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MEET SOME OF OUR 2011 GRADUATES…where do you want to be in four years?
LINDSAY DONALDSON
ERIN JACOBS
DANNY SEBASTIAN
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Springfield, Missouri Major: Government Pre-Law “Outstanding Graduate in Legal Studies” • Full-ride fellowship at Washburn University School of Law
Helena, Montana Majors: Accounting & Biblical Studies “Outstanding Accounting Major” “Outstanding Graduate in Theology” • Hired by Grant Thornton LLP Tulsa, Oklahoma, a Top 5 accounting firm
Des Moines, Iowa Majors: Speech Education & Music Theatre “Outstanding Graduate in Theatre” • Full-ride graduate assistantship at Oklahoma State University
Nixa, Missouri Majors: Management & Marketing “Outstanding Marketing Major” • Accepted into Walmart’s intensive 36-week Merchant Leadership Program • Recipient, $26,000 Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship to study abroad in 2012
In addition to rigorous academics and championship athletics, at Evangel, you will make lifelong friends and prepare to fulfill God’s purpose for your life.
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ACADEMIC PROGRAMS BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES Biopsychology* Criminal Justice Family Relations* Psychology Social Work Sociology* BUSINESS Accounting Economics** Finance Human Resource Management* International Business* Management Marketing Public Administration COMMUNICATION Advertising/Public Relations Applied Communication* (similar to Speech) Broadcasting Communication Studies Digital Arts Electronic Media* Film Journalism Photography* EDUCATION Early Childhood Education Elementary Education Middle School Education Secondary Education Art, Biology, Business, Chemistry, English, French, Health, Math, Music, Phys. Ed., Social Studies, Spanish, Theatre/Speech Special Education* HUMANITIES Art (Graphic Design, Fine Arts) English French** Humanities* Spanish Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL)* Theatre Arts Theatre/Music Writing* KINESIOLOGY Exercise Science Athletic Training Health* Personal Training* Physical Education Recreation Sports Administration* LEADERSHIP Leadership* Leadership Scholar Program MUSIC Church Music Music Education Music Industry (Music Business, Recording Tech.) Music Performance Bassoon, Cello, Clarinet, Classical Guitar, Flute, Harp, Horn, Oboe, Organ, Percussion, Piano, Saxophone, String Bass, Trombone, Trumpet, Tuba, Viola, Violin, Voice Worship Leadership SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Biology Biological Chemistry Chemistry Computer Information Systems Computer Science Environmental Science General Science* Mathematics Medical Technology Nursing/Health Care Physical Science* Physics* SOCIAL SCIENCE Anthropology* Church History* Government/Political Science History Intercultural Studies** International and Multicultural Studies International Relations* Legal Studies Military Science Public Administration Social Sciences THEOLOGY Biblical Languages Biblical Studies Greek* Hebrew* Jewish Studies* Missions Studies Philosophy**
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ONCOURSE magazine
winter 2012
NATIONAL YOUTH MINISTRIES TEAM Jay Mooney, National Youth Director Steve Pulis, Student Outreach Director Rod Whitlock, Student Discipleship Director Chet Caudill, Student Missions Director EDITORIAL TEAM Student Discipleship Director @rodwhitlock Rod Whitlock EDITOR @oncoursegirl Amber Weigand-Buckley OCCOLLEGE EDITORS Emily Barney & Matt Smith COPY EDITOR/WEB ASSISTANT Heather Van Allen ADVERTISING Amber Weigand-Buckley
path of a modernday pilgrim By Amber Weigand-Buckley
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DESIGNER Josh Carter WEB MANAGEMENT Chris Gerringer EDITORIAL ADVISORY TEAM Emily Barney, Melanie Bush, Josh Carter, Mary Winslow, Chris Gerringer, Abby Smith, Matt Smith, Jack Trewern, Amber WeigandBuckley & Rod Whitlock. ITEM NUMBER 746-080 COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF: Josh Boston OTHER PHOTOS COURTESY OF: AGUSM, Hannah Capps, Influence Books, ISTOCK,Tanner Looft, Haley Seaton, Sole Mission & Worth Dying For All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used By permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Vol. 20, Issue #3 Winter 2012 (Issn 1061-0952) is published quarterly by National Youth Ministries of the Assemblies of God in partnership with the Alliance for AG Higher Education ©2012 by The General Council of the Assemblies Of God (Gospel Publishing House), 1445 N. Boonville Avenue, Springfield, Mo 65802, (417)862-2781. Periodicals postage paid at Springfield, MO. Printed in the USA.
never grew up giving much reverence to places and icons, but for some reason I found my knees weak. It was the third day of Chanukah, and I was standing in the city of Nazareth for the first time. We had made our way past shopkeepers and traffic-lined streets to the Church of the Annunciation, which sits on the side of the hill of the city. The church was supposedly built on or close to the spot where Mary was visited by the angel announcing her as the highly-favored and chosen woman to give birth to Jesus Christ, “Emmanuel: God with us.” Under the church, you can see the excavated remains of the old city—roadways, houses and places of business. I began to imagine Jesus as a little boy helping Joseph in the carpentry shop, learning at Synagogue and playing in the streets. Even then, I wonder when or if his mother had informed him of his weighty “Savior of the World” title. Sounds more like the makings of a 6-year-old mind: dreams of space and time-traveling superheroes with fiery villians they defeat in one fell swoop. I can imagine that talk, “By the way, an angel told me you were God in flesh sent to save the
FROM THE EDITOR world from a fate worse than death—an eternity separated from God Your Father.” Our guide from the Israel Ministry of Tourism, Tsion Ben-David, took time to explain to the journalists on our tour some of the symbols and traditions connected with Chanukah in the place where it all began—a true immersion experience. I learned that in celebrating Chanukah, the Jewish people have a saying, “Nes Gadol Hayah Sham.” The phrase translates, “A great miracle happened there.” An acronym of this is inscribed on the dreidel game, but altered to “a great miracle happened here.” Because the Greek-Syrians outlawed Jews from learning the Torah, the Jews used the game to hide their studies. Chanukah commemorates the great miracle of one day’s worth of oil light in the Golden Menorah lasting for eight days, giving light to the Jewish people who were in the middle of a heated battle with the Greeks. On the eighth day, the Jews defeated their great foe. As I sailed across the Sea of Galilee, walked the streets of Capernum and ran my hand across the ancient temple steps, it all came together: this wasn’t an isolated incident for God’s chosen people. “A great miracle happened here.” I remembered those words two days later as I stood in Jerusalem at the Garden Tomb. A shakiness crept into my knees. I realized it wasn’t just one “great miracle” but “the greatest miracle that ever was happened here.” God in flesh stomping out the darkness of death itself. My soul bears witness to the greatest miracle that ever happened in the Promised Land. I will walk in reverent obedience and selfless love as I boldly proclaim the message of Christ’s saving grace wherever I find my feet. And it is my prayer that this issue filled with beautiful feet inspires you to walk the path faithfully until He comes. The greatest miracle of all time happened here, and I got to see it for myself. For more information on opportunities tosee the Bible come alive through Holy Lands student study tours, visit holylandsstudies. ag.org . Visit the Holy Lands studies blogspot at theshardandthescroll.com.
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ONCOURSE EBOOK The best source for extended online articles, past issues and some things that didn’t make it in the printed issue. Think of it as “Oncourse Magazine, The Director’s Cut.” Find it at Oncourse.ag.org or issuu.com and search for “Oncourse”.
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JA C K I E P R E E C E , 2 4 , G r a d uat e s t u d e n t at A s s e m b l i e s o f G o d T h e o l o g i c a l S e m i na r y, dr e a m s of ope n i ng a h om e f o r d i s a b l e d c h i l d r e n.
