Investment of a life.

I don’t remember much about Junior High. It’s an awkward time for most of us. I’m sure I plodded through classes, struggled through acne, and stumbled through flirting with members of the opposite sex.

But I do remember 8th grade. I was drawn into an exciting student ministry group at church, full of dynamic rallies, activities, music, teaching, and serving team opportunities.

And in the middle of it all I remember Dave Adams.

Dave was a young student pastor, just in his early 20s, but he was a LEADER. He was my pastor through junior high and high school. I served as an intern in his ministry through college and seminary. He was one of the officiators at my wedding. I worked on his team at the Center for Youth Ministry at Liberty University for seven years.

Since 1978 Dave has developed and taught youth and family ministry courses at Liberty University, Lexington Baptist College and Southern Seminary. He has developed ministry training centers in Africa, Malaysia, Mexico, and Ukraine. His former students serve in all fifty states and five continents. This week he celebrates 10 years of leading the International Center for Youth Ministry at Southern Seminary and 30 years of recruiting, training, placing, and networking in youth ministry higher education and local church leadership.

But it is Dave’s personal investment in my life that I want to applaud. Many leaders have great visions for important kingdom works. But few have the shepherding skill to build people at the same time. I appreciate Dave’s leadership in these areas:

• Vision for personal potential – When Jesus met His first students, He announced the potential He saw in each of them [John 1, Luke 5]. Dave had the vision to look at an eighth grader and see the kind of disciple and leader I could be.
• Team building – I have always been an introvert and a little bit of a loner. But I learned how to function in a team starting in eighth grade. Dave built people into teams, forging their gifts into a ministry force.
• High expectations – Because Dave has such strong vision, he’s not afraid to call his team to a high standard. Some leaders might coddle their “son in the faith” – not Dave. I always appreciated that he treated me as a man, and he expected quality work from me.
• Entrustment with significant work – Early on Dave gave me important work to do. At the beginning of my senior year, he announced he was giving me a ministry team of several high schoolers to lead. I was somewhat overwhelmed, but it pushed me to the next level of growth.
• Rest and celebration – Dave worked us hard – but he also knew how to play hard. He had a good sense of knowing when to take a break in the work and take the team out just to relax. He also understood the biblical concept of “remembering”. At the end of each project, each ministry year, he’d make us stop and smell the roses, to reflect on the work and celebrate God’s goodness.

Dave, you are a friend and mentor. I am thankful for your investment in my life and continued encouragement. I pray blessings on your life and ministry. I hope that I can pass the ministry baton that you’ve given me onto the next generation.