Thursday, October 15, 2009

Spiritually Influential People

As I mentioned previously, as my 25th birthday approached I was able to reflect a little bit on the past 25 years of my life. One of the things that stuck out to me was how many people have invested in my life in some way or another. Here's a short list of a few of the most spiritually influential people at different stages in the first 25 years of my life.

1. Mom and Dad (Birth-Present Day) - My parents have by far been the most influential people in my life. To steal a line from Proverbs 22:6, since my childhood they "trained me in the way I should go," and I haven't turned from it. I've been really blessed with parents who love God and love people and have passed that heritage on to me. I could really include my whole family in this section. My sister, Emily, recently reminded me that she was the one who prayed with me to accept Jesus when I was four years old. My brothers and sisters (including the ones that married into the family) have all had a profound impact on my life and on my faith. I owe much of who I am today to them!

2. Derry Prenkert (The Middle School Years) - Derry was my first youth pastor when I entered the youth group at Nappanee Missionary Church as an awkward little 7th grader. I honestly don't remember too much about middle school, but one thing I do remember is Derry taking the time to invest in a little punk like me. I remember in 7th grade getting a letter in the mail from Derry, encouraging me and telling me that he was praying for me. I remember spending the night in Derry's dorm at Bethel College, staying up all night watching Monty Python and playing the classic board game of world domination, Risk. I remember going to Wing's, Etc. with Derry, where he taught me the "No napkins until you're finished" Rule...a rule which I still strictly follow to this day! And somewhere in all those seemingly insignificant moments, Derry taught me what it really meant to have a relationship with Jesus. I'm reminded today to never get caught thinking that middle school ministry isn't important, because Derry's investment in my life over those years played a huge role in shaping my faith. Derry's impact on my life continued into high school, as well. Other names that should be mentioned here are guys like Matt Maloney, my first small group leader, and Shawn LaRue, among many others.

3. Terry Bley (The High School Years) - No single person impacted my life and my faith more during my formative high school years than Terry Bley. I entered high school thinking I was big stuff--the stud athlete (at least in my own mind) from the biggest school in the area. Honestly, looking back, I'm not sure what Terry saw in me at that time, but for whatever reason he took me under his wing and invested in my life. Terry constantly challenged me to live more radically for Christ throughout my high school years. Terry's greatest impact on my life came during my last couple years of high school. First, he challenged me to be a leader. Then, the summer before my senior year, Terry challenged me to consider going into ministry. Honestly, up to that point in my life, I had never even considered ministry as an option for my life. I had been thinking more about going into business and making lots of money for myself--what a wasted life. Anyway, I believe that the Lord used Terry to plant that seed in my heart, and it wasn't long after that that I felt God's calling on my life to full-time ministry. Needless to say, Terry's investment in my life over those years played a huge role in shaping who I am today.

4. Terry "T-Money" Linhart (The College Years) - I first met Terry the summer before my senior year of high school. That summer, Terry joined our youth group at NMC on a mission trip to Ecuador. He was doing some field work on the effects of short-term missions in the lives of young people for his doctoral dissertation, and I just happened to be one of the students that Terry used as part of his study. Anyway, I remember Terry interviewing me a few times on the trip, trying to pick my brain about the experiences that I was having on my first short-term mission. I thought Terry was a pretty cool dude, and we struck up a friendship. The following year, my senior year of high school, I teamed up with Terry to lead a small group of freshman guys. That was quite an experience, and looking back I can see that Terry was intentional about investing in my life over that time. When it came time to choose a college, then, I had narrowed my options down to a few schools. While sports was a factor in my decision, I made up my mind that I wanted to go to the school that offered the best Youth Ministry program. And, after visiting several colleges, I was convinced that Terry's YM program at Bethel College was just that--the best. Long story short, I chose Bethel, never looked back, and spent four years studying Youth Ministry under Terry. He's been one of the most encouraging people in my life--I've often found that he believes in me a lot more than I believe in myself! He has taught me, mentored me, challenged me, and simply been a great friend. Terry also took me along on a trip to a Youth Ministry conference in Israel last year, where he got me connected with J-Life, the organization that I currently work with in Africa. Needless to say, Terry has played a significant role in shaping who I am today, and the fact that he lets me call him "T-Money" makes him just that much more cool!

5. Chad Meister (The College Years) - No person in my life has taught me how to really think more than Chad Meister. I took my first class with Dr. Meister, Logic and Critical Thinking, during my second semester at college. After that first class, I knew that I wanted to learn as much from him as possible. For the next three years, any chance that I got to take one of his classes, I took it. Philosophy, Apologetics, Metaphysics--you name it, I took it. I even got the chance to work for him one semester, helping him edit a philosophy textbook that he was compiling and editing. Chad is one of the most brilliant men I have ever met, yet he's incredibly humble. Later on in college, Chad played the role of a formal mentor in my life. He poured out so much wisdom to me about life and ministry over those years, and he truly challenged me to dive deeper into my walk with Christ. I consider him a great friend. Much of who I am today, I owe to Chad!

Like I said, this is the short list. There are so many more people I could include--from Sunday school teachers, to small group leaders, pastors, professors, and even friends and peers who have consistently challenged me to greater faith in Christ. Again, to those of you out there who have invested in my life, I just want to say "thank you." And, as a way of saying thanks, I want to take what you have given me and invest my life in other young people.

For the Kingdom,
Adam

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