By Jenn Taylor & Emily Barney
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vercome, surmount and conquer. Merriam-Webster states that these words may be used to describe someone who surpasses a difficulty with quality, attainment and achievement. Graduate student Jackie Preece is certainly one of these extraordinary persons. Overcoming the limitations of a condition that limits her abilities, Jackie continues to defy the odds and pursue God’s will for her life. Born with cerebral palsy, she struggles with leg, speech and vision problems; however, she uses her struggles to empathize with others. As a teen, Jackie was called to missions, and her desire is to one day open a home for disabled children . She earned her graduate degree in missions from Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU). But she did not settle for simply earning passing grades. Jackie graduated with honors, Cum Laude, and as a member of the psychology, Theology and Bible honor societies.
Now, she is working on her master’s degree in counseling from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary (AGTS). Living with cerebral palsy has not been easy for Jackie; however, she knows God is using her condition for good as it allows her to reach others. “It took me some time to fully accept that God’s plan for me was so much greater than my own,” she says. “If I can help someone because of my disability, then I truly believe it will be worth it.” She does have to take special precautions due to her condition. Cerebral palsy makes it hard for Jackie to get around places, but don’t think that keeps her from completing her mission, even if it takes her overseas. “It can be a setback to not be able to go where I want, but I know that is just something God wants me to push past and overcome.” To help her overcome, Jackie finds encouragement from Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” “This verse has always helped me to be strong in light of whatever circumstances life has thrown at me” she says. Jackie encourages her fellow students not to take their callings and education lightly. She encourages students to spend their university time wisely. “An easy trap to fall into is to hang out with friends now and do schoolwork later,” she says. “While making lasting friendships is highly important and necessary, you went to school first and foremost for an education.” Her focus on studies made a great impact on her future and ministry. Despite her personal difficulties, Jackie participated in many missions trips while at SAGU. She traveled to the Republic of the Congo, Moldova and Mexico and also participated in MAPS (short-term missions—goag.org) trips in Southern Asia for eight months. Participating in the mission trips showed her the need for counselors overseas and led her to pursue her degree at AGTS. “Since I majored in missions at Southwestern, I feel I have the knowledge to live and to effectively minister overseas,” Jackie says. “With my counseling master’s degree, I can help bring healing to hurting people. I want people to know the healing power of God.” MARILYN LU JENN TAYLOR is an Evangel University journalism grad. EMILY BARNEY, OCCOLLGE editor, interviewed Jackie. souri, with husband Malcom and son Cub. CE ROBERTSON is a freelance writer and book reviewer
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beautiful feet bytes LOOKING FOR WARRIORS World Warriors is the only 6-week missions internship program for teens 16 years and older in which they are able to experience what it is like to be a real missionary working within Central America. Students work with King’s Castle Ministries in El Salvador doing street evangelism and ministering in churches with a focus on no-holds-barred service and showing God’s love in a tangible way. For applicants under 18 years of age, previous mission trip experience stateside or abroad is recommended. kingscastle.org
GOT SHEEP? Heifer International works to give impoverished families a hand-up through gifts of sheep, goats, cows and other livestock, as well as animal husbandry training. These gifts have the power to reverse generational cycles of poverty. Individuals or groups can contribute pre-set dollar amounts used to gift various animals to poor families. heiferinternational.org “It’s easy to be numb to all the tragedies in the world and so do nothing…. No one can make a difference everywhere, but we should all respond to the Holy Spirit and get involved where we can.”—Third Day’s Tai Anderson to ONCOURSE.
HOW CAN THEY HEAR? 6 ONCOURSE MAGAZINE | oncourse.ag.org
PRAY FOR AIM H A I T I SHARE CHRIST ON YOUR MISSION FIELD—Serve where you are, actively share Christ on your campus and in your community and respond tangibly to need as the Holy Spirit lays people on your heart. Sign up to be a Campus Missionary at yausa.com. PRAY FOR A MISSIONARY—their family and the country they serve in each week. Connect with missionaries, and let them know you are praying for them at youth.ag.org/ discipleship/emailmissionary.cfm GIVE TO SPEED THE LIGHT—Give up your savings for that new iPad to give a missionary transportation and communication equipment to spread the gospel all across the globe. speedthelight.com GO ON A MISSION TRIP—A great starter AIM opportunity is the Louisville 2012 Outreach (louisville12.ag.org), August 6-10. Find out more about AIM at aim.ag.org.
June 23-30, National Youth Alive Director Steve Pulis will lead 30 students and leaders to Haiti to work with a new church plant, help with compassion projects including water filter distribution and minister in orphanages and a kids’ club. The team will partner with ARISE Haiti ministries. arisehaiti.com FACTS: Development: Haiti is the least developed country in the Western Hemisphere. Economics: Eighty-percent unemployed and living in poverty. Average income is $2 a day. Religion: 70-percent Catholic; Voodoo recognized as an official religion in 2003. It’s said, “Haiti is 70-percent Catholic but 100-percent Voodoo.” PRAY: •For the health and safety of the students and leadership. •For outreaches and evangelism opportunities. • For church plant, national pastors and ministry of ARISE Haiti. •For ancient spiritual strongholds to be broken through as people are transformed by the authentic power and love of Jesus Christ.
SETTING THE CAPTIVES FREE LOCKS OF LOVE
I HEART JOPLIN PHOEBE AU-YEUNG, Summer 2011 Convoy of Hope intern, was enrolled in summer classes at Evangel University, less than an hour-long drive from where a deadly F-5 tornado ripped through Joplin on May 23, 2011. “My heart broke for Joplin. I knew I wanted to do anything I could to help.” When authorities declared that it was safe to volunteer, Phoebe joined a professor and three other students to help with debris cleanup and work with victims of the devastation to search through rubble for belongings. Phoebe recalls, “It brought tears to my eyes when we first drove through the town and I saw messages written on the walls that were standing: ‘God has been good to us,’ ‘Still missing cat. We are OK,’ and many more.” During her Convoy of Hope internship, Phoebe’s team helped in a “free store” for those affected by the disaster and also helped a family clear their property. “Tragedy brings out what people are made of. The optimism and faith [of the victims] was one of the most inspiring things I have ever seen.” cohinterns.org READ PHOEBE’S FULL STORY at oncourse.ag.org
QUOTE OF THE DAY
TANNER LOOFT, 18, had been growing his hair out for several years, but it wasn’t until his senior year of high school that he entertained the idea of cutting it. Tanner decided to have his curly brown hair cut to raise money for missionaries. It wasn’t a typical fundraiser, however—Tanner’s hair measured 28 inches long the day it was cut, on June 19, 2011. The hair was donated to Locks of Love, and all money raised, over $4,000, was donated to Speed the Light through his youth group at New River Assembly of God in Red Wing, Minnesota, to provide transportation and communication equipment to missionaries across the globe. “I simply wanted to use everything I had to glorify God in some way,” Tanner says. “Even the most simplistic things can be used to glorify God in a huge way. I mean, I cut my hair, and we raised a good chunk of money for a missionary somewhere to get around much easier.” Speedthelight.org READ TANNER’S FULL
ACT NORMAL
“Over and over again throughout our Christian experience, God reminds us that we don’t have a business relationship with him. We don’t ‘gut out’ the Christian life merely because we have to. We respond out of gratitude to God, our loving Father. In the depths of our hearts, he gives us confidence that we belong to him.”
