Run Faithfully

But Samuel replied,

“What is more pleasing to the Lord:
    your burnt offerings and sacrifices
    or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.  - 1 Samuel 15:22

The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices. - Proverbs 21:3

Ministry can be discouraging; and this past month has been a difficult one for the Youth Alive team. We are burdened by the great need of our churches and communities who are desperate for Pastors. This past month has brought the reality home that there is a crisis on a national level of a lack of people going into ministry. Tons of places are desperate for someone who loves Jesus with all of their heart and loves people like Christ did to step into a leadership role and shepherd their community. Oregon is no different. I have been honored to be able to be a part of blessing these places that are in need with young Pastors through OYAMA. But the need is so great and we can only move so fast. We strive to produce quality leaders, not just a body doing a "job" but true ministers of the Gospel. OYAMA is typically small in numbers, usually between 2-4 students per class.

As I've been reflecting on the needs of entire churches, cities and regions needing someone to lead and Pastor, there are times I feel like we are spinning our wheels but it's in those times that the Lord reminds me how He has used OYAMA to fulfill His purposes and to look at all of the blessings that our past graduates have been and the impact they're making for the Kingdom of God. 

Over and over I come to the conclusion that we are NEVER responsible for the end results. What does Jesus ask of us? Obedience. Obedience is THE one and only measurement of success. Over and over in the very Word of God, we are shown that He delights in our willful obedience more so than our performance or works. My thoughts have been camped in Hebrews 11-12, that speaks of what it means to "run OUR OWN race faithfully". Regardless of the outcome, I want to be found faithful. The need will always be there, and it is a heavy burden but the Lord will carry our burdens and prove Himself time and time again as long as we're faithful and obedient above all. 

In the midst of everything, the Lord has been good to us! Some of the things we're most grateful for are...

• Seeing all of our students grow in very real, authentic ways. 
• Our 1st year students are working through intense personal discipleship. This is often the most difficult and messiest phase of true discipleship but it produces such great fruit and Christlikeness. 
• Likewise, 2nd year students have been thriving in ministry internships and are learning how to accept greater responsibility as a leader/lover of not just teens and kids but people altogether. 
• Our Winter Retreat
• An exhaustive 2-day tour of our Oregon coast churches. This is what we call our "Talk you out of it" retreat. This is a time where students get to see and hear the very raw realities of ministry. Many of our Network's great leaders share stories of pain and sorrow as well as the very real blessings of following God's Call. 
• The next phase of lessons
• This is exciting for us as we begin to move towards more practical, hands on learning for our ministry students. As a teacher, it's fun to see the real life application of what we're discussing being implemented. 
• Sharing the "mission" of Oregon Youth Alive
• The Lord continues to open doors for us to speak at churches about not just OYAMA but everything happening around the state and be able to encourage and challenge God's Church to deeper levels of obedience.

For those who have made it this far into reading the ramblings of this newsletter, please continue to pray with us. Some specific prayers:

• Student's continued growth and provision as they prepare for a season of serving at Ministry events.
• That Jesus would speak and Call more and more into the Ministry. Pray that the Lord would bring more people to us and that we'd be led to find more young people who need our ministry to fulfill the Lord's Will in their lives.
• That we'd continue to be obedient and faithful to everything the Lord has asked. Pray that we'd speak, coach, teach and preach with all the wisdom and love that Jesus offers.

We NEED your prayers. We need the whole Body joining together to pray for His Will to happen in all of our lives and throughout our towns and churches.

You can also support us financially by setting up a one time gift or recurring monthly support at https://giving.ag.org/ and typing in 282345 in the Ministry Code bar. 

We COULD NOT do this alone! Thank you so much for all of your love and support. To God alone be the glory!