Meet Miguel Viera

We were lucky to catch up with Miguel Viera recently and have shared our conversation below.

Miguel, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

It is something everyone is looking for. Some people go their whole life without finding it. I discovered the answer for myself when I answered this question? What is the most important thing I can do in my life when looking at it through the lens of the Bible? Simply put, it is to bring God glory in all I do. I think Pastor JD Greear said it best when he said, “Whatever you’re good at, do it well to the glory of God and do it somewhere strategic for the mission of God.”

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I honestly think I have the best job in the world. I’m a full-time local missionary. “According to the U.S. Census Bureau, roughly 25% of children in America grow up without their biological father in the home.” What better way to address that sad statistic than to personally go into multi-housing units and engage and interact with Gen Z & Alpha through sports ministry. “According to research by Dr. Karyn Purvis, scientists have discovered that it takes approximately 400 repetitions to create a new synapse in the brain, unless it is done in play, in which case it only takes 10 to 20 repetitions.” What that means is that when you throw that football and play catch with a kid you just met and engage in a gospel-centered conversation, negative generational cycles are in the process of being broken. You better believe that is bringing God glory! FMA exists to honor and glorify God by connecting children and adults into a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ, providing them with the tools and instruction to encourage spiritual growth and equip them to evangelize others. We connect churches to pockets of lostness and help make disciple makers through gospel-centered interactions.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

This upcoming July will be four years since I resigned from my full-time position as a Senior Financial Analyst at a local utility company in North Carolina to be a full-time local missionary. Over the past 3+ years I have personally driven over 18,500 miles and we have exceeded 23,215 gospel-centered interactions thanks to our growing volunteer base that has filled 1,242 volunteer spots across 375 ministry opportunities through November 2024 YTD! During this time the role of a mentor in my life has been an indispensable factor. I highly encourage everyone to have someone in their life that they can learn from and don’t be selfish. Make an effort to pay it forward by finding someone to invest time into and disciple. You really grow when you are teaching others the ropes. Lastly, don’t be afraid to take risks. Don’t be haphazard in your decision making process. Be careful to mitigate risk but be willing to take calculated risks to advance your cause and bring God the glory. I once heard a Miami pastor say, “Christianity lived at 100% is risky and adventurous.”

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

You know the book is good when you are reading it for the 3rd time! The original copyright is 1963 but don’t let that fool you. The name of the book is “Master Plan of Evangelism” by Dr. Robert E. Coleman. It discusses how Jesus discipled His disciples and it is fascinating! The valuable and impactful nuggets on going and making disciples comes right out of Scripture. Just a few thoughts to process and let marinate. The disciples followed Jesus for a year before they did anything of significance. They followed Him so closely they literally asked Him to teach them how to pray. This book is a wonderful reminder that while discipleship is not easy, it is something that is going to take time and effort. It will cost you physically, mentally and spiritually but it is worth it. You might be asking yourself, “How can you say that?” I can say with supreme confidence it is worth it because you are passing on the baton of faith to the next generation to shine brightly and glorify God in all they do. One last nugget to think about when it comes to discipleship is the “training cycle used for maturing disciples through the four distinct steps of spiritual growth. M.A.W.L. stands for Model, Assist, Watch, Leave.” How will a person know what to do if no one takes the time to show them?

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