Influence: Through the years, you’ve been very involved in Fine Arts. What have you discovered about yourself and God through this experience?
Trulah Mikaela Maloy: I participated in Fine Arts from sixth through eleventh grade, and it has helped develop me in many ways. From meeting people with like interests and helping me grow in my gifts to understanding more about why we have these gifts and how we can use them for God, Fine Arts has benefitted me greatly in my life and ministry.

At nationals my sixth grade year, the call God has on my life to use my talents to further His kingdom was revealed to me through Robert Madu’s message. Since then, I have been doing all I can to fulfill it.

Tell us a little about Rebel Radio. How did you begin this group, and what are your goals for it?
Rebel Radio is an event put on once a quarter at my public high school by a club of Christians using the arts to communicate the gospel. The outreach happens before school and includes three performances and a guest speaker.

About a year and a half ago, we had a month-long series at my youth group called Rebel Radio. The series was about speaking truth to our generation and “commanding the airwaves,” pointing back to God. It was during this series that I felt the call to start a club. I had no clue what to expect for our first event this past November, but we saw 140 students show up to the auditorium and eight people respond to the salvation call. God completely blew me away with His faithfulness. My goal has been that God would use this club to minister to my school, and I hope that after I graduate, Rebel Radio will continue and see even more students in attendance and responses to salvation.

God completely blew me away with His faithfulness.

How have you overcome challenges associated with sharing your faith in school?
After feeling the call to start Rebel Radio, I kept telling myself, Oh, I’ll do it later. I knew it was going to take planning and a whole lot of faith, and I simply put it off.

The summer after my junior year, I started making a team. I spoke with some fellow Christians in my school, and at the start of my senior year, we began to meet. I knew I didn’t want this to be a typical Christian club. God laid it on my heart to create an outreach using the arts to portray the gospel. God provided the team to do just that.

How would you encourage other young leaders who feel challenged to expand their influence?
Pray about whatever God has laid on your heart, and He will equip you with the people, confidence and other tools needed to do it. Be willing to do what He says, even though you cannot see the outcome.

Have faith. It takes a whole lot of faith to step out, and it takes complete surrender and saying, “Lord, here I am; use me, and have Your way.”

Trulah Mikaela Maloy is a recent graduate of Concord High School in Concord, North Carolina. A singer-songwriter, she recently released her debut EP, Home, and plans to attend Visible Music College in Memphis, Tennessee this fall. This article originally appeared in the August/September issue of Influence. For more print content, subscribe here.