Pole Vault God's Kingdom and Your Youth Ministry

By Greg Stier, Op-ed Contributor Tuesday, September 24, 2013

"Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole (which today is usually made either of fiberglass or carbon fiber) as an aid to leap over a bar."

This Wednesday "See You at the Pole" will kick off the school year for two million Christian teenagers from across the United States. See You at the Pole was inspired by the initiative of one youth leader in one youth group in Burleson, Texas, early in 1990. Since then it has exploded into a prayer movement, not just across the nation, but in twenty other nations across the globe!

Think of the flagpole your teenagers will gather around as a way to pole vault God's kingdom and your youth group to new heights in your community. God used the bold actions of one youth group in Texas 23 years ago to pole vault a prayer movement across the nation (and world) so he can use your youth ministry to do some exciting kingdom advancing initiatives in your own backyard if you take full advantage of this powerful event.

Here's what you can do to make sure you are pole-vaulting at the highest level this Wednesday.

1. Make sure your teenagers are there.

E-mail them, text them, Facebook them, Tweet them…just get the word out and make sure they are there!

2. Make sure your teenagers are ready.

Gathering around a pole to pray is a great way for teenagers to identify other Christian teenagers at their school. They can conspire to pray together on a more consistent basis and join (or start) campus ministries. Challenge your student leaders to take leadership by initiating campus movements of spiritual transformation using SYATP as a catalyst.

3. Make sure your teenagers are equipped.

SYATP creates conversations. "Hey, why were you all praying around a pole today?" said one teenager to his Christian friend. "Well, we were praying for our school and every student in it to have a personal encounter with Jesus. What do you think of that?" And so the conversations begin.

Your teenagers need to be equipped to share their faith during the inevitable conversations that SYATP will inspire. But how can you train them before SYATP (it's this week!)? Simple! Have them download the FREE (and highly rated) Dare 2 Share app right away and then watch the short training videos on it before Wednesday morning. It will give them enough to get started.

Then make sure that all your teenagers are ready to invite every student they have a conversation with out to your youth group. This will give visiting teenagers another chance to hear the gospel clearly.

Don't just have your teenagers attend See You At The Pole. Have them use it as a pole vaulting event. And the kingdom of God will be advanced beyond your wildest imaginations…just like it was 23 years ago in Burleson, Texas.

Just don't pull a hamstring in the process.

Greg Stier is the Founder and President of Dare 2 Share Ministries International. He has impacted the lives of tens of thousands of Christian teenagers through Dare 2 Share events, motivating and mobilizing them to reach their generation for Christ. He is the author of eleven books and numerous resources, including Dare 2 Share: A Field Guide for Sharing Your Faith. For more information on Dare 2 Share and their upcoming conference tour and training resources, please visit www.dare2share.org.