LOWELL HOCHHALTER is a U.S. missionary and associate with F.R.E.E. International, which is an organization combating human trafficking in the U.S. “It seems as though this generation not only wants to be aware of the issues that surround them, but longs for the tools to make a difference,” he says. F.R.E.E. strives to increase youth awareness of human trafficking and involve them in prevention efforts. F.R.E.E. International is one of the very few anti-trafficking organizations that is working on prevention resources along with the rescue side of it. Lowell says. “We want to not only empower victims, but all youth.” Lowell stresses that student involvement is key to the success of every compassion and social justice ministry. “Students will go where they can make a difference. That should not surprise us one bit.” free-international.org
REACHING THE GLOBE FOR G.O.D. What if sharing Christ took the form of a flash mob? What if students partnered with Christians across the globe to dedicate one day to actively share the gospel with at least one person—how many lives could that impact? The answer is in the millions. This is the vision for Global Outreach Day (G.O.D.), June 2, which is focused on building a network of Christians worldwide who are equipped and mobilized to preach the gospel in over 200 nations in a single day. “We want students to make sharing Christ the focus of that day—to reach a soul intentionally for the cause of Jesus Christ,” Jay Mooney, National Youth Ministries (NYM) director, says. Citing Philemon 6 (NIV), “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ,” Jay expounds. “In the life of a believer, when you share your faith, God gives an opportunity to grow. When you don’t, there is a hole. Our job is not to save anybody, but it is our job to be God’s witness.” globaloutreachday.com
—SCOTT WILSON author of Act Normal WINTER 2012 eBOOK 7
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photo by Hannah Capps // paperheartphoto.squarespace.com
BY MATthew TAYLOR
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began with a vision to take the heart of Fine Arts universal— helping kids learn to use the arts to spread the message of hope in Jesus Christ in their homeland. The first week of July 2011, a group of 19 students and leaders from Greensboro, North Carolina, went to Monteria, Colombia, to accomplish something that had never been done—hosting a Fine Arts Festival outside of the States. In so doing, this small American Ambassadors in Mission (AIM) team watched 500 Colombian students soar. Our team got involved with just two months notice. With little time to spare, our team signed on in faith, trusting God to provide the finances needed to cover travel expenses. We sent out stacks of letters, and within weeks money came in by the thousands. Each member needed $1,600, but by the time the last few donations were received, each member was left covering only about $100. In the weeks leading up to the trip, our team began to pray for the conference and the Colombian students. Only two members from the Greensboro AIM team spoke Spanish, and the rest would be relying fully on their translators. “Though the team and the nationals spoke different languages, I know that we could understand the language that God has put in all of us—love. We showed them love, and they showed us more love than I have ever seen,” says AIMer Derrick Corriveau. The next day, the challenges of the week began. During the first service, Rob Saenz, a youth pastor from Waxahachie, Texas, introduced Fine Arts, explaining how Fine Arts is a mode for discovering, developing and deploy-
ing our gifts for the glory of God. We then presented six of the categories to the students: vocal, art, drums, guitar, human video and short sermon. Then the students signed up for the different classes and broke up into their sessions. “I was nervous, because I had to teach all the kids who wanted to learn art,” says AIM member Matt King. “I had about 80 kids sign up for art alone.” All of the sessions were packed with so many students, most of the AIM coach pairs had to split up and lead teams individually. This was challenging as there was only one translator for all 11 teams. We also had to figure out how to adapt a human video written for nine people to fit the larger teams. Within two days and only 10 hours of practice, God worked miracles and did the impossible. “I had the privilege of writing the Spanish human video that we taught to the Colombian students,” says Stefenie Lopez, fellow AIM member from Orlando, Florida. “I will never forget the tears running down my face and the shouts and cheers from the [sense of] accomplishment these kids felt the moment the music stopped and they realized they had just learned their first human video.” We were told from the beginning that our goal was for the students to be able to do everything we taught them without our help. When the third day came, we witnessed the mission of the trip come together. We split the workshops into different teams. Each team consisted of presentations from every workshop. The teams spread out to canvass the nearby riverside park and used what they learned during the week to minister. As people passed by, the students performed while others handed out invitations to that night’s service. It was amazing to see the students take what we had taught them and minister to us. After the outreach in the park, the teams met together to walk back to the church. The group became a giant parade of teens marching through the park, clapping and shouting as all the drummers beat on the trashcans, poles and
whatever else they found in the park. It was an amazing moment to experience. The next morning was our last day with the students. Each student/team had the opportunity to take part in the first ever Colombian Fine Arts festival with the presentations they had learned that week. They took to the stage, completely cut off from their coaches, to perform all on their own. “I was able to watch each of the human video teams perform, and it brought me to tears,” Matt says. “They were so passionate with every movement they made. Even when they messed up, they were joyful. That alone made me remember that Fine Arts is not a competition, but we do it to glorify God.” Another afternoon of park outreach was followed by a closing celebration service where participants were recognized and given opportunity to present. “When we were saying our goodbyes, I had kids that I did not even know come up to me saying, ‘Thank you for blessing me. I love you, and will miss you,’” says Matt. After returning to our hotel that night to pack our bags, the team realized that as much as we had ministered to [the nationals], they had ministered to us even more. We went to Colombia to change some teenagers’ lives, and they did exactly the same in return for us. To see AIM Colombia highlights and trip photo gallery, go to oncourse.ag.org. For more information on AIM go to aim.ag.org. MATTHEW TAYLOR from Calvary Church AG Fellowship in Greensboro, North Carolina has three National Fine Arts Festival Award of Merits—two for Children’s Literature and one for Small Drama Ensemble.
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BEAUTIFUL FEET
NAT H A N I E L M O O R E , 2 9 , i s t h e f i r s t A s s e m b l i e s o f G o d U. S . M i s s i o n s c h a p l a i n to rock climbers.
BY christina quick
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athaniel Moore is not a typical chaplain. When he isn’t hanging from his fingertips 1,000 feet above a canyon floor or scraping the flesh from his arms climbing a gritty crack in a rock slab, he may be sharing Christ beneath a canopy of stars. Nathaniel shares that for climbers who are often resistant to the church establishment, they must be reached where they are. “As a climbing chaplain, I will have the chance to preach from a pulpit on many occasions, but it will never be to climbers,” Nathaniel says. “The gospel will be shared to climbers on the rocks or around the campfire.” Nathaniel attended Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri, with plans to become a world missionary. As a student, he became an intern for AG World Missions. There he met Bob Friesen, director of research for World Missions, who introduced him to rock climbing. Nathaniel was hooked on the sport. After graduation, Nathaniel headed to Moab, Utah, where he worked for two years as a climbing guide. He met hundreds of climbers, but he was bothered by the fact that none of them were Christians. “I lived in the climbing community, and when 10 ONCOURSE MAGAZINE | oncourse.ag.org
I went to church I felt like I was in another world,” Nathaniel says. “I invited a climber friend to church, and he came, but he found the whole thing funny since it was such a different culture. That is when I first considered climbing ministry.” Nathaniel returned to Springfield to attend Assemblies of God Theological Seminary and seek direction for ministry. During that time, he sensed God calling him to take the gospel to climbers. He also met his future wife, Sarah, who worked at a Springfield climbing gym. They have been married—and happily climbing together—two years now. Nathaniel is an accomplished climber. He has scaled routes on the upper end of the difficulty range and gained experience in a variety of rock climbing hubs, such as Smith Rock, Oregon; Adirondacks, New York; Hueco Tanks, Texas; Red River Gorge, Kentucky; and Boulder Canyon, Colorado. He has twice conquered Yosemite’s famed El Capitan in California. He also has climbed outside the U.S. in Belize, Costa Rica and Mexico. Nathaniel says the breathtaking landscapes associated with climbing are natural settings for spiritual contemplation. “God’s general revelation surrounds climbers, whether they know it or not,” Nathaniel says. “Many climbers explain their time outside as
spiritual experiences. Many times Christians don’t have to start spiritual conversations because the conversation naturally turns that direction.” Nathaniel recalls one instance in which he talked about Jesus with an atheist climbing friend as they sat on a portable sleeping platform dangling 2,500 feet above Yosemite Valley. “He said that if everything I said about God was true, then it was only a matter of time before he accepts it as truth,” Nathaniel says. “He still has not made that step yet, but I pray every chance I get that he does.” Nathaniel is partnering with an interdenominational organization, Solid Rock Climbers for Christ, to develop innovative strategies for reaching the nation’s climbing communities. Among other things, he hopes to produce targeted evangelistic literature and videos, involve congregations and Chi Alpha (chialpha.com) groups in outreaches to climbers and create outdoor programs for church ministry. To follow Nathaniel’s adventures, visit mooreclimbing.blogspot.com. For more info on Chaplaincy visit chaplaincy.ag.org CHRISTINA QUICK, freelance writer, lives in Springfield, Missouri. Reprinted with permission from AG Office of Public Relations.
