Welcome to Living My Faith, a weekly show that celebrates the everyday believers who are walking with Jesus not just on Sundays, but in every area of their lives. From relationships and parenting to health, habits, and home, our guests share how they keep their faith at the center of it all. Hosted in Jacksonville, Florida and supported by Christ-centered partners, Living My Faith is a space where real life meets real faith. Today our host, James Fenimore spoke with Cyrena Denniston.
Cyrena Denniston
Founder & Visionary at Black Fire Ministries
Website Address: https://www.blackfireministries.org
Short company description:
Black Fire Ministries ignites and equips the next generation of diverse mission catalyst leaders within the African diaspora for Global Gospel Transformation—releasing God’s gifts within through the Holy Spirit, while illuminating our rich and significant mission history. Our vision is clear: By 2030, we will ignite, equip, and release 100 next-generation diverse mission catalysts to inspire change worldwide.
Transcript:
James:
Hi and welcome to Living My Faith. I’m James Fenimore, and today I’ve got a very special guest for you. Joining me is Pastor Cyrena Denniston. Pastor, how are you doing?
Cyrena:
I’m doing well. How are you doing?
James:
So good. Thank you so much for joining us. I’ve talked to you a little bit. I know your story. I cannot wait to share it with our audience.
Pastor, we start this show with one simple question. How are you living your faith?
Cyrena:
I love that question because it really gives me an opportunity to share the heart and the passion that I have for the next generation. Through God’s orchestration and his design of my life, I am now the founder and visionary of a beautiful organization called Black Fire Ministries.
We are geared toward igniting and equipping and mobilizing the next generation of mission catalysts. And what I mean by the word catalyst — young men, young women between the ages of 18 to 35 that have given their yes to Jesus, that said, whatever God you’ve placed in my hands, I will use it to be a kingdom change agent.
And we are working with the African diaspora, and that means just anyone of African heritage across the globe, to see them step into who God has called them to be to create global gospel transformation in an Acts 1:8 model.
So that would mean in their own Jerusalem, their own communities, their Judea, Samaria, their cities, their nations, and then throughout all the world. Because we also provide opportunities for short term mission trips that we call Blaze team trips, and it’s fantastic.
So that’s that one point. But the most important way of living my faith is in my marriage with my husband of almost 23 years and our two beautiful blessings that God has given us. We have a 20 year old and a 17 year old, both girls.
And so it’s both of those facets in which God has allowed me to live my faith quite loudly, which I love. You know that we need to be bold about who we are and be bold about sharing the gospel.
James:
That’s really beautiful. And I think we could all hear the message of living your faith through your family. And I thank you for sharing that because I do think that’s overlooked sometimes.
But I really want to explore what you’re doing with this next generation and how are you empowering them to go out there and really spread the gospel, whether it’s in their communities or on these mission trips?
Cyrena:
So we provide first a community of like hearted, like minded young people that get together. We have our monthly Global Catalyst call in which there is a time where they can be encouraged, also share with one another, get to know one another.
Across the board, we’re walking with 34 young people right now with our vision by 2030 to be the 100 catalyst. And through that, they will mobilize 1 million mission leaders of all generations.
So we have these Global Catalyst calls. We also have our prayer calls twice a month, which we actually invite the whole community of Black Fire in — whether it’s friends, family, supporters, church partners, anyone who wants to come and hear more about what God is doing.
And then we also have what we call our Blaze team trips. These are the short term mission trips that go anywhere from 10 to 14 days. We go to different countries, and we serve the people there through various different means by our training that we provide.
Because we have a whole training curriculum that is ignite, catalyze, amplify, and we transform. So we have the four facets in which we provide training and discipleship for these young people, then to go and to train the next generation.
So you have these 18 to 35 year olds that are training the next generation — from as young as we’ve had six year olds coming to our trainings all the way up through church leaders that come to our training.
So we really go across the board and all the generations. And it’s a beautiful opportunity to see them exercise their giftings because they are so diverse. Some of them are pastors, some of them are journalists, some of them are cinematographers, some of them are in the medical field.
And so it’s a beautiful way to bring all of these beautiful gifts, these beautiful talents together into a community. And then they get mentorship through not only our board members, but through other pastors and leaders of the faith community that say, hey, we see you. We know God has a plan and a purpose for your life, and we are with you all the way.
James:
Wow, wow, I love this. I love the diverse group of people you’re bringing together to do this mission. And I love that we’re all children of Christ, no matter whether we’re a pastor, a firefighter, marketing executive.
We’re all in this to go forth and make disciples. And it’s such a beautiful mission that you’re on.
I do want to ask you, because you’re obviously proficient in this, Pastor, for our audience, for people that are trying to live out their faith daily, what kind of piece of advice would you give them?
Cyrena:
There are foundational, non-negotiable scriptures that I have embedded into my life that then align with anything that is coming my way, whether it’s a request or even a challenge that has grounded me.
And so my word of encouragement is find those non-negotiable scriptures that work around you when the storms of life come.
For me, it’s Joshua chapter one, verse nine which says, be strong and courageous. Have I not commanded you? Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged, because I’m the Lord your God, and I will be with you wherever I have called you to go.
And then Acts chapter one, verse eight. My Holy Spirit will come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.
Those are non-negotiables. Those are what has been embedded and ingrained like a DNA into me, so that I know I don’t have to be afraid about what God has called me to do — and most importantly, who he’s called me to be.
And then I will go into all the world because His Holy Spirit is with me.
So family, brothers, sisters in Christ, find those foundational scriptures that will just completely keep you anchored. So no matter what season of life you may be walking through, that you know that you know that you know that your hope is in Christ and he holds your world in his hands.
James:
Thank you so much for that, because I felt like I just left the sermon. That was incredible.
Pastor, I can’t thank you enough for joining us today on Living My Faith. It’s been so informative. It’s been so beautiful, and I can’t wait for people to go and find you. All your information is going to be in the show notes right underneath this show.
So don’t worry. We’re going to post everything there. They’re going to click the link. They’re going to find you.
Pastor Cyrena Denniston, thank you so much for joining me today.
Cyrena:
Thank you so much. It’s truly been an honor.
James:
This has been Living My Faith. I’m James Fenimore, and I cannot wait to see you next time.
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