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March 15, 2018

Learning Young

Dear Friends,

It’s not just what you learn, but when you learn it.

When I was 16, a youth pastor named Doug taught me to share my faith. He had me write out my five-minute testimony and memorize it word for word. I learned to draw a chasm to show how sin separates us from God, and a bridge that represents Christ’s death for us on the cross. Since then, I have shared my testimony hundreds of times, and drawn more bridges than I can remember.

When I was 17, Joel challenged me to join a guy’s Bible study. Rather than just teaching us the Bible, he equipped us to lead Bible studies of our own. The next year I led two small groups in studying God’s Word. I’ve never stopped.

At 22, a man named Dann showed me how to build a disciple-making ministry using the model of Jesus. I’ve applied those insights ever since, and taught them again to a group of leaders yesterday.

When you are young and looking for answers, good training penetrates deeply and transforms in lasting ways. That is why we invest so much energy in equipping young leaders to reach the lost and make disciples. If they learn it while they are young, they can quickly build habits that last a lifetime.

March and April are key training months for the Josiah Venture team. In Estonia, an event called “Burning Bulb” will equip over 100 youth leaders, teaching them how to burn bright without burning out. In the Czech Republic, a conference called “The Movement” will inspire 200 youth leaders with principles from the book of Acts, coupled with stories from the Moravian movement, and teach them how to make their youth ministry part of a spiritual movement today.

In Slovakia, over 600 youth leaders will attend an event called KPM, and be equipped to recognize their unique giftings from God, and use those gifts to build his kingdom in their local churches. In Serbia, our team will gather young leaders from across the country for training on how to make disciples.

These upcoming events will equip over 1,000 young leaders who are serving in 200 churches across the region. I wish you could meet these amazing young people and see their eagerness, commitment, and passion for Christ. You are part of this, as you stand with us with your gifts and prayers.

Thanks for making it possible for us to build habits that could last a lifetime.

Dave Patty, President, Josiah Venture

Dave Patty President

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You’re Not Alone in the Battle

When you’re used to leading, serving, and pouring into others, what happens when you suddenly can’t? What happens when the person who normally encourages everyone else wakes up and realizes she has nothing left to give? That’s where I found myself last year. I’m naturally a driven person. I love to see progress—to watch people grow, ministries flourish, and God’s work move forward. But last year, right before a major conference I had been preparing for—a mental health summit for nearly 700 youth leaders and church leaders—everything stopped. I got sick, and my normal pace of life vanished overnight. Suddenly, I couldn’t do what I thought I had to do. At first, I tried to stay positive, to find purpose in the pause. I told myself God was teaching me patience, humility, or to delegate better. But underneath those thoughts, a more dangerous narrative started to form: “God is disappointed in you.” “You’re not strong enough.” “You’re failing as a leader.” “Maybe God is holding back because you don’t deserve his help.” Those are the kinds of lies that can take root quietly—and quickly. It’s the same old whisper the enemy used in the Garden: “Did God really say…?” (Genesis 3:1). The serpent’s goal was never just to tempt Eve; it was to make her question God’s heart. And he still uses that same strategy today. He wants us to believe that God is distant, that we’re alone, unseen, and unloved. I’ve seen this pattern not only in my life, but in the lives of so many young people and leaders I’ve walked with. The moment things get hard—disappointment, exhaustion, relational conflict, failure—the enemy twists the truth. He tells us we’re forgotten, that our prayers don’t matter, and that no one really understands. And slowly, we start to isolate ourselves. But isolation is one of his most effective weapons. Once we withdraw, our vision blurs. We stop hearing the truth clearly. We start interpreting everything through the lens of fear, shame, and self-pity. Even Scripture is full of people who felt this same ache. David cried, “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted” (Psalm 25:16). Elijah, after a great victory, ran into the wilderness and said, “I have had enough, Lord” (1 Kings 19:4). Job sat surrounded by friends who misunderstood him. And even Jesus—our Savior—experienced complete abandonment in Gethsemane and on the cross. Loneliness and lies are not new, but neither is God’s response to them. In my own season of weakness, when I couldn’t find the strength to pray, others prayed for me. When I felt unseen, people showed up with meals, with text messages, and with quiet presence. Even my unbelieving neighbors said, “We think someone up there cares about you.” That was God reminding me: You are not forgotten. You are not alone. The truth is, the Body of Christ was never meant to function in isolation. Strength in God’s kingdom doesn’t mean independence—it means connection. It means letting others carry you when you can’t walk and trusting that God is at work even when you can’t see progress. This experience also helped me recognize a pattern: the enemy always attacks identity and connection first. He wants to disconnect us from God’s truth and from God’s people. But the way we stand firm is by returning to both. When I start to spiral now—when I believe I have to prove my worth or carry everything alone—I stop and remind myself of what’s true. I reach out to trusted friends and ask for prayer. I ground myself in simple spiritual and physical practices that bring me back to reality: breathing deeply, reading a psalm, or stepping outside to notice beauty. These small moments become declarations of faith. Romans 11:33-36 says, “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!” That verse anchors me. I don’t have to understand everything; I just have to trust the one who does. Maybe you’re in a similar place right now. Or maybe you’re walking with young people who feel lost, invisible, or stuck in lies about who they are. The battle is real, but so is our victory in Christ. So, here’s my invitation to you: Would you take a moment to pray—for yourself, for your friends, and for the next generation—that we would recognize the lies of isolation, stand firm in truth, and live connected as the Body of Christ? You’re not alone in the battle. And neither are they.
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The Battle behind the Battle