KELLY AND ALISA WARD, U.S. MISSIONARIES, DIRECTORS OF SOLE MISSION, WHICH STARTED A GRASS-ROOTS MINISTRY BASED OUT OF A NEED THEY KEPT SEEING OVER AND OVER WHEREVER THEY WERE SERVING— THE NEED FOR SHOES.
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o you have more than one pair of jeans? You may be reading this, thinking, who doesn’t—in America, anyway? Or, what about shoes? Most Americans have at least one pair of shoes, and most have more than one, right? Having well-fitting, good, clean shoes is something that many of us take for granted. However, you might be surprised to learn that right here in the United States, thousands of children and young adults don’t have adequate footwear or, in some instances, any footwear at all. Not only does a new pair of shoes protect a person’s feet, they also help boost his or her self esteem, and in some cases allows him or her to fully participate in school classes and activities like P.E. Young people in need live everywhere from rural America to urban and suburban communities. Enter Kelly and Alisa Ward of Sole Mission. Based out of Springfield, Missouri, Kelly and Alisa worked for several years in compassionate ministries, where they saw over and over again the basic need for shoes. Feeling called to focus on that need, these U.S. Missionaries started a grass roots movement—collecting donations from individuals, churches and businesses and then gathering volunteers to distribute shoes throughout the country—the distribution usually being hosted by a local church. “Giving the shoes opens the door for churches to discover additional needs in the lives of the families and begin relationships with them,” says Alisa. Churches and businesses hold drives like “Shoeper Bowl Sunday.” Individuals request shoe donations instead of birthday gifts, host fundraisers or shop off-season clearance racks
to help collect donations of winter boots, tennis shoes and items for the “Big Foot Club” (specializing in collecting youth shoes in larger sizes). Flip-flops are also popular collection items because most, if not all, disaster relief shelters require people to wear flip-flops in the showers. With volunteers everywhere from hair salons and churches to clubs and businesses who host shoe drives, Sole Mission is supported by individuals, groups and other ministries. They spread the word through speaking engagements and work in tandem with churches to distribute the shoes to needy families, praying that every pair of shoes touches a soul for Jesus. Each pair of shoes is prayed over at least three times. “The prayer accompanying the shoes can bring peace, hope and healing into that home,” Alisa says. We all know how great it is to wear new shoes, especially ones that fit just right. Most of us can’t remember our first pair of new shoes, but Sole Mission volunteers provided shoes for a little boy who was so excited he wouldn’t let them cut off the tags because he wanted his friends to see that he had brand new shoes. If you, your family or your youth group would like to sponsor a donation drive, volunteer at a distribution or help out at the Sole Mission warehouse, there are many opportunities for a few hours, a few days or even for long as a summer through internships or the Missionary Associate program (goag.org). Visit solemission.org to contact Alisa or Kelly. You can help touch lives for Jesus one sole at a time.
Besides literally giving shoes, you can “shoe the bare feet” of people in need in a number of ways. Here are some ideas for reaching out in your own community.
• Start a “front-porch”neighborhood ministry. Bring cookies to introduce yourself to neighbors and find out their needs. • Start a community garden. • Offer to mow the lawn, clean house, pull weeds, shovel snow from sidewalks or clear snow off cars for single parents or the elderly. • Mentor or tutor after school. Start a book club to help with reading skills. • Sponsor a clothing swap on your block. • Sponsor a school-supply drive. • Organize volunteers from a nearby cosmetology school to donate haircuts for school kids and job-hunting parents. • Start a sack-lunch or sack-supper program at school. • Write notes of encouragement to neighbors and friends. • Partner with established ministries like Sole Mission. • Volunteer to take donated coats to the dry cleaner. • Start a neighborhood sports team–soccer or flag football. Take up a collection for those without adequate shoes or clothes to compete. • Anonymously adopt a fellow student, and bless him or her with encouragement notes and random gifts. MARILYN LUCE ROBERTSON is a freelance writer and book reviewer who lives in Springfield, Missouri, with husband Malcom and son Cub.
Scan to visit solemission.org and find them on Facebook.
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BY ERIC BRASWELL
IN
2005, Jeremy Johnson decided that he wanted something more for the students of Ammunition Ministries—the youth and young adult group at Calvary Temple Worship Center in Modesto, California. Jeremy wanted the students to engage in a more personal worship experience, so, he turned to his wife Christy and friend Sean Loche, both creative musicians. The three of them masterminded Worth Dying For, a new worship team that wrote their own worship songs. These worship songs are edgier, harder than most worship music. People who like to rock like that Worth Dying For rocks while they worship. In 2007, Worth Dying For self-released Ammunition. A record label heard it, liked what they were doing and signed the worship team on as a rock band. The band released a self-titled album on that label in 2008. In February 2011, Worth Dying For released Love Riot on their own label, Ammunition Records, and a live album, Live Riot, will be released in February 2012. That all sounds pretty exceptional, but for a sucessful rock band it’s also pretty normal. Five musicians get together, write music, get noticed and make some records. For normal red-blooded Americans, this is one of the dreams. But Worth Dying For is not normal, and this isn’t their dream. “We really want to be a faceless army of worship,” says Christy. “It’s more than a band,” adds Jeremy. “It’s a movement.” In fact, when the band started, there were 30 members. It was briefly pared down to five while they were with the record label. “I don’t know if that’s ever what God really wanted us to do,” says Jeremy, “but we stepped out and did that because it was in front of us.” Right now, there are about 40 members. “Ninety percent of the band that travels with us are interns that we rotate in and out,” says Christy. Because Worth Dying For wants to be faceless, they don’t give autographs; they trade autographs. “Someone once told us to walk slowly through the crowd because that’s where Jesus did His greatest minisTHIS WORSHIP BAND try,” says Jeremy, “but kids always want FROM MODESTO, your autograph. They want you to sign CALIFORNIA DESIRES their shoe or their arm, whatever they can TO BE A FACELESS FORCE OF WORSHIP, find.” The band felt signing autographs A MOVEMENT blurred the focus. “So we started doing INSPIRING A this thing where we’ll only give them GENERATION TO our autographs if they’ll give us theirs,” FIERCEOUSLY says Jeremy. “And it always messes with PURSUE GOD’S HEART. them, ‘Why do you want my autograph? Because you are the same as me. We’re all God’s ammunition.’” “It’s more than a band. It’s a movement.” In the past year, Worth Dying For has
directed the money from album sales to Speed the Light, the relief effort for Japan and Without Permission—a Christian agency that fights human trafficking. In February, Worth Dying For and Jeremy Johnson are leaving Modesto to plant a church 300 miles to the south, in Los Angeles. Five years ago, while riding in their old shuttle bus to an event at which Worth Dying For was playing and Jeremy was preaching, all of the noise around Jeremy suddenly disappeared, and he clearly heard God say, “In five years, you will plant a church with this band.” “And then,” says Jeremy, “the sound came back on.” It’s 2012. Five years are up. Jeremy Johnson, Worth Dying For and the Ammunition Conference are moving to L.A. “All we’re focused on is winning people to God every single day,” says Christy. “We’ll do outreach every single day with this team—” “And the team will make disciples while we’re there,” says Jeremy. “We’ll make so many disciples that we’ll have to start a church.” This is going to be a busy year for Worth Dying For. Besides planting a church and launching Ammunition Conference in L.A., they will continue traveling to other churches and conferences. In August 2012, Worth Dying For will be leading worship in Louisville for the 2012 National Fine Arts Festival (faf.ag.org). Christy is a Fine Arts veteran. “I participated in female vocal solo my sophomore to senior years, and then I actually went to nationals one time. I loved it. Fine Arts gave me the confidence I needed to use the gift that God had given me to minister to people. The first time I stood on a stage in front of a crowd, someone had to hold my hand while I sang and lead me around the stage while my eyes were closed. Fine Arts gave me the opportunity not only grow my gift, but also allowed me to push through my fear and walk in boldness. “It’s really cool to get to go back and lead worship there.” ERIC BRASWELL’S dream of being in a rock band died many years ago when the tide of Ska’s 3rd Wave went out for good—and took the rock-n-roll trombones with it. Check out Eric’s man-blog on the spiritual disciplines at oncourse.ag.org.
