Wild Frontier began in 1990 with a call on my heart, which was already nine years old, and a nagging gut feeling that youth ministry could be done better, done differently. I was inspired by a Randy Stonehill song, " Out on the Wild Frontier," (my inspiration and accomplishments have blessed him too) and a quote from a youth ministry book which I was given and have never seen since, Changing Lives by Dennis Miller.

I could go on and on about what I have discovered in my journey. In fact, I have over the last fifteen years, in the Pair of Cleats issues. But for the next two issues I thought I would surmise all of my random thoughts into one working document. It is a working document because I am no where near done with this journey.

Parents are Number One

Honestly, I haven't believed this point during my entire youth ministry career. I at one time believed the myth that adolescents pull away from adults, especially their parents, as they strive for independence during adolescent development. The recent Time article on 13-year olds mentioned this myth again, "We know that 13- year olds are going to move away from their parents. The question is, Where are they going to move to? In the youth pastors, they see people who drive jeeps and love Jesus." (Bryan Wilkerson, senior pastor at Grace Chapel, Time, August 8, 2005) Teens do pull away in one way or another, but they never want adults out of their lives, especially their parents.