“While I was at camp one year I spent some time talking with Virgil Brazel about what it meant to be a Christian and my life would look like if I accepted Him.”

“The Balu’s were a family in my old church and they spent quite a bit of time helping me see who Jesus was and what decisions I needed to make in my life.”

This past Sunday I asked some random students to come up and share with us the time when they heard the message of Christ and made a decision to follow it.  The message that morning was on Hearing the word of God (click here to listen to the podcast).  As these students began to share with us when and who was a part of their hearing about the Gospel I was touched in a huge way.

You see I work at a church that is about 30 miles from where I grew up.  Both churches attend the same church camp and at times work together to do ministry.  However, the two names listed above where very recognizable by me.  The Balu’s and Brazel’s were both major people in my life story.  I can not begin to tell you all the ways that they encouraged me to keep the faith and to follow no matter how hard it gets.  The times that they helped me make the tough decisions in my life, even helping me move out of my house and go to Bible College.  I still have limited contact with both families and always look forward to the conversations that I have with them.

I find it interesting that the very people who touched my life are still touching lives in youth ministry today.  Add to the reality of all of this I have been out of that church and through bible college and 16 years of ministry, yet they are still leaving a legacy.  Not only in the church they work with but in my church as well.  These are the people that I hope will come along with me in ministry and be a part of the lives of students for many years to come.  We have to find ways to encourage our leaders to stay even after their students have moved on to college and gotten married.  These adult leaders are the ones who truly make ministry exciting for the long haul.