Tonight I have been remembering so many wonderful moments in ministry. Over 10 years ago Becky and I began serving as youth pastors at our home Church in Arkansas, pastored by Paul David Troquille whom our son is named after.
In the summer of 1997 crazy things began to happen in Magnolia, Arkansas. A group of men and women who were disgruntled and dissatisfied with complacency and disunity among the Churches in the City began to be burdened for the youth of the area. After much prayer and counsel, they launched a ministry called 'FIRE ESCAPE'. To the best of my knowledge this was a movement that had little regard for pleasing any religious organization and whose only object was to impact the youth of the region.
Friday nights began to draw hundreds of youth from every background you could imagine. The ATMOSPHERE was charged with a spirit of revival. Radical evangelism and passion for the youth culture flowed out of this ministry. One young man in particular came to the Lord from this movement. This young man never really knew his mother, was estranged from his father and practically raised himself. Almost immediately this young man built himself a cross and began to carry it across the city preaching to any who would listen, drawing crowds of young people. If you ever saw this young man, he would always be totin around his worn out backpack 'loaded' with his missionary bible and tracks. His face emanated with joy and excitement while sporting his backwards graffitied hat and overalls!
I remember our first youth service in Magnolia. I grabbed by pastor's son and had him lead worship while I played my guitar (I only knew 3 or 4 chords). That night I preached a message called 'Lazarus Generation'. Not content for an ordinary youth group, we began to pray fervently with a handful of teenagers as we cried out for a move of God in our ministry.
I especially remember a Church prayer meeting that Pastor Paul asked me to lead. We had been experiencing an open heaven for what seemed like months. That night it seemed as though the heavens were brass. I had never felt so much resistance in corporate prayer. I made the mistake (actually, it was the best thing I could do) of complaining to Pastor Paul. Pastor Paul is a fun, free man, but when he's serious you better look out! He literally grabbed me and backed me up against the wall and sternly charged me, "Don't you dare think you're gonna have a revival without a FIGHT!!!". I quickly said the most intelligent thing I could think of at the moment; 'YES SIR!' I then began to fight. Ephesians 6:12
God answered quickly and for over 3 years we enjoyed a very exciting ride as revival hit and our youth led thousands of people to the Lord.
In January of 2001 my family moved with a small team to serve as youth pastors in South Louisiana. I believed that the same ingredients that worked in a small city in Arkansas (10,000 population) would also work in a little larger city in South Louisiana (22,000 population). A young man had begun a prayer meeting on Friday nights from 9-11 with a handful of young people (around 5). Our first youth service I preached on the 'John the Baptist Generation'. There were 90 youth at the service. I invited everyone who wanted to be a part of the 'John the Baptist Generation' to join me in prayer Friday night at 9pm. 50 youth showed up. In one year the youth group grew from 90 to over 300. A tremendous young man named 'Matt Dardis' went to be with the Lord during that first year and his life challenged everyone in our youth ministry to live a life worthy for the King. My favorite quote of all came from his pen; "LOOK AT JESUS HANGING ON THE CROSS AND TELL HIM YOU DON'T HAVE TIME FOR SOULS". I believe his life was one of the main reasons our youth group exploded. We served as youth pastors for 5 ½ years and were privileged to be a part of such an explosive move of God. It was a season of almost constant revival as our small groups grew from 0 to over 300, with hundreds of youth in our weekly services and thousands of salvations.
Towards the end of 2005 Becky and I began to feel the same stirring in our hearts we felt when it was time to leave Magnolia and knew that God was preparing us for another assignment. In June of 2006 we obeyed the call of God, moving to New York City. Since arriving in New York, God has assembled a team from New York, Louisiana, Minnesota, Washington State, California and England. By the grace of God we launched a Church in Lower Manhattan, an area that is only 2% evangelical. God willing, we will launch another campus in Long Island, also 2% evangelical, in September/October. Long Island is the least evangelized city in America according to Barna. In the beginning of 2009 we will launch a youth ministry aimed at reaching across NYC and Long Island. I am currently grooming one couple as youth pastors for our Church, and 6 others to launch youth groups in various locations around the City. Also, many Churches have come to visit and labor with us in the harvest as Ryan and Emily, both from England, lead them in short-term missions trips as they feed the homeless, pray for the sick, and minister to countless thousands each week across this City.
Seems like we have our hands full. After nearly 13 years of full-time ministry serving over 10 years as youth pastors, we have a little more wisdom, much more brokenness, and a whole lot more confidence that the same ingredients that worked in Arkansas, the same ingredients that worked in Louisiana, will also work here. What are the ingredients? Radical prayer, compassion for the lost, and a raw desire for the move of God in our Church. We began over a decade ago holding on to God as we trusted Him for a supernatural move of His Spirit, and today that has not changed.
I must go to sleep now (yeah right). In a few short hours I have the wonderful privilege of meeting David Wilkerson. I believe he is a true prophet to our nation. I want to close by posting the lyrics to this ridiculously awesome song by Chris Tomlin that I have been listening to for over 2 hours. I believe it is prophetic for this city and for yours!
God Of This City - Chris Tomlin
You're the God of this city You're the King of these people You're the Lord of this nation You Are
You're the light in this darkness You're the hope to the hopeless You're the peace to the restless You Are
There is no one like our God, There is no one like our God
Greater things have yet to come And greater things are still to be done in this city Greater things have yet to come And greater things are still to be done in this city