January 2014 

Partners for Long-Term, Life-Changing Youth Ministry,

Most youth leaders quit after 18-24 months. Rick Eubanks still passionately engages in reaching and discipling students after 38 years! How did he become a long-term, life-changing youth leader? Go with me from current events to years ago.

Rick leading worship at the Alaska Youth Conference in December

From Current Events...

Rick and Dyllan

Two months ago in Anchorage, Alaska, Jesus transformed Dyllan Mawson from a drug-using, atheist teenager into a grace-filled disciple. That happened because Josh Travis, a former rebel himself, a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, and currently the youth pastor at Muldoon Road Baptist Church in Anchorage, had come alongside Dyllan as a friend. Two years ago, Josh, an aspiring youth pastor, had discovered how to reach and disciple kids through Rick, who

Josh and Christina Travis

has conducted missions in Alaska for 22 years. For several months Rick led Josh through Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry.

During this same time, Rick prayed especially for "BJ", who had strayed from the Lord. Many people had given up on him. Rick did not. He prayed for over a year, "Lord, do what it takes to bring BJ back to You." In June 1990, BJ called. "Rick, I want to come back." And he never looked back. That summer, BJ led 23 of his friends and 15 junior high athletes to Christ. He became a life-changing youth pastor, leading kids to Christ and making disciples in Burleson, Texas. He became an Eagle Leader and trained other youth leaders in Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry.

BJ and Rick

In June 2013, Brian Jennings died tragically when he stopped to help a stranded motorist. Over 1200 attended his funeral. Many of his students, now grown, testified to BJ's influence. His legacy lives on in so many...including his son who now attends seminary. 

All over Texas and around the world, people attest to Rick's life-changing influence. So after 38 years, what's Rick's plan? 

I have been blessed to have Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry to share with many leaders. So I plan to keep paying forward what so impacted my life over the last 38 years--to keep on multiplying disciples like Jesus did.

In 2014, Rick plans to pay JFYM forward...at the JFYM Forum in Burleson on February 8, with seminary students at Southwestern and Dallas Seminaries, in inner-city Houston's Third Ward, with local youth pastors every Monday, and with Dyllan, Josh, and ten other youth leaders in Anchorage, Alaska.

38 years from now, how many more long-term, life-changing "Rick Eubanks" will reach and disciple kids because you have invested your prayers and finances in Reach Out?