Ben McGilivray: A First Responder for Jesus

About this episode

Ben McGilivray shares his experiences as a first responder for Jesus, discussing the challenges and rewards of supporting youth in crisis.

In this episode, I sit down with Ben, the Okanagan Director for Youth for Christ—a man whose life is guided not by a schedule, but by a willingness to respond to the Holy Spirit at any hour, at any moment. From showing up in the middle of the night during suicide crises or overdoses to walking with teens for years as a steady presence, Ben lives on the front lines of heartbreak and hope. He speaks honestly about burnout, discouragement, and the weight of life-and-death moments. As he puts it, “after years of being a presence in these teens' lives, what an honour when that teen says, ‘I believe you're actually here for me, you're on this journey with me,’ and then they ask me what to do at their personal crossroads.” This is a raw conversation about what it means to be a “first responder for Jesus”—and why, despite it all, he wouldn’t choose anything else.

People in this episode

Host: Rebecca Robinson

Guest: Ben McGilivray

Topics covered

• first responder
• spiritual guidance
• youth support
• mental health
• Christianity
• burnout
• hope

Keywords

• first responder
• youth for Christ
• spirituality
• mental health
• Christian support
• burnout
• hope

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Youth for Christ

Places: Okanagan

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