We are not living in stable times. A short glance at the daily news can quickly ruin your day. Difficult wars in Ukraine and Gaza seem to defy solutions; assassinations and unrest in the United States tear at the fabric of society. Financial instability, polarizing debates in politics, and deep tensions between powerful nations make the future uncertain. I’m sure each of us could add a list of challenges even closer to home, in our work, with family, or at church. In light of these tenacious conflicts, the words of Paul in Ephesians seem out of place. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood…” Each of the battles I mentioned involves people with flesh and blood, and visible attacks that have real physical consequences. What does he mean when he says, “we do not”? Paul continues his argument with these words: “…but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Here is the truth he wants us to understand. Paul points us to an unseen world that is more significant than the one we see. Spiritual beings and forces of darkness are actively working to thwart the purposes of God. There is a “battle behind the battle”— a fight that has more profound and more eternal consequences than any political conflict. We are called to enter this struggle with the armor of God, “that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” Last month, we gathered 370 of our team and close partners from 22 nations at our training center in Malenovice, Czech Republic, for four days of being equipped for this very fight. Our theme was “Victorious – Equipped for the Battle, Anchored in Christ.” We focused on three main skills of an effective warrior: “See the unseen world, Stand in the authority of Christ, and Fight with weapons of power.” No matter how confusing and discouraging the visible battle may be, we know that Jesus is always more powerful than the forces of darkness, and he can accomplish his purposes even in the most difficult of times. In fact, he often turns what the enemy meant for evil into good if we submit to his will and stay obedient to his call. As I stood worshiping in a tent full of gifted young leaders, all contending in faith for the next generation, my heart was filled with gratitude for God’s movement here in Central and Eastern Europe. Thousands have put their faith in Christ because of their bold witness, and churches are being renewed all across the region through the leaders they equip. The daily news is still very confusing. But the spiritual news is that the Lamb has conquered, and the Lion of Judah is on the move. Thanks for joining us in the fight, Dave Patty President, Josiah Venture
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Discipleship, Evangelism

A Real Man

What makes a boy grow into a real man? Vitalij began the “Wise Carpenter” ministry of JV in Ukraine 8 years ago with a vision of “A new generation of Ukrainian men who aspire to be people after God’s heart and become dedicated to their families, their church, and their country.” He equips men in local churches to invest in boys through carpentry clubs, where they learn to work with their hands and are mentored by Jesus, the wise carpenter. In June, 100 of these boys gathered for a camp with 30 of their leaders. The central theme was “The Way of a Real Man” — how to live a worthy life that will not disappoint. On the first day, Pastor Alexander shared his testimony about how, at the age of 13, he listened to another voice, which led his path for 7 years into drugs, theft, and alcohol. He emphasized how important it was, at an early age, not to go down “crooked” roads but to choose God’s path. Later that evening, drones flew over the camp in the direction of Kyiv. The defense forces could not shoot them down, and they exploded into apartment buildings in the capital, killing 17 people — including the boy whose father is in this photo. The contrast was shocking — men fighting to save the lives of young boys while an enemy was trying to take those lives. The spiritual war and physical war have much in common and become even more intense when they are being waged at the same time. In the evening, all 100 boys, together with their mentors, prayed for the families affected by the attacks, for the military, and for every family that lost a family member that day. Later in the week, a former club leader visited in his wheelchair. He was at camp last year but was later conscripted into the military and wounded on the front lines. His challenge to be courageous and live for Jesus no matter what the circumstances carried special weight because of the price he has personally paid. Every afternoon, the boys worked to construct cars that they enthusiastically raced on the final day. But even more important was the construction going on in each of their hearts as they learned the lessons of God’s Word and the importance of standing for truth, no matter how difficult it is. Thank you for making it possible for us to fight for boys to become real men through your gifts and prayers. Thank you, Dave Patty President, Josiah Venture