Changing Minds, Changing Lives
As a student at Tennessee Temple University, Paul O’Bradovic saw Word of Life students around campus, but he wasn’t interested in getting to know them, and he wanted nothing to do with Word of Life. “I was very vocal against Word of Life. I worked in the youth department, but I would not work with Word of Life Clubs.” While Paul admits his dislike was a “me issue,” he couldn’t get past his feelings – until he felt a nudge from God to go on a Word of Life missions
“Recently, I did an orientation for a church in Vermont to explain how to run a Word of Life youth program…. The grandfather of one of the children’s leaders was sitting there. When I asked if he was working with the youth Olympian club, he said, ‘No. It’s what they do, and my wife works with them.’ I suggested that he could be the person the kids say their Bible verses to. The kids started teasing and saying that he was too grumpy. So, I said, go talk to Grumpy. Say your verses to Grumpy. Later, Grumpy’s granddaughter sends me a note saying how excited she is
because her grandfather is actually participating with these kids! Plus, he wants to start a Quiet Time study! He is actively involved in ministry for the first time! And he’s not a grumpy guy; he’s a great guy, and the kids love it.” As for Paul, he knows just how much his own opinion has changed about Word of Life and how much his life has changed since his obedience to God’s nudge to go on that first Word of Life mission trip. “I love telling people how God brought us here… and how much I trust Word of Life. I’m going to serve at Word of Life – where I never wanted to be – ‘but God’ [Ephesians 2:4]!” God’s Word truly has the power to change minds and lives! Today Paul serves as a daily encouragement for kids, something that brings so much joy to his life. We hope Paul’s and Grumpy’s stories encourage you to do the same for the kids in your lives and remind you of the wonderful, eternal investment you have when you invest in Word of Life’s missionaries and programs!
trip. Paul went on that missions trip, and that single moment of obedience was the first step in his changed attitude toward Word of Life. Paul also knew he was being called into youth ministries; and there was no denying Word of Life was at the forefront of life- changing church curriculum. “I started looking at the Word of Life curriculum and realized that if I would invent a program this is what I would do.” While Paul didn’t join Word of Life after seminary, he did develop a relationship with Local Church Ministries (LCM) missionary, Ken Dady. As Ken poured into Paul’s life, Paul began to feel a familiar nudge, but this time it was to officially join the Word of Life team! So Paul became a part of Local Church Ministries where he currently facilitates curriculum development and leads a brand new program called Youth Ministry Internship. Now Paul gets to share about the life-altering Word of Life programs on a regular basis. What is a Youth Ministry Internship? Youth Ministry Internship (YMI) is a brand new program within Word of Life. This groundbreaking program gives students who want to be involved in children’s or youth ministry two years of training and hands-on experience at a local church, all while earning their degree. When an intern completes the YMI program, they will be fully equipped to work in full-time church ministry or lay leadership. We want churches that need youth
workers to say, “I need trained, dedicated youth workers, and Word of Life is the place to get them!” When young people are equipped to become strong leaders, they create a lifetime of impact. And when you support the training of a youth leader, you share the love of Christ not just to that youth worker but to the thousands of others to whom he or she reaches! To support programs like YMI, simply fill out the donation slip and return it to Word of Life.
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Word of Life | LIFELINE | SPRING 2017
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