Autobiographical Essay

My name is Joshua Ryals. I am the middle child of three boys; my mom and dad raised
me up in church. My dad was a youth pastor for twenty-five years and now he is currently
serving as the Chaplain at the Gib Lewis Correctional Facility. My mom is self-employed as a
dog groomer and boarder. My older brother is an ETBU Alumni and my little brother is still in
high school. I am currently a senior at ETBU and will be graduating in May 2017.
Because my dad was a youth pastor, in some way or another I have always been involved
in youth group. I have seen my dad help numerous students out, whether that involved letting
them stay the night or going to pick them up from a party at two-o-clock in the morning, he has
been intentional in his ministry. I developed the same kind of passion throughout my years in
youth group. Eventually, I started leading worship in youth group on Sunday and Wednesday
nights. Now, I still lead worship often at different churches for youth groups and for main
services. God gave me a gift and I plan on using it for his glory. I have been studying to go into
student ministry. I believed God has called me to be a bi-vocational students minister. I have
already been involved in a few churchs student ministries in the Marshall area, including
Cypress Valley Bible Church, and FBC Hallsville. I cannot wait to see what God has waiting for
me outside of college.