Christian service depends on advocacy from adults
by Kent Miller

In 2003, 305 people participated in Group Venture and 31 in Youth Venture programs.

College? A job? Graduate school? Boyfriend? Girlfriend? Marriage? Child? New car? Whew!

Young adults today are inundated with the messages, “Look out for No. 1,” “Succeed at all cost” and “Acquire more stuff.” All too often these messages are louder than the message of seeking first the kingdom of God, and we see the result in the “material race” that so many young adults are embracing.

So what causes a young adult to venture outside of society’s parental standard of “get a good education, a good job, a good spouse and 2.2 children?” How can we encourage people to give of themselves in order to gain everything that Christ is calling them to be? What are the influences that may help someone choose a term of service?

Hearing friends, mentors, sponsors, teachers or pastors tell of their own experiences of serving has a huge impact on young people. Amanda Entz, a RAD alumna, had this to say about her youth pastors: “Rusty [Bonham] always talked about us youth doing a year of service after high school. For him it was just like second nature to do service. I also knew that Rusty and Mary Lou had done service, as had many other people I knew, so [serving] really seemed like a possible option for me. Because of RAD and my experiences in Northern Ireland, I am seriously thinking about doing missions for the rest of my life.”

As influential as pastors, mentors, friends and teachers may be in a young person’s life, perhaps the most important factor is the attitude of family members. Carol Honderich of Goshen, Ind., a mother of three young adults, was delighted when all three decided to serve in Group Venture and Youth Venture.

“As parents, we need to be careful how we support our kids,” Honderich said. “We need to encourage them to become who God is calling them to be, not only what we want them to become. I want to make sure my children know about all the options out there and that I encourage them to seek what God wants them to do.”

Her son Mike served with Belfast Central Missions in Northern Ireland this past summer (after high school and before college) caring for underprivileged children at a holiday camp called Childhaven. While the camp provides respite from the daily stresses these children and their parents endure, it also serves as a vehicle for Protestant and Catholic children to get to know each other — a dream that is difficult to achieve due to the sectarian culture these children have grown up in.

“Knowing that you are directly making a difference in the everyday lives of real people is a satisfaction that one cannot experience working in a local factory all summer,” Mike said. “Furthermore, the personal growth and taste of independence are priceless experiences that you will never forget.”

Everyone wants what is best for our young adults, our children. So it is important to remember that God wants that too. In an age when looking out for number one is “normal,” it is important to recall that Christ told us to give of ourselves in service to others, to be his witnesses, to seek first God’s purposes, then we will gain everything we need.