Zachary Wilson, who is just finishing his second year of studying Psychology at King’s University College at Western, has been attending Gateway Church for the last several years. You may have seen (and heard!) him serving on the worship teams at both the London and Komoka campuses. Zach grew up in a Christian home with “awesome” parents and became a Christian so long ago that he can’t pinpoint an exact date. But it was in middle school that Zach recalls actually “stepping into” his own relationship with Christ.

Music has always been part of Zach’s life: “I loved performing even at a young age!” Today he is thrilled that God has presented him “with a lot of great opportunities to serve in music like at Pursuit and different retreats in Southwestern Ontario.” He’s also thankful for “incredible friends who are amazing musicians.”

Despite his musical giftedness and talent for performing, Zach has known some challenges, too. “I have ADHD” he explains, “and the part of my brain for central processing developed more slowly than my peers did.” Struggling to pick up on social cues, especially in middle school, made life tough. “I was a late bloomer, and I felt a lack of acceptance and experienced varying degrees of bullying.” It was hard not to internalize what others said, and Zach recalls wrestling with feelings of inadequacy. “But my faith in God showed me what my identity really is and where my value comes from.” While Zach acknowledges that those self-doubts may always be a part of him, “what’s different is that they don’t define me anymore. I am able to quickly redirect my focus back to Christ.”

Becoming part of the Gateway church family began for Zach by getting plugged into GSM when he was in Grade 12. “That was huge! I loved the community there and I built relationships in small groups.” When he ‘graduated’ from GSM, Zach returned as a volunteer and has continued to develop good friendships by being involved. He recommends Alpha, too – “I attended Alpha as a table leader and found two of my best friends.” Joining the worship team has also provided Zach with “incredible role models and mentors in terms of music ministry.”

Zach’s not sure yet exactly where God is calling him for the future, but he’s thinking of taking a Master’s of Divinity after his bachelor’s degree and pursuing a career in church work. “My hope is that I will be able to be a good and faithful servant wherever God decides to bring me. I want to be obedient to that calling, and serve him well.”