Ny’Reon Shuman had a vision.

He wanted to create a worship night—a space where young people like himself could encounter God for themselves in a way that felt real, welcoming, and alive. He could picture it clearly: the energy, the worship, the sense that something meaningful was happening.

What he couldn’t picture was how to make it happen.

He didn’t have the money.
He didn’t have sponsors.
He didn’t have a roadmap.

And in his mind, something like that required a title or position he didn’t yet have.

‍

What If Your Passion Is the Starting Point?

That’s the kind of space Black Christian Influencers (BCI) stepped into—almost without planning to.

Founded by Jackie Horbrook, BCI began as an online community where Christian creators encouraged one another to use their platforms with purpose. Jackie wasn't trying to build an organization. She was simply sharing what God was doing in her life–encouragement, Scripture, and reflections on following Jesus.

But what started small didn’t stay that way.

More and more young believers found their way in—people already navigating influence, building audiences, creating content, and trying to live out their faith in visible spaces.

Many were doing it alone.

So Jackie’s focus shifted.

From: How do I grow this platform?

To: What would it look like to walk with them?

Through TENx10’s Faith & Service project, that question began to take shape—through relational discipleship radically focused on Jesus. A way of moving from influence to relationship, walking alongside young leaders as they learned to follow Jesus in real time. 

‍

Learning in Real Time

Ny’Reon didn’t come to BCI without experience.

Before he ever connected with Jackie, he had already stepped out in faith and hosted his first event, where young people were given space to encounter God.

“It was amazing,” he said. “Everything about it.”

Later, he received a scholarship to attend one of BCI’s gatherings, where Christian creators, artists, and young leaders from around the country came together. What he walked into felt different.

There were panels and conversations about faith and relationships. A red carpet-style evening where he met other creators, artists, and leaders. And then, a worship night.

“That was everything,” he said.

The room was full. People were worshiping freely, opening up, connecting deeply.

For Ny’Reon, it wasn’t just an event. It was a glimpse of what was possible.

So when BCI offered mentorship with Jackie, it became deeply personal.

As he began dreaming about hosting another event—this time on a larger scale—he quickly realized how much he didn’t know.

“I didn’t have any experience,” he said. “I didn’t know how it was supposed to work.”

That’s where mentoring began—not as a one-time conversation, but as an ongoing relationship.

Ny’Reon brought his ideas, his questions, and his uncertainty. Jackie met him there, helping him think through sponsorships, event planning, and how to communicate his vision clearly.

“I didn’t even know businesses would support something like this,” he said.

But more than strategy, she helped him see something deeper.

You don’t have to be a pastor to disciple.
You don’t have to wait for a title to lead.

That shift changed everything.

With new confidence, Ny’Reon shared his vision with his senior pastor. Instead of being dismissed, it was embraced—and financially supported.

But the most significant transformation wasn’t the event itself.

It was his faith.

“My faith has been tested,” he said.

As the event approached, he found himself still short on funding. The pressure mounted. Doubt crept in.

He prayed.

And within an hour, what he needed came.

“I had to choose if I was going to worry,” he said, “or stand on what God said.”

He chose to trust—and in doing so, experienced God’s provision in a way that reshaped his faith.

For Jackie, this is the heart of mentoring. 

“Mentorship isn’t just a moment,” she says. “It’s ongoing… doing life. As things come up, we talk about what’s happening. That becomes the curriculum.”

‍

 “Can I Do This Too?”

For Jaida, the impact of BCI began much closer to home.

As Jackie’s niece, she had a front-row seat to what was unfolding—watching her aunt build something that connected people, encouraged faith, and created space for meaningful conversations.

It sparked a simple but powerful question:

“Can I do what BCI is doing?”

With Jackie’s guidance, that question quickly turned into action.

Jaida began by connecting with other young Christian creators online, creating spaces where they could gather, ask questions, and grow in their faith together. She experimented, adjusted, learned, and kept showing up. 

Over time, that work grew into Gen Z Revive, a youth-led ministry focused on strengthening young believers and helping them share the gospel in everyday life.

Relational discipleship didn’t just give her an idea.

It helped her discern what God was calling her to build.

It gave her the confidence to lead, the structure to sustain what she started, and the spiritual grounding to stay rooted in Jesus as it grew.

And as her faith deepened, so did her impact.

Young people who joined her Bible studies weren’t just attending—they were engaging, asking questions, internalizing their faith, and beginning to take ownership of it.

‍

Faith That Takes Shape

At one BCI gathering, in a room filled with worship music, prayer, and young people seeking God together.

Something unexpected happened.

Instead of waiting for leaders to guide the moment, the students began praying for each other.

“They were holding hands, encouraging one another,” Jackie said. “And it meant more.”

In that moment, faith shifted.

It moved from something they were receiving
to something they were practicing
to something they were beginning to own.

‍

What Happens Next

“I never thought that the things I did would be something youth would want to learn how to do themselves,” Jackie said.

“Just being in proximity made them want to duplicate it.”

And that’s exactly what began to happen.

Ny’Reon is now planning to bring his revival gatherings to new cities.
Jaida is continuing to build a movement for her generation.
And across BCI, other young leaders are stepping into their own callings—sharing Scripture, hosting gatherings, and creating spaces where their peers can encounter Jesus.

Not because they were told to.

Because someone walked with them.

‍

The Invitation

There’s a common narrative that this generation is drifting from faith.

But what’s happening through BCI tells a different story.

Young people aren’t disengaging—they’re reimagining what it looks like to follow Jesus in the spaces they already inhabit.

And again and again, it starts the same way.

With one person willing to take what they already have—their passion, their experience, their faith—and invite a young person into it. 

Someone who loves Jesus and loves others by pointing them to Jesus.