Today we’d like to introduce you to Faith Shamley.
Faith, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I currently play a lot of roles within my organization, Reach Worldwide. Everything I do from being a leader, executive, entrepreneur/business woman, creative director, teacher, curriculum developer, and even developing our clothing brand, can all be traced back to my childhood. My parents and my grandmother truly nurtured the gifts they saw in me even before I saw them in myself. They enrolled me and signed me up for a lot of stuff they knew would be beneficial for me and also made a way for me to participate in activities that I wanted to be a part of. I grew up as a pre-professional dancer within Phusion Dance Company. This shaped my childhood so much that I could write a book about it. In elementary school, I was the captain of the Safety Patrol which was one of my first leadership positions. I always attended some kind of art or enrichment camp during the summer, which definitely helped boost my creative side and explore different concepts in the world. I was exposed to a lot through these camps, but in a good way. My parents bought me the Project Runway and Bratz fashion design kits for kids. My grandmother taught me how to sew and we made clothes together. The school system I grew up in, Rockdale County, had an amazing program for elementary schoolers called “Program Challenge.” I took an entrepreneurship class through that program. We actually had to create a business and sell our products for our end of the year project. It was amazing. I was really living my best young adolescent life.
But the world is a cold place. As I got older, things began to pervert that once pure, creative, and innocent little girl. Life became very dark for me. However, God saved my life the second semester of my freshman year in high school. After truly beginning my own personal walk with Christ, about a year in, God gave me the vision for Reach. He showed me the youth in my hometown needed to be reached, and He gave me the vision of the vehicle. Thus, Reach Youth Ministry was born on June 16, 2017. Now, the name has changed to Reach Worldwide, as we are beginning to reach young people all over the country, and eventually the world!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has definitely not been a smooth road, at all. Some of my struggles have been confidence in myself, leading while not feeling like my voice was powerful enough or that I was heard, and going through difficulties in my personal life while still having to show up. I also wrestled with the fact that I was called at such a young age. I wanted to live a normal teenage life. I didn’t even have the desire to go out and get into stuff I shouldn’t have been in. I am a homebody and chill person. I just legit did not want to lead, pioneer, and figure out this thing called Reach and how to operate a ministry that is supernaturally effective and done with excellence. There were many days where I was salty that God called me. At the end of the day, I used to say I leaned on God, but really, I was doing most things in my own strength and that’s why it was so hard for me to stop viewing Reach as a burden. Something I was passionate about became my burden because carrying a mandate like that in my own strength is not the move. I think that was my biggest struggle.
Please tell us about the organization.
Reach Worldwide is an organization on a mission to bring the truth of Christ to the next generation. Currently, there are five different parts that make up the vehicle of Reach Worldwide: The Reservoir, InReach, OutReach, The Ambassador Program, and LOVE. The Reservoir is an online community that supports, educates, and uplifts teenagers and young adults on their life-long journey of experiencing true relationship with God. The Reservoir is housed on our digital platform that can be accessed through a desktop, laptop, tablet, and mobile app, enabling individuals all over the world to be a part.
InReach is the coined name for our intimate in-person gatherings where those in attendance are bonded, strengthened, and fueled through teachings, fellowship, and fervent prayer. The various branches of InReach nurture a community of powerful brotherhoods, sisterhoods, and overall spiritual unity as one body of Christ.
OutReach is taking the Word of God and the love of Christ and spreading it out into the world. We have conducted OutReach missions in various ways from facilitating a self-love program at a middle school lock-in to doing service projects within our own high schools.
Our Ambassador Program allows for individuals to be educated through The Spiritual Growth Academy to then go on and begin their own InReach branch.
L.O.V.E. is a program within Reach Worldwide with the mission to help young leaders through the refinement of themselves and their ministries connected to the seven Mountains of Influence: Business, Religion, Arts & Entertainment, Media, Education, Family, and Government.
I am most proud of seeing how Reach has expanded in just three years. It is a huge testimony of all that God has done through one little teenage girl who grew up in Conyers, Georgia, and almost ended up giving up on Reach right before all this expansion occurred. I believe what sets us apart is our ability to speak to the younger generation in ways they can understand the things of God and then have genuine interest and hunger in going deeper.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I’m not a big plan person haha I really just go with the flow with wherever God is leading me. However, I am looking forward to getting back into dancing and choreographing again!
Contact Info:
- Email: reachworldwideministry@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reach.worldwide/; @faith.camille
Image Credit:
Tiana Telford (only for the image with the wooden table at the center)
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