It has been 19 days since my wife and I announced to the teens and the church we serve that we will be stepping out of our roles as Youth Pastor’s and stepping into a new role as Youth Alive Missionaries for Pennsylvania and Delaware in 2023. Since that announcement was made, there have been three questions that continuously come up and here is my response to those three questions.
Question 1: Why The Change?
This is a question that gets asked a lot and while some don’t like the simplicity of the answer I am about to give, it’s as simple as this; “The Lord Told Me To.” On Saturday October 22nd, I was at a young adult retreat and right before the message, I distinctively heard the word “GO.” That word kept ringing through my mind and heart and so I wrote it down in my journal. When the missionary who was speaking that weekend came up, he stated that his message for that night was about “Going and Making Disciples.” The Lord had prepared me to have my ears open to what He was going to say through the missionary. After the message, we had some time to pray and worship. During that time I asked the Lord if there was more to this and the response was “Speak My Name.” When you put it all together, I heard “Go and Speak My Name.”
From that point on, I was constantly in prayer asking the Lord what He meant by this and why He kept dropping Proverbs 16:9 in my heart, which states, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”-Proverbs 16:9 NLT When I was approached about stepping into this role as a Youth Alive Missionary, it all started to come together. So why the change? Because the Lord told me to.
Question 2: What Will You Be Doing?
As I prepare for this new chapter in 2023, the Lord has given me three words; Encourage, Empower, Equip. I believe it is my responsibility to serve the Youth Pastors and their teens all across Pennsylvania and Delaware by encouraging, empowering, and equipping them to spread the gospel message of Jesus Christ. Let’s briefly break each of these words down.
Encourage:
When I read the writings of the Apostle Paul, who is consider by many, the greatest missionary for the gospel (outside of Jesus Christ), he encouraged the brethren. Here are some of his encouraging words;
“ Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son.”-Romans 1:8-9 NLT
“I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge.”-1st Corinthians 1:4-5 NLT
“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.”-2nd Corinthians 1:3-7 NLT
“Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.”-Galatians 6:1-3 NLT
“Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.”-Ephesians 1:15-18 NLT
” Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.”-1st Timothy 4:12-16 NLT
Encouragement will be a key aspect of the Youth Alive Ministry. The Youth pastors in Pennsylvania and Delaware need to be encouraged to continued being servants to the Lord by ministering the gospel to the next generation. The teens need to be encouraged to share the gospel message to their peers and that they are not “too young” to be used by the Lord.
Empower:
When it comes to empower, I am talking about a divine supernatural empowerment from the Holy Spirit. For youth pastors and students to be able to do what God has called them to do, they need to rely on the supernatural strength of the Holy Spirit, which only comes from the Lord. There will be times that are tough and they will feel like quitting, but it’s the supernatural empowerment that gives them the faith, confidence, and strength to keep going.
I personally believe that when we point others to the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we are going to see a revival take place. When I say revival, I believe we are going to see many hearts grow to have a Daniel like faith. There will be many “Daniel’s” that will rise up and boldly live out their faith for Jesus Christ, even if the state disagrees with it. Many will have the courage and boldness to stand for the Lord and not bow down to the golden statues of the world. This can only happen when we are empowered by the Holy Spirit.
“He (Jesus) replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”-Acts 1:7-8 NLT
Equip:
To equip people means to help them be prepared for what lies ahead. I believe if we are going to see Daniel like faith in youth pastors and their teens, we need to provide the tools they need to have that faith. Just like a warrior in combat needs specific things, we need specific things for the spiritual battle. As Ephesians says;
“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”-Ephesians 6:10-18 NLT
So how will we be equipping? First, by pointing everything back to the word of God. It is important that Youth Pastors and their teens can go back to the Word and know how to handle the sword. Next, we will equip teens by providing resources to help them be Campus Missionaries in their schools. These resources include a step by step guide on how to start a bible club, how to share their faith, and devotionals to help teens as they are being discipled and discipling others. Finally, we will be providing Youth Pastors, new to ministry, resources to help them as they embark in their new journey.
Question 3: How Can We Help?
The third and final question that continuously comes up is “How can we help?” Simply put, we ask for your prayers. Here is what I ask of you to pray about;
1.) Pray for Rachel and I as we prepare to enter into a new season.
2.) Pray for the entire church of Morning Star Fellowship of Quakertown and Pennsburg as they prepare to enter into a new season.
3.) Pray for all the youth pastors, leaders, and teens in the states of Pennsylvania and Delaware to have Daniel like faith.
My wife and I are excited for the new season ahead and can’t wait to see what our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will do! All glory, honor, and praise be given to Him!
-Michael and Rachel Kubus
If you would like to support the mission of Youth Alive financially, you can click the link below. Your giving will help us create and provide the resources and tools necessary to encourage, empower, and equip Youth Pastors and their teens all across Pennsylvania and Delaware. We thank you in advance for your generosity!
MAK 