Gazing out the window of the convention center, I got lost in my imagination.
I forgot the throngs of youth leaders behind me as they scurried to their breakouts at the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention in Pittsburgh. PNC Park loomed in front of me across the Allegheny River, with Heinz Field - home of the Steelers - visible downstream. Out of my field of vision was the Monongahela River, which joins the Allegheny in front of Heinz Field to form something new, bigger: the Ohio River. The Ohio flows past seven states on its way to the Mississippi below St. Louis.
I daydreamed of the impact of the Ohio River on opening frontiers for Native, then European explorers more than 200 years ago. It was the preeminent highway for westward expansion in its day. It represented hope as the "finish line" for the Underground Railroad. Today, it remains a cultural, economic, and recreational lifeline for our nation. Not bad for what began as two tributaries with sources in north-central Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Something special can happen when you team up.
I've seen firsthand how confluence, or teaming up, can expand the impact of my life and ministry. My network of youth leaders in Orange County, California cooperated to host outreach events and concerts that kickstarted momentum for students all over our community. What we've seen is this: if you don't care about who gets the credit, everyone wins-especially the students.
Now, with NNYM, we are experiencing growing partnerships through See You at the Pole. SYATP has always limited our promotion to raying during the last week of September. The vision has always been that the Holy Spirit would turn the "moment" into a "movement" of prayer, but we trusted Him to guide how students and their leaders would make that happen.
In 2009, Michigan youth pastor Jeff Eckart saw God grow a simple strategy of daily student-led prayer out of the soil of SYATP to fruit at middle and high schools around Grand Rapids. He felt the call to take the challenge to schools across America, and Claim Your Campus was born.
The CYC "river" partnered with SYATP a few years ago, and the confluence birthed a greater potential for a prayer awakening than either campaign could achieve alone. Other tributaries have joined as well: Gen Z for Jesus is using SYATP to "launch the next generation to pray, fast, and proclaim the Gospel." Over 100 other organizations and denominations support SYATP's vision.
What begins as a humble spring in the mountains can flow, team up with other rivers, and have a huge impact. You never know what's around the next bend!