Unboxed “Love Riot” by Worth Dying for
In the song “Love Riot,” Worth Dying For sings “We have been infected / Our world is affected” by God’s love. • What is the motivation for Christians to do good works? How do we get that motivation to serve in love. (Hint: “We have been infected.”) • What things you have done for God out of a sense of obligation? What have you done for others because of love? Is there a difference when you serve out of love versus a feeling of obligation? • Read Galatians 5, and think about or discuss your role and the Holy Spirit’s role in the love riot. For more OC Unboxed small group discussion starters go to oncourse.ag.org and click the “Leader” tab.
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ON TOUR
w i n t e r ja m wa s c r e at e d b y c c m g rou p n e ws ong ou t of a h e a rt t o i m pa c t l i v e s . t o d at e , t h e t o u r h a s prom p t e d n e a r ly 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 pe opl e to M a k e de c i s ions for C h r i s t.
BY JENNIFER TAYLOR
F
eaturing a large stage that extends out into the audience, flashing lights, bursts of confetti and fans who line city blocks, anxiously awaiting the opening of venue doors, you might think the thousands of fans were waiting in line to see a show by a mainstream artist like Justin Bieber or Taylor Swift. On the contrary, they are waiting to get a great seat to the Winter Jam Spectacular, Christian music’s largest annual tour. Founded by Grammy-nominated NewSong in 1995, Winter Jam is one of the world’s largest tours and number one ranked tour in the world for the first quarter of 2011, according to Pollstar. Hosted by NewSong and billed with top Christian artists such as Newsboys, David Crowder Band, Kutless, Francesca Battistelli, Chris August and speaker Tony Nolan, Winter Jam outpaced attendance for all other tours in the first quarter including Bon Jovi, U2, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber. However, what sets this tour apart from other top tours is the mission to share the love of Christ with the numbers of people in attendance. Winter Jam artists are more concerned about the number of souls reached rather than counting the number of dollars earned from ticket sales. In 2011, the tour lined with contemporary, 14 ONCOURSE MAGAZINE | oncourse.ag.org
alternative rock and worship musicians drew a record total audience of 524,239 to shows in 46 cities. “We are grateful and humbled by the response to this year’s Winter Jam that only God himself could have orchestrated,” says NewSong’s Eddie Carswell, tour founder. “It is amazing to think that nearly 100,000 people made meaningful, life-changing decisions to follow Christ and that over 13,000 made a commitment to assist orphans through our partnership with Holt International (holtinternational.org). The reason that Winter Jam was created 16 years ago was to truly impact lives.” The numbers surely speak of the success of the tour as year after year Winter Jam commits to bring Christian music artists together for families, individuals and youth groups to attend for only $10 at the door. Believing in the mission of Winter Jam, Peter Furler, former lead singer of Newsboys, will return for the 2012 tour as a solo artist. On tour for the first time in three years, he shares the vision of reaching others on the tour. “There’s a lot of stuff flying out on the airwaves that can affect your ears and your eyes,” he says. “To come to an event like that to sing songs together, to be entertained but at the same time to be edified and encouraged, and for it to be affordable, I think that’s huge, especially in this day and age. I think they’re
always ahead of the game, especially now more than ever. You can bring the whole family, and it’s not going to break the bank.” Also sharing and bringing the audience to the heart of worship will be Kari Jobe. “I’m leading worship right before the speaker, so right before there’s an altar call and a call for people to give their heart to the Lord,” she says. “I believe a lot of non-believers do come to Winter Jam. It’s good music; there are a lot of music genres represented. It’s a great place to invite unsaved friends. So I will just do what I do, and that’s just lead people to Jesus.” The mission doesn’t stop with reaching students and families though. Winter Jam also recognizes youth pastors that bring students to the event. During a pre-show reception, youth pastors in each city receive giveaways, encouragement and prayer. “At a lot of concerts, there’s a line between backstage and the crowd. But Winter Jam has really broken down those barriers,” Peter says. That is what the heart and mission of God is all about. To find out when those Winter Jam buses and artists will be rolling into your area, log on to jamtour.com. JENNIFER TAYLOR, freelance contributor, is looking forward to more confetti cannons and pyrotechniques at Winter Jam 2012 when the tour spectacular comes to Springfield, Missouri this March.
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HANDS & FEET
BY Jackie A. Chapman
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hat a crazy weather year 2011 was. As we watched the stories of the South’s tornado outbreak in April, the massive tornado in Joplin a month after and Hurricane Irene’s flooding of the Northeast on its way up the East Coast, stories of famine and human trafficking continually reached our ears. With so many tragedies occurring in such little time, sometimes the problems seem too big for us to make a difference. However, we have one simple solution: pick one problem and help. Third Day’s Tai Anderson agrees, “It’s easy to be numb to all the tragedies in the world and so do nothing…. No one can make a difference everywhere, but we should all respond to the Holy Spirit and get involved where we can.” That’s exactly what Third Day did right after the tornadoes hit the South. The band was on tour and watched the news unfold. Frontman Mac Powell, an Alabama native, immediately asked if the band could do anything to help. On tour, Third Day had a Sunday open and put together the “Make Your Move” Alabama Tornado Relief Benefit, which raised about $100,000 that was distributed to area projects right away. It all came together while the band was right there, on the road. “It was just the
band adding one more day to a [tour], but we knew it could make a real impact,” says Tai. “Sometimes something bad happens, and there’s nothing you can do but write a check. This was a situation that there was something we actually could do; so we did.” Worship leader Aaron Gillespie partnered with HelloSomebody last year after he connected with founder Ben Pirtle. “I love the heart of HelloSomebody because it is simple: people are hungry, so let’s feed them. Our world is full of hungry people, and we should all feel the tug, the need to help out.” Aaron launched the “HelloSomebody Worship Tour” last fall. “It was so refreshing to go into different cities every night and see God transform lives. When God changes you, you want to share that with the world and offer a lending hand. We saw people grab onto HelloSomebody in that fashion.” Grabbing onto HelloSomebody means helping raise money to feed and educate street children in Rwanda and aiding tornado victims in Joplin, Missouri. Sara Groves has focused her response on Rwanda as well through her work with Food For The Hungry. For almost nine years, Sara has presented the needs of children around the world, and a few years ago, the organization asked her to partner with one specific community in Rwanda called Gisanga. “Rather than representing children from all over the world, we invited our listeners to join us in concentrating our efforts in one
community. That has turned out to be a very beautiful thing,” she says. In a world of crises, Sara chose to respond to the needs in Rwanda. She has made three trips there, including one with both sons, Kirby and Toby. “It is wise to approach mission work or God-calling with an open heart, ready to teach, ready to learn. I wanted my kids to see past the ‘poor people in Africa’ into the hearts of human beings with like hurts and desires.” Ginny Owens launched Fingerprint Initiative in 2005 to organize ways for her fans to serve others in their communities. Fingerprint partners with larger organizations, like Habitat For Humanity, but focuses its efforts on creating local events in cities where Ginny plays. It is Ginny’s prayer that believers wake up each day so excited about the gospel that their natural reactions will be to share that excitement with the world through loving and serving. “As the Church, sharing the blessings, unconditional love and unique gifts that [God] has so graciously given us is our call, our mission. Why wouldn’t we want to share the most wonderful news we know with the world? And what better way to share that news than to communicate it through acts of service?” JACKIE A.CHAPMAN is a freelance writer and Missionary Associate with Global Initiative. WINTER 2012 eBOOK 17
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VINTAGE
photo by Haley Seaton
give and go! “For if you give, you will get! Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use to give–large or small–will be used to measure what is given back to you.” —Luke 6:38, TLB By Mark McGrath
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ne of the first plays I learned as a young basketball player was “Give and Go!” The great thing about this play was that by giving, you always got the ball back (as long as you had an unselfish player), and when you got the ball back, you were closer to the basket, and most of the time you were open for an easy lay-up. Karl Malone and John Stockton played together on the Utah Jazz for 18 years. Stockton returned with many awards, including being voted as one of the NBA’s top 50 all-time players. He is the career leader in assists with 15,806 and steals with 3,265. Many of his assists were given to Karl Malone, currently the second leading scorer in an NBA career with over 36,000 points. Malone is also one of the top 50 all-time NBA players. Everyone who played the Jazz for 18 years knew what was going to happen. Give and go! Yet, they were rarely able to stop it. Malone to Stockton and back to Malone and vice-versa. Many times the Jazz would do this every time down the court. As a youth pastor, District AIM Coordinator, District Youth Director and AIM Director, I continually heard the same excuse, “I could not do much for Speed the Light this year because we [I] went on an AIM trip.” This should never be an excuse. Our Lord is bigger than that. When we “Give,” the Lord helps us “Go.”
