How This Teen is a Light to His Peers

Johnny Rezabek is a senior at Pinecrest Academy. He is actively involved with youth ministry at St. Brendan Catholic Church. John serves as a crew leader for Lighthouse, the high school faith formation program.

How did you get involved with Lighthouse at St. Brendan's?
I started Lighthouse as a freshman in high school, and have been involved each year since, in different ways, both as an attending high schooler, and now as a crew leader, constantly learning and growing in my faith along the way.

What is your role as a crew leader, and how many teens do you have in your group?
My role as a crew leader is to help others grow in their faith, and be open to dynamic dialogues and conversations about different parts of our faith as Catholics, and even more pressing, modern moral debates and concerns. In my small group, I have about six upperclassmen, which is an honor to be able to lead discussions with other students my age.

What do you find most fulfilling as a crew leader, and what do you hope to accomplish for the teens you serve?
I have found that by giving my time and efforts to others, I end up receiving a deeper sense of fulfillment, and am actually growing in my own faith alongside them. I hope to inspire the other upperclassmen that I talk with to continue their faith journey as they take their next step in life, from high school to college.

Has being in this role helped you grow in your own faith? How so?
This role has definitely helped immensely with me growing in my own faith, because I feel an obligation to answer other people’s questions about the faith, and in the process of explaining the faith to others, it starts to make more sense in my own perception of it.

Why might you encourage other Pinecrest students to get involved in Lighthouse?
It is a wonderful environment and amazing place to make friendships, and it is also nice to be able to voluntarily attend as a Pinecrest student, rather than being obligated to, which makes it a more personally chosen faith decision, which is something I, for one, deeply appreciate about Lighthouse as a Pinecrest student.

Other thoughts you'd like to share about your experience?
It is an overall amazing experience being able to connect with students from all around Forsyth County and different schools, both public and private, as members of the Catholic Church. Also, the retreats that Lighthouse hosts are amazing opportunities to spend time with friends and grow in faith together.