April, 2010
Dear Friends of the
Younger Generation,
"A blueprint for
the Great Commission in Arkansas"
- Rodney
Welsh, Youth Pastor in Heber Springs, Arkansas
What did Rodney
mean by his statement? Let's find out by following six spiritual generations
deeply transformed by Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry (JFYM)--Shira, Olivia, Carrie, Rodney, Dustin and Eric.
6 Generations
We begin with Shira, a sophomore, who began a relationship
with Jesus in 2008 through her friend Olivia who then discipled her. Both graduate this year
and want to become missionaries. Before this, Carrie Welsh started a discipleship group for Olivia and four others.
They learned how to communicate their faith to friends like Shira. Carrie was
equipped to disciple students in a leadership team led by her husband, Rodney
Welsh. Rodney took them through "the slow,
but very rewarding process of making disciples" after attending a JFYM Forum in
2007. He heard Dustin Sams speak about
it in 2006 and was drawn to "thinking about ministry that lined up with the way
Jesus did ministry."
Dustin Sams, youth pastor in Stuttgart, Arkansas,
has implemented JFYM for seven years and is one of Reach Out's Eagle Leaders. Dustin
comments: "After hearing Barry speak, I started my first discipleship group
with five guys. Four of the five now attend Ouachita University, preparing for
ministry. . . . We have seen tremendous numerical and spiritual growth. . . . So
many of our students are now going into ministry themselves."
Before Arkansas as a
youth pastor in Florida, Dustin shared that he had one dad whose daughters were
in his youth group "invest in me with no strings attached, just a desire to see
me succeed in ministry, my family and my faith. I was an event-to-event style
youth pastor and headed towards burn-out. But Eric Ball taught me about JFYM and literally kept me from burning
out." Eric serves as Reach Out's International Director.
These discipling
and mentoring relationships vividly illustrate "the blueprint."
11 Multipliers
This blueprint of
spiritual multiplication in Arkansas repeats itself through. . .
Matt Rothacher Bill Newton Donnie Burrows Dave McClung Randy
Brantley
John Cowling Lynn Riley Mark Simmons Grant Medford Dustin Sams Rodney Welsh
These 11 Eagle
Leaders model JFYM in their churches/ministries and mentor others to do the
same. Five more are ready to be certified--all building on the original blueprint
designed in 1984 by my friends Rick Caldwell and Randy Brantley. Through Randy's leadership with Super Summer
Arkansas, this student discipleship camp has had 42,549
participants to date, 1,350 professions of faith and 915 called into ministry.
75 Introductions
We believe the
blueprint of the present and future will
exceed the past!
 
Last week Roger Palmer, Reach Out's National Director, introduced Jesus'
model for ministry to 75 Arkansas youth leaders at our one-day JFYM Forum. John Caddy, our current leader in
Arkansas, has plans for the Eagle Leaders to equip youth leaders in 35 areas of
the state.
Every church in Arkansas will have the opportunity to implement
Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry so that kids like Shira and Olivia will come to know
Christ and be discipled by a caring adult like Carrie!
We need you to
partner with us! Your investment of prayers and money will yield more of
this
kind of multiplied spiritual return in the days ahead!
Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry
Through applying this newly expanded resource, God will
produce life-change and life-changers through you. Details to be emailed soon! Go to www.reach-out.org for more information.
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