AIM is a great ministry, and I believe in it with all of my heart. AIM is committed to helping teenagers and leaders experience their mission calling while on a short-term mission trip. However, we do not believe that AIM has to be successful at Speed the Light’s expense. I believe that when students or leaders goes on a mission trip, they will be better givers because they will find a better understanding of the need. We have already sent many missionaries to work full-time on the field, and it is our responsibility to make sure that they are properly prepared for their missions. Speed the Light’s equipment allows them to complete the tasks the Lord has given them with greater speed and success. Blessings to you as you “Give and Go!” On my way! After 47 years dedicated to “giving” and “going,” our beloved friend MARK MCGRATH unexpectedly passed away on June 27, 2004. He wrote this ONCOURSE article one week prior. Mark dedicated his life to loving God and loving people. Only heaven will reveal the thousands of people that Mark touched for eternity, and his legacy continues.
Pictured in this family portrait are (l to r) front row: Sawyer, Connor and Griffin; back row: Donae (McGrath’s wife), Dylan and Mark. Griffin now works with ENGAGE International.
TAKING THE MISSION TO THE NEXT LEVEL … INTERNSHIPS Response organizations like Convoy of Hope (cohinterns.org) and F.R.E.E. International, (freeinternational.org) have extended internship or service programs for college-aged students or college grads. SHORT TERM MISSIONS ASSIGNMENTS ENGAGE INTERNATIONAL Seven Assemblies of God colleges now offer a 50-percent tuition break for students who wish to study abroad while working with a missionary on an extended 3- to 6-month assignment and learning a language. It is possible to complete an Associate of Arts degree online through Engage. Students may apply for the program at the age of 16 but cannot begin the program until 18. Find out all the details at engagemylife.com. Engage applicants must also complete a Missionary Abroad Placement Service (MAPS) application (goag.org) and raise a missions budget to cover the tenure of the assignment. MISSIONARY ASSOCIATE & MAPS TEAMS The Missionary Associate Program is available for single participants (1-11 months) and MAPS Teams (up to one month) for students and non-students age18 years or older who desire to volunteer their skills in a supportive role to career missionaries. Using their unique gifts and abilities, Missionary Associates and MAPS Team members help veteran missionaries by sharing the workload on the field. For more information on these and career missions opportunities visit goag.org.
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GRIT After college, Ginny continued to write her own music and landed a record deal. Since then, this gifted vocalist has won three Dove Awards, including the Gospel Music Association’s New Artist of the Year in 2000, and has won multiple ASCAP Awards as well. She has sold nearly one million albums. This ministry road has not always been easy; Ginny has moments of crying out to God, “Can you just fix it?” She quickly followed this comment by saying, “…and He usually does!” She understands both pain and disappointment, but she chooses to focus on a God who can use every situation for His glory. This faith in a God who has purposefully given her the life she has propels her to minister to those who are still trying to understand the “story” God has given them. Ginny understands, “It’s easy to think our stories don’t matter, especially when our peers have stories that seem better or more important. This lie is not true!” She wants all students, whether they are living life with all senses intact or living with a
a greater purpose By EMILY BARNEY
“G
od does not have ‘oops’ moments. Sometimes I think He does, but He doesn’t…” states Christian artist Ginny Owens. This is a statement many individuals can relate with, the feeling that God could not possibly know our circumstances because if He did, He would have changed them by now. Ginny Owens, born with Congenital Eye Disease, had little sight. The sight she did have she lost after surgery at the age of 3. Despite her struggles with her inability to see, Ginny remains confident that God is purposeful about all He does, even when our minds cannot understand our struggles. In her own walk, she reminds herself of the verse in Exodus 4:11: “The LORD said to him, ‘Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the LORD?” Ginny learned early in life that she was unlike others. She remembered that her situation was uncomfortable for some people, making her uncomfortable in many cases as well. Her mother was encouraging, but at the same time reminded her that the rules would be different for her. Despite these differences, Ginny attended Belmont University as a Performance Music Education major until her junior year when she changed to Music Education (without performance). Using recorders, scanners and note takers for class, Ginny completed the same assignments as her peers. She did, however, acknowledge that “something that would take them 10 minutes may take me 30.”
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disability, to know that He created everyone to do something great. She continues to strive toward God’s plan for her life and hopes that even though our stories seem small compared to God’s larger story, we know that we are a vital part of His greater plan. She urges every individual to “seek out what His story is for you.” EMILY BARNEY, who graduated from Zion Bible College, is currently pursuing her Master’s of Christian Ministries degree at Assemblies of God Theological Seminary (Springfield, Missouri) while working as Administrative Coordinator for The Alliance for Higher Education at the General Council of the Assemblies of God.
FACE
THE YO-YO MISSIONARY JACOB NOEL OCCUPATION: MISSIONARY ASSOCIATE on the field: THis youth pastor’s extreme yo-yo skills helps him share the gospel at KING’S CASTLE MINISTRIES IN EL SALVADOR. By RACHEL COLLINS
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hen difficult circumstances arise in life, it is important to remember that hardship is incomparable to the miraculous power of Jesus Christ. The life of Jacob Noel is evidence of this fact. The art of mastering the yo-yo is a wonder in itself, especially for one diagnosed with cerebral palsy at a young age. Using this “wonder” in ministry is a whole new concept to most, but not to Jacob, who has seen God do amazing works throughout his entire life. When the doctors told Jacob’s parents that he would never be able to walk fully and would have terrible hand-eye coordination, they looked to the Lord for a miracle. “I was born with cerebral palsy. [The doctors] said I would only be able to write one letter per page,” Jacob says. He was forced to wear braces on his legs. Jacob’s parents followed the doctor’s treatment believing for God’s healing. “My parents taught me that if we seek the Lord, then He will do something. We could pray, and He could heal our bodies.” His parents continued to pray, and when he was 5, Jacob was healed. “It was not a one-shot miracle; it was a process. I was supposed to wear those braces until I was 16, but I was able to get out of them when I was 5. I was supposed to have surgery when I was 13, but God healed me. I never had to have that surgery,” Jacob says. Having spent some of his childhood in Singapore, Jacob first learned how to master the yo-yo when he was 14. “I learned because it was the popular thing to do,” Jacob says. Even when Jacob and his family moved back to the United States, his yo-yo skills continued to improve as he focused in on his vision of becoming a missionary, the call that God gave him vision for at a young age, never knowing that he would be able to combine these two gifts to do big things for Christ.
