Inward Focus -- Not Always a Bad Thing for These Youth

Most churches have echoed the importance of the truth of being outwardly focused in order to share the love of Christ with their community. However, for youth at New Hope Assembly in Urbandale, Iowa, when it comes to giving to Speed the Light, taking a little time to focus inward has proven to have a very positive outward effect. 

Brian Smith, the young adults/lead youth pastor at New Hope, explains that in past years, youth have supported the leader-directed efforts to raise funds for missionaries through Speed the Light (STL). However, this past year, inspired by a special project and to step out on their own, youth not only looked to leaders to facilitate giving, they looked to themselves. 

The result was, by all standards, remarkable. In 2015, New Hope, which averages about 2,000 in attendance, gave over $79,000 to Speed the Light. Last year, with a youth group of approximately 200, the church nearly doubled its giving to nearly $151,000 — it’s best giving year ever! 

Smith explains that when Zach Hill, the middle school pastor, decided to shoot half-court shots as a fundraiser, getting pledges for each basket made, it sparked something among the youth. 

“The students suddenly seemed to understand that they could use their God-given talents, whatever they were good at, get pledges, and raise money for missionaries themselves,” Smith says. “For example, we had a hockey player take pledges for every time he hit the cross bar with the puck in 30 minutes, another student shot 3-pointers, another did one-handed football catches — and they raised thousands of dollars!” 

In addition to athletic efforts, students were self-motivated to decorate and sell coffee mugs, put on a bake sale, held home garage sales, did babysitting, and gave thousands of dollars in special youth service offerings for the benefit of STL and missions. 

James Weaver, lead pastor and founder of New Hope, says this year, one of the specific Speed the Light projects the church focused on was the Africa Oasis Project, where water wells are dug next to churches in Africa in order to provide clean drinking water to a village. It also offers those church congregations the opportunity to demonstrate and share the love of Christ with their neighbors. 

“Our people really got excited about the Africa Oasis Project,” Weaver says. “Two things that triggered the energy was the humanitarian side of clean drinking water and the spiritual side where souls are won for Christ — it really struck a chord with our people.” 

According to Weaver, New Hope is not only very missions minded, it’s a church that works at maintaining its distinct congregation through supporting their youth. 

“We’re staffed heavy in children and youth because we’re very much interested in them and whatever they are doing — the whole church is behind them, which is why I believe we are a multigenerational church,” Weaver states. 

Smith says that in addition to the individual efforts, the youth participated in the annual church yard sale, worked at the state fair, and helped host a golf tournament with all money raised going to STL. 

Although students briefly focused on themselves to see what they could do to help others, Smith says the result of glorifying God with their talents has had a far-reaching spiritual impact. 

“As a whole, our youth group grew deeper spiritually as they became less focused on themselves and their needs and focused on other people who need to hear about Jesus,” Smith says. “They began to reach out more to their friends at school and be witnesses . . . and they grew spiritually hungry for the presence of God.” 

Although it might seem that the church is solely focused on giving to Speed the Light, Weaver dispels that myth. Missions is one of the church’s main focuses, but STL is not the only benefactor. Last year, the church also gave $100,000 each for two separate missions project — one to help complete a Bible school, the other to help build a missionary medical clinic overseas — and it gave more than $38,000 to BGMC (Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge), not to mention financially supporting individual missionaries. However, the youth’s STL goal for 2017 is now $200,000! 

Weaver says that under the leadership of Smith, Hill, and Luke Spangrud, the high school pastor, every week kids are accepting Christ as their Lord and Savior. “Our church is really growing through our outreach to children, youth, and college students,” Weaver says. “We’re also excited about how through supporting our youth, we are seeing multiple generations coming together and building camaraderie.” 

Smith believes that the youth may not realize it now, but they’ll one day look back at this time in their lives and see it as a time of spiritual significance. “They’ll look back and say, ‘That’s where I grew a passion for the lost, that’s where I established regular giving to missions, and that’s what’s helping me now as an adult.’”