

By The Echo Editorial Board

Sophomore Andrew Bruner, Zane Callison, Benjamin Eiffert, Jack Hammond traveled to Greece this January.

J-term trips provide deep experiences

By Tarah Zumbrun

The J-term trip to Kosovo enjoyed hiking.

J-term trips abroad remain impactful despite COVID-19

By Becah Schwartz


Most Popular


5/5/2023, 11:09am

Taylor responds to Moore's letter

By Markus Miller

Professor's contract not renewed


5/9/2023, 8:00am

‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ can't fix its leaky pipes.


5/8/2023, 12:00am

Jim Garringer: The man behind the lens


5/8/2023, 12:00am

Taylor receives largest gift in school history


The Echo To Homepage
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Covers
  • Awards
  • Get Involved

All Rights Reserved

© Copyright 2023 The Echo

Powered by
Solutions by The State News.

Taylor University