“I started coming to El Salvador when I was 16,” Jacob says. “I spent five weeks there the following year.” In 2002, Jacob interned with King’s Castle, whose purpose is to raise “an army of young, Spirit-filled warriors who would invade Latin America with the message that Jesus saves and is coming soon,” as stated on their website. As Jacob readied to graduate college, he prepared himself to enter the mission field in El Salvador. “I left home in January of 2008, and I’ve been here since then,” he says. Before moving to El Salvador, Jacob worked in the emergency room as a registered nurse for one year. “At that point, I was not married. [Amanda and I] have been married for about one year and eight months,” Jacob says. Jacob remained sensitive to God’s voice during that time of transition, and he says that he was able to clearly hear everything the Lord was saying to him. “The Lord spoke to my heart and said, ‘Hey, I want you to go to El Salvador,’” Jacob says. Jacob and his wife Amanda, working with King’s Castle Ministries, both serve as youth pastors within a local church in El Salvador. Now, Jacob uses his talent through illustrated sermons as a part of their ministry. Jacob encourages students not to underestimate the small gifts that God can use, “[He] has been able to take something as simple as a yo-yo and use it to reach kids. It is all about Him and…His glory.” For information about internships and ministry opportunities in El Salvador, email aim@kingscastle.org. RACHEL COLLINS has traveled to five out of the seven continents. She hopes to one day travel the world.
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THE MISSION OF A
M A S T E R P I E C E WHY GOD HAS MORE IN MIND FOR YOU THAN SIMPLY KEEPING THE RULES AND HAVING FUN By daniel darling
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hen I think of the phrase, “old and cranky,” my mind immediately races to the old guy who works at a post office near my house. He’s short and bald and likes to foist his opinion about the next generation on anyone who will listen. Most people walk in and turn their heads to ignore his angry rants. “Kids these days don’t care about work. They don’t care about values. They don’t care about their parents. They don’t care about anything. All they want to do is text and surf the net and do Facebook, whatever that is!” I’m tempted to tell this guy I like texting, spend a considerable time online and love Facebook. It might give the old man a heart attack. Sadly, this guy isn’t alone. I have heard other older people spout a variation of this assessment of all young people, as if they know. In their view, teenagers today all have sex indiscriminately, live on Facebook and routinely cuss out their parents. OK, some teens live like this, but the young people I know look nothing like the caricature an out-of-touch generation likes to create. Though I reject the typical overheated assessment of teens I often hear, I do have one concern about young people who, like me, have grown up in the church. I’m not as concerned about sex, drugs and Harry Potter as I am about a more subtle temptation—the invitation of the enemy to live the clean, but safe, life.
YOUR LIFE AS A MASTERPIECE Growing up I always thought of the gospel as a free ticket to heaven. And, of course, it is. Jesus died on the cross, bearing the shame of our sin, so we could be reconciled to God. Because of Jesus, we’ll no longer be judged for our sin because Jesus already absorbed our punishment. But recently I’ve discovered 22 ONCOURSE MAGAZINE | oncourse.ag.org
that this is just the starting point of the gospel. Ephesians 2:10 says this: “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (NLT). When I read these words, I have to do a double-take. The Bible says we are “God’s masterpiece.” This means that each child of God is a work of art that God considers His very best. You are Michelangelo’s “David,” Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” Sometimes it’s hard to think of ourselves
so He could restore you to your original purpose. You read that right. God created you, placed you on this earth for a specific and powerful purpose. You were born for something—and you were reborn for something. A lot of Christian kids are content to live a safe, comfortable, copycat life. As long as they aren’t having sex, are not ticking off their parents and are showing up at youth group, they are OK. In other words, they measure their spirituality by everyone else.
GOD CREATED YOU WITH INTRICATE, DELICATE DESIGN. HE’S WOVEN INTO YOUR DNA A SPECIFIC MISSION—ONE THAT INVOLVES RISK AND REWARD AND DISTINGUISHES YOU FROM EVERYBODY ELSE. like this, isn’t it? Especially if you are a little overweight, like I was, or if you have acne or are a bit clumsy. Maybe nobody in your school or family or church considers you a work of fine art. But God does. He really does. Jesus came not only to punch your ticket to heaven but to restore in His masterpiece— you—what sin destroyed. Imagine my 3-year old son, Daniel, taking a magic marker to the “Mona Lisa.” That would be tragic. It would take a highly-paid and skilled art restorer to bring it even close to its original condition. Even so, it might never be the same. But when God wields the brush, His strokes push away what sin has marred to reveal what He originally created you to be. Why is this so important to understand? Because artists don’t do masterpieces just to hide them away in dusty closets. Artists create masterpieces to display them. The Scriptures tell us that Jesus came to this earth and suffered a cruel and shameful death
Here’s the problem with this line of thinking: God didn’t create you to be a clone. Masterpieces aren’t produced on an assembly line at a factory somewhere, one after the other, with no distinguishing traits. Masterpieces are handcrafted with precision and care. God created you with intricate, delicate design. He’s woven into your DNA a specific mission—one that involves risk and reward and distinguishes you from everybody else. The closer you get to Jesus, the more He will reveal this unique mission to you. I can’t tell you what it is, but I can give you a clue: your mission involves a lot more than settling for “not being” and “not doing.” And it’s not something you’ll find when you get old and have gray hair. God wants to display you—His masterpiece—right now.
DANIEL DARLING is the senior pastor of Gages Lake Bible Church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago and is the author of Teen People of the Bible, Crash Course and iFaith.
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SOUNDCHECK
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o Other Name, a new, CCM trio, is reaping the rewards that come from being obedient to God’s call. They are aiming square to encourage their fans to find out what that call means for them. The group attracted the attention of listeners with their first radio single “Lead You to the Cross”—grabbing a New Artist of the Year Dove nomination before their album The Other Side officially hit shelves last October. However, what really sets this group a cut above the rest of the Nashvillebased talent is its pure missions focus and the feet the members have put to the message. Laura Allen, one third of the group that includes her brother Sam and friend Chad Smith, explains how they became so immersed in ground-level missions: “It’s something that all of us have had a passion for a long time, but a couple of years ago, we were approached about using one of our songs to promote a missions agency that we work with.” That initial link hardwired the music with a missions’ passion. “We woke a purpose within the group. That first experience got us think-
WHAT’S BEING SAID ABOUT NO OTHER NAME
ing, ‘this is something we could do on a regular basis.’ What a ministry it is for us to just encourage people to be involved in some way in missions. If you’re not already, find your place in The Great Commission, find where God is working and get involved with Him.” Even before the very first lyric met melody, all three group members saw the experiences on the mission field molding the music and vision of No Other Name. For the last two years, the group has also sponsored an annual mission trip, inviting fans to participate in outreach areas like Managua, Nicaragua and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Laura often shares the insight she’s gained during these trips and offers advice to those wondering how to step out in their faith and bring the message of Christ to the world. On a trip to Mumbai, India, Laura’s group decided to use the outline Jesus gave to his disciples in Matthew 10; when He sent the 12 out with nothing but a staff and a cloak, and they were to go from house to house and village to village, preaching the gospel. “I think my first reaction was, ‘I’m never going to be able to do this,’ but it’s amazing what happens. God really does set up appointments for us.
“This isn’t just music about everyday life from a Christian perspective—this is a spiritual call to arms.” —rhapsody.com
We didn’t have any sort of agenda. There were translators with each of the groups, and we just talked to people. If they didn’t seem receptive, we just moved on to the next place. But if they started asking questions, we had Bibles in their language, and we would just go talk to people. By the end of the second day, I was like, ‘OK, I can dig this. I’m getting this now.’” Laura believes that going on a mission trip is something every Christian should do. “Go on a missions trip before you’re 20. I’ve thought so many times that if I had done a trip like the one to Nicaragua or Mumbai when I was19 or 20, how it would have just opened my eyes to the world. There are so many people who live differently than we do. Billions and billions of people have completely different lives than the ones we lead here. It’s eye-opening just to see it. These people don’t have any access to the gospel. They’ve never heard of Jesus. They won’t have that opportunity to ever hear about Him unless somebody goes and tells them.” ERIC BRASWELL loves music, spending time with family and writing his “For the Guys’” man blog at oncourse.ag.org.
