7,000 AG Students Answer Missionary Call; Leading Author, Fred Smith, Dies
Charisma Magazine is reporting that during the U.S. Assembly of God (AG) annual youth conference “Indy07—Experience the Dream,” more than 7,000 young people answered the call to become missionaries on their middle and high school campuses.
AG National Youth Director, Jay Mooney, said students were challenged to join the AG vision to reach 1 million American teenagers and graft them into a local church by the end of 2015.
“These students are the on-campus pastors and evangelists to America’s most strategic mission field—the middle and secondary school campuses,” Mooney said. “Leaders, we no longer can do youth ministry as normal. We need to be challenging and equipping our students to become youth in ministry.”
Sessions were held throughout the week to help students develop their ministry gifts and equip them to be effective missionaries on their campuses.
The students were also given missions-focused Bibles that included tips for on-campus missions.
“Our students aren’t just the future church—they are the church. If Christianity is to come alive in America, it will take students reaching students!” said Rick Lorimer, the AG’s student missions director.
Charisma reported that some of the students said they not only learned how to be on-campus missionaries but they also experienced it during their week in Indianapolis by participating in projects such as rebuilding homes, working with children through block parties and sports camps, and helping to feed the poor.
“This is helping me to serve other people and share with other people about God,” said Jade Roberts, a student from Thornton, Colo. “It’s teaching me how I can go home and [serve there], too.”
More from Charisma Magazine
More from Assembly of God Youth Missions
Related ChurchWatch Stories:
America’s 10th Annual “Scriptures in Schools Week”
See You at the Pole Student Prayer Set for September 26, 2007
Leading Author, Fred Smith, Dies
Fred Smith, Regal author of Breakfast with Fred (September 4, 2007 release), entered Heaven today, Friday, August 17th. Regal joins Fred’s family and friends in grieving his passing.
When Fred was in his early twenties, he visited a cemetery and asked himself what he would want the epitaph on his tombstone to read. It was at that moment that he chose the phrase that would set his life direction: ‘He stretched others.’
And that’s what he set out to do.
He was a mentor to executives and leaders alike, including John Maxwell, Philip Yancey and Zig Ziglar. For twenty years he was a contributing editor for Leadership Journal and authored three books: You and Your Network, Learning to Lead, and Leading with Integrity.
He lectured in twenty universities and spoke for business conferences both nationally and internationally. He also received two honorary doctorates. Fred Smith was Vice President of Operations for Gruen Watch Company, consultant to Mobil, Caterpillar, and GENESCO before establishing his food packaging brokerage firm in Dallas, Texas.
His numerous recognitions for contributions to management and leadership include:* Lawrence Appley Award given by the American Management Association * Life Worth Living Award given by the Crystal Cathedral * Australian Calilip Gold Medallion, the INJOY Catalyst Award for Lifetime Achievement * Norman Vincent Peale and Ruth Stafford Peale Humanitarian Award.
Fred and his wife, Mary Alice, were married sixty-five years. He was succeeded by three children, six grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
“Fred, I have thought of you so many times and thanked God for the witness that you have always given wherever you were. What an inspiration and encouragement you were to so many thousands,” shared Billy Graham.
Fred Smith’s final book release, Breakfast with Fred, exemplifies what he set out to do when he was in his early twenties: to stretch others. For Fred, that included mentoring relationships that took place over a 6:30 a.m. breakfast. Throughout his life he enjoyed the mentoring process of helping others live a successful, well-balanced life.
On September 7th the Smith family planned a Breakfast with Fred book release and birthday party. Because so many friends had already planned to come to town during that time, the family has decided to hold the memorial service on Friday, September 7, 2007.
More information about the Fred Smith memorial service.