I Am An
Travis Schmidt
How did you become involved in the Influence ministry?
I’ve been on staff at the Fairview Mennonite Brethren Church since 2008 as Youth Pastor and now Lead Pastor. Travis & Beth have been friends of ours since we met them. We have kids in the same grade and have always ended up at many of the same events. I greatly admired the way Travis approached his death as he had a faith that went beyond his circumstances. When I heard Influence was starting and was asked to be on the board….I was all in.
What activities do you lead or participate in? (A study, service, booth, setup, etc.)
I’m just a board member, so I’ve only participated in a few board meetings. I haven’t been able to be at any of the shows or see the ministry happen firsthand, but I see it as a huge spiritual opportunity and praise God for it.
What is your favorite Bible verse or passage of scripture and why?
Share your testimony of when you accepted Christ into your life. How has having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ changed you?
John 3:30. John the Baptist is approached by some of his followers. They tell him that Jesus is becoming more popular than him. “Everyone is going to Him!” they say. John replies in John 3: 30 “He must become greater, I must become less.” That ’s wise advice for all followers of Jesus. Jesus MUST become greater in our lives……and we MUST fade. Our world tells us to focus on ourselves, what makes us happy, what makes us feel good. The Bible tells us something different.
I’ve always been a sports guy. Basketball was my favorite. The only thing I wanted to do! Playing at Kansas University and then moving on to the NBA was the dream. I practiced all the time. I don’t remember not believing in Jesus…..but I sure didn’t live like I believed in Him.. I rarely read the Bible, and I made many choices that showed God was not very important in my life. Sports was WAY more important. I went to a small college on a basketball scholarship, but realized in the first week of practice that I wasn’t enjoying it anymore. My love for basketball was being replaced with an emptiness. I knew there was something more important that I should be doing. Sitting in my dorm room alone….it dawned on me that following Jesus and teaching people about Him was the only thing that really had meaning. I quit basketball THAT DAY. I changed my major from business to Youth Ministry and started helping with a local youth group. I was involved in youth ministry for 23 years and have been a lead pastor now for 5 years.
How would you encourage others who are currently facing a difficult circumstance?
What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and how does it change how you live your life every day?
The ONLY thing that is consistent and trustworthy in our lives is Jesus. We can count on Him. He has forgiven us. He has promised us a place prepared just for us when we leave earth. (John 14) He loves us no matter if we FEEL it or not. I can rely on all of that. I can’t rely on my health, it will fail. I can’t rely on my wisdom, I’ll make dumb choices. I can’t rely on others, they don’t have all the answers. Hard times are coming for all of us. The quicker we can get our mind off ourselves and focus on God and others……the better we will be.
Being a disciple means that all my decisions…..SHOULD be brought to Jesus. I should ask His blessing and His advice on everything. What I think doesn’t matter, what others think doesn’t matter. What Jesus thinks DOES. As a follower I’m supposed to do what Jesus did. Imitate Him. I just need to read the Gospels to see what He did….that’s easy enough. But actually copying Him….is hard. Loving others, calling people to repentance, serving others, not worrying about earthly problems, challenging the norm. Those are just a few things I see Jesus doing. We have a lot of work to do!