Chris Cosmato

"The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but a life without a purpose."
-Myles Munroe

Hello, my name is Chris Cosmato, and I used to live a life that was worse than death. Without any answer to the question "Why am I alive?" I didn't bother to put any effort into much of anything. I tried to find my identity through relationships, but I did not understand what true love really is, so those relationships inevitably failed. Already on a search for identity, I found myself on a new search, one to deal with the pain of being separated from those whom I thought I loved. This led to using drugs and alcohol excessively and becoming wrapped up in the party culture that is associated with clubs and music festivals. I thought I was finally alive, but I was closer to death than ever. After losing some close friends and some very close calls with both arrest and death, my Mother finally insisted I go to Teen Challenge in Central Florida. Despite being an Agnostic with no desire to learn anything about Christianity, my spiritual eyes were amazingly and supernaturally opened after only two days of attending the program! I was delivered from drug usage and have remained sober ever since. After doing very well in the program, it was suggested I apply for Teen Challenge's Emerging Leaders College, which eventually led to me getting accepted.

My acceptance to E.L.C. was confirmation of a call God had placed upon my heart while still a student in the program. As a young person with no sense of truth, purpose, or understanding, I tried to find my own way and got very close to my life ending without ever knowing my purpose. As soon as I found my identity in Jesus Christ, a fire erupted in my heart to share the answer to life's greatest question with everyone I could, especially middle and high school students. I feel that is an incredibly influential time in any person's life, and that the direction and sense of purpose of one's life is established during this time period more than any other. If I can be a role model, share the good news, and reach these kids about who Jesus is:the results are unimaginable. By allowing God to use me to speak truth, young boys and girls will find their selves living a life with a purpose and direction. Even more than that, Pastors, Prophets, Evangelists, Missions Leaders, and amazing Mothers and Fathers will result in leading young adults toward the call God has on their life and teaching them how to rely on the Holy Spirit to help them answer it.

After having lived at the center for a year and finally graduating from the Teen Challenge Program, I am currently attending the Emerging Leaders College. Here I am learning and practicing every day how to become effective in the ministry God has called me to. My first task is to raise support to help offset my living expenses. My training is through Global University, which is a Christian correspondence college that does not accept government support or loans. They feel strongly that they are training future missionaries and ministers whose call should not be limited by debt. As you know, being in ministry does not always pay well and they want me to have the financial freedom when I graduate to accept whatever position God leads me to. Also, at ELC we are all busy from sun up to sun down ministering to people and preparing for our future ministry. My time is not my own at ELC and I am not allowed to work jobs while I am here. For these reasons, students are asked to find people who will partner with them through financial support. I ask that you would please prayerfully consider supporting me financially each month so that together we can see lives changed and lives saved though the huge impact youth ministry has. May God bless you in all that you do.