“No Other Name blew us away with their song ‘He’s Alive.’ Then we heard the rest of their album!”—CCM Magazine “8 Artists to Watch” (Dec. 2011)
“...The Other Side introduces fans to No Other Name’s greatest strengths—tight harmonies and a heart for the Great Commission.” —gmcTV
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TRUTH
Living Compassion “When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.’” Matthew 9:36-38 By ginny owens
I used to think the world was an overwhelmingly huge place filled with a staggering number of people buried by problems that I couldn’t possibly do anything about. As compassion began to take root in my life, I started to see that this assumption wasn’t entirely true. Since I began traveling and sharing my music 12 years ago, I’ve had the opportunity to meet many people from various walks of life facing different challenges and hardships. At first, these meetings left me feeling helpless. Though my heart ached for each person, I didn’t know how I could possibly be an agent of hope, healing or change in each person’s life. As I continued to ask God how I might serve others, He began to open my eyes to the idea of living compassion. I’d always thought that compassion was something—a feeling, 26 ONCOURSE MAGAZINE | oncourse.ag.org
perhaps—that you’d have when you saw the hurts and needs of others. I didn’t realize it is an overflow of love that you actively live out each day. Living compassion begins when we look first at the example set forth by our Heavenly Father, one of two ultimate compassion-givers. He loves us so much that He rescues us from our brokenness, through the sacrifice of His Son, so we can spend eternity with Him. He blesses us each day with amazing gifts and promises His best for our lives. Although I’ll never completely comprehend God’s compassion and love for me, I am moved to want to share it with others every day. That’s why I started an organization called The Fingerprint Initiative. Since God has been compassionate enough to touch my life with His love, I want to leave His mark—His fingerprints—on the lives of others by serving them and meeting their needs. As I seek to understand more about living compassion, I look to the life of Christ, the other ultimate compassion-giver. The gospel
accounts tell us often that Jesus had compassion that moved Him to do miracles. In Matthew alone, we read that Jesus “had compassion” before He gave His disciples power to heal the sick and cast out evil spirits, before He fed the 5,000 and the 4,000 and before He restored sight to two blind men. Jesus lived compassion. The overflow of love He felt, as He met those with needs, He followed with action. This teaches me that living compassion means following Jesus’ example by loving and serving at the same time. One of the most beautiful results of compassion is that it often turns its recipients into compassion-givers, too. When Jesus’ compassion caused Him to heal the blind men, they immediately began following Him. When Christ’s compassion for the crowds of needy people caused Him to empower His disciples to heal, that’s exactly what they did. What do we do in light of the compassion that our Heavenly Father and Jesus have shown us? Ask God to reveal to you the many ways in which He has had compassion for you. Ask Him to show you how you might share that compassion with the rest of the world. It will change your life forever. Read more about Ginny’s testimony, ministry and passion for compassion on p. 16 and 21 of the eBOOK.
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LAUGH
much ado about mayo
I share a house with my best friend Rob. After I spent BY TORRY MARTIN several years running from God, Rob influenced me to rededicate my life to the Lord. He likes to say that he led me back to the Lord--kicking and screaming--and has been paying for it ever since. Funny guy, that Rob, and also a talented carpenter. For the last two weeks, Rob had been busy in the garage building a new island for the kitchen while I was in my office trying to write a new screenplay. Thankfully, the power tool sounds had stopped as the island came together, so I could finally hear my own thoughts. However, I now had to struggle with the smell of wood glue and the sound of the sander. It was lunchtime on a Saturday afternoon, and I just needed to finish a few more chores in the kitchen before taking a break to make Rob and myself some sandwiches. I was just starting to empty the dishwasher when I heard him open the garage door from downstairs and yell up to me in a panic. “Torry! I need mayonnaise! Quick!” “Mayonnaise?” I repeated, not certain I had heard him correctly. “YES!” He bellowed rather emphatically. “Mayonnaise! QUICK!” Realizing he sounded urgent, I knew that time was crucial and hurriedly looked through cupboards for the mayonnaise while mentally running through a myriad of reasons that he would need it so badly. What constitutes a mayonnaise emergency in a garage? Then I found myself wondering what kind of mayo Rob wanted, which could make all the difference in the world. Was it the extra large container of mayo from Sam’s Club? Or, perhaps the new mayo with olive oil that I was saving to try when the other ran out. Maybe he wanted the low-fat mayonnaise that tasted more like paste mixed with cornstarch. Oh, and Rob had his own squeezable container of Miracle-Whip that he used only on his hotdogs. True, technically Miracle-Whip is classified as salad dressing, but to me it’s just mayonnaise with a zing. To avoid possibly making more than one trip, I wisely grabbed them all. After all, I reasoned, he might need a whole lot of it.
With my arms loaded, I went slowly down the stairs. Negotiating the steps without the use of the handrails, while using my chin to hold the Miracle Whip on top of the large mayo, required careful balance. At the garage door, I fumbled to turn the doorknob with my full hands. I was sure Rob could hear me trying to get the door open and was irritated that he hadn’t. “You can help with the door, you know!” I said in a condescending, scolding tone. I couldn’t see Rob because my chin was lowered to keep holding the squeezable mayo in place. No response. I leaned back to lift up my armload so I could see Rob. Looking rather pale, he showed me his hand. “I can’t,” he said. “I’m bleeding.“ “Oh,” I replied while slowly processing the large amount of blood dripping from his finger. “Why did you want the mayonnaise?” Looking at the four jars of mayo, he VERY S-L-O-W-L-Y said, “Band…Aids.” “Oh,” I said, embarrassed, “sorry.” I feebly tried to explain myself, not wanting to seem stupid. “I thought you had tuna or turkey down here or something.” “What?” “Or that you could use it for the wood glue if you got it on something.” Rob sighed, and I continued, “People use mayonnaise for removing gum from carpets, you know.” “No, they use peanut butter for removing gum,” Rob said, blood still dripping from his finger. “Right. I knew it was a condiment.” “Peanut butter isn’t a condiment.” “Yes it is.” “Torry!” Rob paused with a deep breath. “Just go get me some Band-Aids, please.” So I did. Once upstairs—after repeating the same awkward process I had gone through going downstairs—I dropped the containers on the counter and began a frantic search for Band-Aids, but I had a brand new dilemma. Does he want the Batman Band-Aids from my bathroom, the regular Band-Aids from the kitchen or the larger-sized Band-Aids from the closet? I took him the regular Band-Aids. I only use the Batman BandAids on people who talk nicely to me. Remember that, reader. Oh, and just for the record, injured people should learn to enunciate. Or, maybe—hmm—I should be more careful to listen? We don’t consciously and deliberately disobey God—we simply don’t listen to Him. God has given His commands to us, but we pay no attention to them—not because of willful disobedience, but because we do not truly love and respect Him. “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Once we realize we have constantly been showing disrespect to God, we will be filled with shame and humiliation for ignoring Him. Am I constantly humiliating God by ignoring Him, while He lovingly continues to treat me as His child? Once I finally do hear Him, the humiliation I have heaped on Him returns to me. My response then becomes, “Lord, why was I so insensitive and obstinate?” This is always the result once we hear God. But our real delight in finally hearing Him is tempered with the shame we feel for having taken so long to do so. —From My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers. Excerpted with permission. TORRY MARTIN is an award-winning actor, author, comedian, humor columnist and screenwriter. He has also written several episodes of the audio drama “Adventures in Odyssey.” Visit him at torrymartin.com.
http://www.amazon.com/Utmost-Highest-Oswald-Chambers-Library/dp/1572933100/ref=pd_vtp_b_4
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