May, 2010
To Reach Out's younger generation partners,
Eric Ball and I just completed a Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry (JFYM) Forum in Rendsburg, Germany and an Eagle Leaders Retreat in Uzhgorod, Ukraine. We observed how leaders and churches move through Reach Out's process of...
Introduce>>>Implement>>>Multiply
In Germany, to Introduce has taken four years. In Ukraine, after sixteen years, our Eagle Leaders Multiply. The contrast: investing over time brings life transformation and ministry maturity.
 Four Years in Germany
Four years ago Christliche Verlagesellschaft published Reach Out's books in German. Later Eric Ball and I spoke at their national conferences to 700 youth leaders and 1500 teenagers. Eventually, through this growing relationship, we conducted a JFYM Forum in Siegen, southern Germany. We designed this trip to help Markus and Anita Bartsch in Rendsburg, northern Germany move their leaders, and those in surrounding Brethren churches, from Introduce to Implement.
Alexander, one of those sharp, young leaders, was too busy to attend the Forum, yet came reluctantly. After the first session he said:
 The Going Deeper with Christ session made it worth my trip. I needed it so much. My optometrist job and church jobs overwhelm me. I am burned out. I have lost my fire for Jesus. Tonight I got re-focused on Jesus.
Leaders, like Alexander, typically desire to know Jesus and to reach teenagers, yet they struggle with how to mature in Christ or in ministry. Our leader, Markus, "has a 100% commitment to grow the JFYM seed that is in the ground" and coach Alexander and others to do the same.
Sixteen Years in Ukraine
 Ukraine, unlike Germany, took ten years to get traction. Since then our Ukraine ministry has matured from Introduce to Implement to Multiply. For thirteen years Doug and Marina Landro have explored creatively how that works best in Ukraine. As a result many youth leaders have benefited.
 One of those, Andre and Sarah Doroshuk , are Eagle Leaders who represent life transformation and ministry maturity through JFYM. Andre works as a corporate lawyer and youth leader. Before he married Sarah, he served as a typical youth leader doing typical programs with minimal results. That changed when he began to court Sarah, a Methodist youth leader, discipled by Sergey and Esther Bogomazuk, Eagle Leaders. Andre not only became interested in Sarah, but also in Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry. Mentored by Sergey he implemented our training in his church for two years. Andre married Sarah and together they do JFYM at Andre's church. In the last two years their leadership team has increased by 114% and their youth ministry has doubled.
 Now Andre mentors five other youth leaders in Ukraine, Italy, Germany, Czech Republic and Hungary.
Driving to the airport I asked Andre about his future.
I want to shut down my law practice and give all my time to doing God's work in youth ministry. I see such good fruit being produced from working with kids and equipping these youth leaders in JFYM.
Your prayers and investment in Germany and Ukraine through Reach Out gives life transformation and ministry maturity to key leaders who influence the younger generation to follow Jesus. They say "thank you".
Next month: the inspiring story of our Ukrainian Eagle Leaders
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