I am not naturally the kind of person that follows the “what
if’s” of life. I find such territory
frightening. It’s a world beyond my
control—a world where anything can happen.
But I find myself with a question from God that I can’t seem to shake. “What if Ellen G. White was right about an
‘army of youth’ needing to finish the work so that Jesus could come back?” This is a compelling question for me as a
youth leader because it means that my work isn’t just about saving a few
souls. My work is about getting to go
home! It means that my responsibility
goes beyond programming. My responsibility
is to empower every young person I come in contact with to be a part of that
army. I need to help them understand
their mission and I need to help them recruit others.
This inevitably begs the question: “Do my current efforts
reflect this responsibility?” I’d have
to answer sadly, “no”. My recent
ministry efforts haven’t been so much a reflection of my desire to contribute
to the army of youth as it has been a reflection of my commitment to the
traditions of my church. Don’t get me
wrong I love my church! But are the
traditions of my church really the most effective way to reach this generation
of youth? Maybe? Maybe not? I’ve found that when I remain faithful to the
Bible but step away from tradition, I am more effective at reaching young people
and empowering them to reach others.
This inevitably leads to another fearful question: “What if
I did ministry fully committed to the Bible and building the army of
youth?” This is how Gladiators for God
came about. My decision to step out of
the box, Bible in hand, and do my part for God’s great army. It is terrifying and exhilarating and I can’t
wait to see what God does with it.
