May 2026

Friends,

May was full of opportunities to see God at work in big ways, and I continue to be grateful for your prayers and partnership that make this ministry possible. Students are coming to Christ across the state through network-driven campus ministries, and we’re seeing genuine indications of revival here.

The month began with following up on conversations and connections from our Accelerate meetings. It has been encouraging to see God open doors as leaders connect with resources, relationships, and a fresh vision for reaching students and families. In Denver, I was part of the Youth Ministry Executive Council with Leonard Sweet speaking, and met with our North America NxtMove team the same week strategizing for a change in the trajectory of Christianity for the next generation, working with all 11 global regions..  

After the Denver Energize Conference where I was spoke on campus ministry to 400 plus youth leaders, we began seeing significant interest in developing new ministry networks. There is growing momentum in Austin, a network has already begun in Round Rock, and there is strong interest in developing a group in Katy as well. It is exciting to watch God bring leaders together with a shared heart for the next generation.

One of the blessings this month was attending the state gathering for LifeWise in Houston with Carol and our youth pastor, Travis Shaheen. LifeWise is a released-time Bible education ministry that allows public school students to leave campus during the school day for Bible classes. Hearing stories of students engaging with Scripture and lives being impacted was deeply encouraging.

That same week, we joined students and ministry leaders throughout our area for the National Day of Prayer. Seeing students boldly walk around local schools and pray over their campuses, teachers, administrators, and classmates was a reminder that God is still moving powerfully among the next generation.

Much of this month also involved preparation for the opportunities surrounding the upcoming World Cup. With an estimated 150,000 visitors expected in Houston alone, we believe God is bringing the nations to our city for such a time as this. I’ve been grateful to serve alongside our Winning Houston leadership team and Victory Beyond the Cup with Campus Crusade nationally as we develop plans for evangelistic outreach throughout the city and the nation.

One exciting outreach opportunity will involve hosting the world’s largest soccer net alongside soccer festivals, community events, and intentional Gospel conversations. There is still much planning to do, but we are praying that God uses these efforts to create meaningful opportunities for people from around the world to hear about Christ.

I was also thankful for opportunities to spend time with ministry leaders this month. I met with longtime friend Blake Quimby and Pastor Gabriel Orr to discuss ways to strengthen the student ministry at North Oaks Baptist in Tomball. Barry St. Clair and I also connected with leaders by Zoom to continue developing a NxtMove ministry team in Williamsburg, Virginia, and I was honored to encourage New York state network leaders as they continue building ministry momentum in their region.

Another encouraging development this month was interviewing Alisa Sisemore of Reach Community about potentially serving with NNYM as a key leader in the greater Lubbock area. Please pray for wisdom and discernment as we continue exploring how God may expand ministry opportunities through partnerships like this.

We are also deep into preparation for our Declaration mission trip to Portland. We’ve been working closely with the church plant pastor there, praying that our efforts will not only impact students and children during the trip, but also help strengthen ongoing ministry long after we leave. Our heart is always to see lasting Gospel impact.

We also wrapped up our final campus missionary meeting of the school year with an outstanding group of students who genuinely love their schools and communities. Their desire to live missionally and share Christ with others continues to encourage me deeply.

God also opened opportunities to encourage and equip leaders through writing this month. Three articles were published with Interlinc, including one focused on creating long-term ministry impact through mission trips, and two blogs were published with NNYM.

This season also brought graduation celebrations for many of our students, and it has been a joy to watch what God is doing in their lives.

On a personal note, our family especially celebrated my grandson Jacob graduating from the University of Houston, which was a very special blessing for all of us.

Thank you again for praying, encouraging, and faithfully supporting this ministry. So much of what God is doing happens because people like you continue standing with us. We are deeply grateful and excited to see what He continues to do in the days ahead. 

Gratefully,
Rick Eubanks
Texas State Coordinator, National Network of Youth Ministries
reubanks@nnym.org

(and the NNYM Team)

Please cover these specific prayer requests:
Onboarding new staff, preparation for the World Cup, youth camps, mission trip, and goal-setting for the new year, to help us reach every student in every school.

Also, a special note to donors:  If you’ve had trouble with the new system, please contact Holly Bollinger at holly@linksintlusa.org.