Home
> Teens > Hot Topics > Witness
& Missions
 Sign up for our free newsletters:
|
|
Campus Life, March/April 2001
Change the World
That's what these students are doing. You can too.
by Autumn Flutur and Amber Penney
Campus Life talked to students in Wheaton, Illinois; Columbus, Georgia; and Upland, Indiana, about how they're reaching out to their communities and slowly changing the world. Read on, and as Jesus said, "Go and do likewise."
Jammin' for Jesus
Wheaton, Illinois
The streets of this sleepy Chicago suburb were quiet on a Sunday afternoon late last summer. You would have never known a spiritual awakening was about to happen. But it was.
The green grass of a local baseball diamond was swarming with students. They'd seen the signs and talked to fellow classmates, so they came to check out Power Jam.
Two Wheaton North High School seniors, Steve Erikson and Todd Pickney, had a vision to plan an event that would reach out to students in their community. Power Jam, a fun-filled evening of food, music and testimonies, was the result of their vision.
"We wanted to help our friends see that Christ is real," Steve said. "Since it was a student-led event, we thought our friends would be able to relate better to the message."
Todd and Steve, along with a core group of about 40 volunteers, spent their evenings the week before Power Jam "prayer walking."
"We spent each night that week praying at the field," Steve explained. "We wanted Christ's angels protecting it."
About 700 area students showed up for Power Jam, where they doused their friends in the dunk tank, sudsed up on the slip-n-slide, all the while stuffing their faces with pizza, sno cones and cotton candy. Onstage, a local band played some tunes, and some teens talked about how God had changed their lives. Beforehand, the community gave donations and volunteers promoted the event through local youth groups, mass e-mails and posters— not to mention turning their cars into mobile advertisements by painting them with white shoe polish.
Todd and Steve don't know how many students walked away from the event as changed people, but they know Power Jam planted some seeds.
"One guy accepted Christ driving home that night and another one of our friends was really touched by the testimonies," Todd said. "But we're probably never going to fully know the impact Power Jam had."
But that's not stopping them from planning another event this summer.
"It's amazing to see what God can do through us when we are obedient," says Todd. "Anything is possible through him."
Steve was also blown away.
"You just have to trust in him," he said. "And have a Power Jam. It's a lot of fun!"
If you're interested in planning an event like Power Jam, Todd and Steve can be reached at powerjam2000@hotmail.com.
Locks of Love
Upland, Indiana
Hey, you have long hair. Can I have it?" With that one question, a movement began at Taylor University—a movement that included women, men and hair, a movement that founder Minde Young wants to continue for years to come.
"We serve a God of forever, not a God of trends," she said. "When I'm 72 and come back for my 50-year reunion, I hope the girls are still giving their hair."
Project Hair began when Minde promised to grow her hair and give it to Locks of Love, a not-for-profit organization that makes wigs for children with alopecia, a condition causing long-term hair loss. She soon caught the attention of more than 100 students, alumni and area residents who became the core supporters of the hair-giving mission.
And Minde got the inspiration from a stranger.
"All I had ever done was complain about my hair," says Minde. "But at camp one summer, a woman complimented my hair. I told her I didn't like it."
The stranger asked Minde why she hated something God had blessed her with, yet didn't hate the things in her life that weren't God-honoring.
That hit home with Minde. Nowadays, you don't have to tell her to appreciate her bright red hair. She grew it for two years and donated 12 inches to Locks of Love last winter—along with 52 other girls. The result? Over 760 inches of hair was donated. Another 50 are planning to donate this spring.
Hair donations must be a minimum of 10 inches long; 12 ponytails create one shoulder-length wig.
And there is never enough hair for everyone.
"There are so many people who want my hair," Minde said. "A bad hair day is something some children will never get to experience."
She points to Romans 12:1, which says, "Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship."
"There is always something to give," Minde said. "This is something people without a lot of time or money can sacrifice to God. This is our act of worship."
For more information about Project Hair, e-mail the Taylor students at projecthair@hotmail.com or find out more about Locks of Love at www.locksoflove.com
Positive Peer Pressure
Columbus, Georgia
Go ahead and admit it. You know what it's like to want to fit in. To be liked. Accepted by the group. But what if that means compromising your values? What if it means smoking weed or downing a six pack? What if it means going farther sexually than you ever meant to? Is being a part of the group worth it?
When the other option is standing alone, many are tempted to say yes. Some students in Columbus, Georgia, knew that because they had experienced the pressure. And they wanted another option.
That's why the Teen Advisor program was created. The students decided that to make good choices, they needed support—not just from adults, but from their peers. They decided they needed to band together, promising themselves and one another that they would abstain from drugs, alcohol and premarital sex and vowing to support their friends who wanted to do the same.
That was in 1987. Now, 14 years later, students are still enjoying the alternative offered by Teen Advisors. Nathan Carr, a recent graduate of Columbus' Hardaway High School, says TAs helped him take a stand against peer pressure. "Teen Advisors gave me other people who were willing to stand up with me for my beliefs. I didn't have to worry about being alone," he says.
"I think Teen Advisors works because it's teens, not adults, who are reaching out to other teens. They can relate to each other."
Although Teen Advisors is not billed as a Christian club, the message of Christ is a driving force behind what they do. Nathan says TAs played a big role in his growth as a Christian. In fact, his experience with the group made such an impact that he's now volunteering with Teen Advisors as part of the "Grad Staff."
"I want to give back some of what was given to me," he says. "I'm finding that people love to hear that you've gone through the same thing they've gone through and that you're willing to help them—and, if nothing else, just be there for them. I think that's the biggest thing—to know that you're not alone."
For information about starting a Teen Advisors group in your area, check out their Web site at www.teenadvisors.org or call (888) 660-1415.
Copyright © 2001 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Campus Life.
March/April 2001, Vol. 59, No. 8, Page 34
Questions or comments about this article? |
Do you love it? Hate it? We want to know!
E-mail us at:
(Just be sure to include your first and last names, hometown, and state.) |
Browse More Ignite Your Faith
Home | Advice | Hot Topics | True-life Stories | Music
Faith & Life | Humor & Fun | College Guide | Soul Journey
Resources | Archives | Contact Us
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Try an Issue of Ignite Your Faith
Free!
|
 |
|
No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. Click here for International orders.
If you decide you want to keep Ignite Your Faith coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive eight more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless.
Give Ignite Your Faith as a gift
Buy 1 gift subscription, get 1 FREE!
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
Christian College Guide
Search schools by:
Location & Setting | Majors & Degrees | Enrollment
Affiliation | Athletics | Costs, Scholarships & Grants
Advanced Search | List All Schools
| |
|
