The Citylight Family’s mission is to advance the Kingdom of God to new people and new places. Sometimes, that means our Family plants churches that are a part of our Family and other times, that means we send out amazing, Godly, called and qualified laborers to new church plants outside of our Family. Justin Hullman is one of these laborers.
Justin grew up in South Omaha to a single mom. His mom was hard working and provided for both throughout his childhood. However, without his biological dad in the picture, Justin began to grow angry in his heart towards why this was his story. He’d wondered why God would allow this. Right before his sixth-grade year, his mom married and moved them to Lincoln, Nebraska. Justin made friends at school. One friend was Brad.
“I was over at Brad’s house four to five times per week,” Justin described. “His family was hospitable. In eighth grade Brad shared the gospel to me. I can’t remember a time we hung out where he didn’t bring up Jesus. I hated it. There is no way the God he believed was real. Funny story …. I told him to stop sharing the gospel with me. He didn’t so I told his mom. I said to her “He won’t shut up.””
In high school, after 3 years of Brad sharing the Gospel, Justin finally said ‘yes’ to going to youth group with Brad. He gave his life to God at the age of 16.
“There were 10 guys my age studying the bible with a few adult leaders at youth group. Men like Lucas Megrue, Ricky Kennedy (now co-lead pastor at Citylight South Lincoln), Jordan Isaacson (now elder at Citylight Lincoln),” Justin said. “Men like Brad Brown and Brad Schindler became mentors for me at a crucial time in my life. Every time we all met, I would be like “Why?” I challenged it and they allowed me to ask questions. Brad knew I had family brokenness and helped me see my sin. In the midst of my fatherlessness, Brad helped me see my need for a Heavenly Father. A holy God has every right to pour out his justice, but yet through Christ there’s righteousness. Brad would tell me that if I believed in Jesus as my Savior, then God would only see Jesus over my mistakes and sin. He only sees his son’s righteousness. That smoked me! At the end of my sophomore year, I knew there was no way this was fake, but real.”
Jesus changed Justin’s heart and stopped a patten of brokenness … Dads who left, alcoholism and anger. Justin wanted to now share this good news with others so that they would be freed. God provided Justin with opportunities for growth and discipleship.
The last seven years Justin has attended and served at Citylight Lincoln. After being a student and leader in Lincoln’s college ministry, The Salt Company, he joined the Salt Company staff team four years ago. Before his second year on staff, he married Kelsey, and both of them served on the Salt Company staff together for the first 3 years of their marriage. Year by year, they began to pray about global missions and church planting. God led them in the Spring of 2024 to their next faithful step.
“There was a burden to either move overseas or to Salt Lake City,” Justin described their convictions. “We knew we wanted to be with college students — either overseas or at large university campuses in the U.S. God was telling me to wait on places like Salt Lake and to trust him. I remember telling him “I trust you” and he then said to “WAIT.” That word is important in my story. In the scripture at that time Psalm 27:14 came up … Wait on the Lord … God was telling my wife and I to ‘wait’ in prayer regarding what was next and to trust to be sent out from Lincoln and be joyfully obedient to plant in Knoxville.”
In the midst of deciding, Justin and Kelsey had a miscarriage. Through this heart-breaking time, a ton of perspective washed over them.
“I was so driven to take the next hill and live with zeal,” Justin confessed. “That sobered me up. The miscarriage brought my wife and I to a spot of faithfulness. We took a pause on any church planting talks for about a month. Coming back, it was hard to leave Lincoln. We love Lincoln. The majority of our friends, mentors, and family live in Lincoln or nearby. On paper, it didn’t make much sense to leave this city we call home. However, Austin (co lead pastor for Citylight Lincoln) reminded me to really trust God and be obedient with the calling to be sent. It’s when everything is on the table there’s an opportunity to truly be content with how the Lord leads, and not your own ideas. That was so big for me. I would never guess I would move away and live in Knoxville. We had to be totally content in the “Oh crap!” moments. This is truly the Lords. Also, there’s been lots of confirmation from wise people in my life and no yellow flags from people. People that we trust and love constantly affirming it. And then Kelsey … Filled with so much faith.”
Justin and Kelsey set out for Knoxville at the end of 2024 with a group of people from Salt UNL and Citylight Lincoln to plant Calvary Commons and The Salt Company at the University of Tennessee. The college team kicks off August 19th. Since January, they have been preparing for kick off by pursuing students and leaders on the campus. They are starting their college ministry with 22 small group leaders already! The harvest is plentiful, and the Lord is providing laborers to shepherd and mobilize.
“We organically launched three Connection Groups on campus this spring through word of mouth,” Justin described the continued faithfulness of God. “One guy who had been coming grew up in a home that does not believe in Jesus as Messiah. He reminds me of me when I was 16. He’s asking every question. During the entire spring semester, we prayed that the scales would fall from his eyes before he left campus in May to go home over the summer. I and another college student met weekly with him to talk life, talk about the Bible, and answer hard questions. We laughed together, prayed together, and just did life! No special formula, just trying to be present faithful one day at a time in this guy’s life. By God’s grace and mercy, on “L’s” last full day on campus, he declared his trust and faith in Christ Jesus! Before Salt Company at The University of Tennessee had ever publicly launched, we saw our first salvation from death to life! All glory to the Lord.”
With open hands and excitement in their hearts, Justin and the Salt UTK team invited their Citylight Family to pray for them.
“Our staff team and student leaders are passionate to see Salt UTK set out on this large campus to co-labor with the Lord in reaching the lost (Luke 19:10) and raising up the found (Matthew 28:18-20). Yet even with this deep desire of ours, please pray that our team is prepared to deeply delight in our Lord before we ever run at ministry. Pray that we would grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18) in the mundane moments and in the busy seasons of campus ministry. Lastly, please pray that as the lost are reached and as the found are raised up, that they find that their best years as a Christian are not in their 4 years in college, but should be represented in their next 40 years after college. Pray that what they learn in the Salt Company and in our church plant, Calvary Commons, preps them for a lifetime of loving Jesus in all aspects of their life (the workplace, the home, friendships, family life, etc.).”
Even though Justin and the team were sent to a church outside the Citylight Family, they are still tied to the same mission. Justin concluded with gratefulness and encouragement for his brothers and sisters in Christ:
“Thank you, a ton! You raised me up and helped me to believe. I’m also reminded of Matthew 28. It describes Jesus’ great commission, and he says that “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” … Reminding us all that Jesus is with us, with our church family. Whatever it is, to step out in obedience and into that promise. It’s beautiful.”
Please connect with and support Justin and Salt UTK:
Giving to Justin & Kelsey Hullman: https://calvary-commons-480407.churchcenter.com/giving
Giving to Salt Company UTK (Salt Co General Fund): https://calvary-commons-480407.churchcenter.com/giving
Instagram for Calvary Commons: https://www.instagram.com/calvarycommons/
Instagram for Salt Company at UTK: https://www.instagram.com/saltutk/
