Brenda has been in youth ministry for twenty-nine years, twenty years with Wild Frontier. It is truly all she knows.  During her first nine years she served as youth pastor of churches in Minnesota and Virginia. In 1990, obeying her original call, Brenda started Wild Frontier. Since 1990 she has been with New Covenant Fellowship of Manassas, Virginia, serving the youth ministry as well as the church at large. Through Wild Frontier, Brenda has been publishing many “out there” youth ministry resources for youth pastors and has become a popular speaker, particularly for summer camps.

Brenda’s role with Wild Frontier and with her church has allowed her to do something outside of ministry. She has been a substitute teacher since 1992.

Through subbing, Brenda experiences public school life. She walks the halls and sits in the desks. She has broken up fist fights and food fights. She is also sought after to be shown some kind of achievement or to be trusted with some deep hurts. “Mrs. Seefeldt” is her favorite title because she knows that if she hears this when out and about in the community, it is a student or a former student and this person is seeking Brenda out to talk to her, often looking for yet another positive stroke from an adult whom they know believes in him/her.

Brenda’s experiences as a substitute teacher give her a unique message to youth. There is an immediate connection as your youth have had substitute teachers and they most likely have tried “stuff”on subs. They identify right away that Brenda probably really does know what is going on in their lives. As one youth pastor told her, “You are the first retreat speaker we’ve ever had who shared not what was done in the past, but what you are doing now.”

Brenda attended North Central Bible College (now North Central University) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Behavorial Science with a minor in Youth Ministry and was ordained by the Assembly of God denomination. This ordination is now recognized by New Covenant Fellowship.

In 1997 Brenda married John Amodea after fifteen years of ministry as a single. John plays an active role in Brenda’s ministry life but besides that, John has another career. Together Brenda and John own Paintball X3 and Hunt X3 magazines.  John is the man behind all that work.  John also is a former professional paintball player where he is still considered one of the top 100 players in the world even though he is now retired.

A certain pastor through conversation with Brenda discussing her drive in youth ministry made the statement, “Ease up a bit. Let kids be kids. We can’t expect too much from them. Think back, what were you doing at their age?” At their age, Brenda was out on the Wild Frontier leading prayer meetings and seeing friends saved on her school campus.

It is from here that makes Brenda a speaker you want to consider to bring to your ministry.

“…Brenda is a gifted communicator and relates so well with teenagers through real life stories and her ability to make scripture come alive. The ’silent time’ with God impacted the teens in a powerful way!” Matt Clawson, Christian Life Assembly

These are just a few of Brenda’s reference letters that are as current as this year and date back as far as 1992. Click on the letter to enlarge. Read more…

“..Brenda, you are a tremendous gift to this generation of students. You communicate in an effective, visual, relevant way. The teens here at Englewood were able to grasp the ‘reality’ of what you spoke about…With the recent events of the World Trade Center terrorist attack, your words of encouragement to them and their parents brought some acceptance to their hearts that God is in control but allows difficult things to happen in order for us to grow. I would recommend you to anyone in our grand universe!” Frank Ranieri, Englewood Assembly of God

“…I really appreciated the time that you spend with our Jr. Highers. I had reservations about bringing in an outside speaker for such a small group of students, but the way you related to them–both as a group an on an individual basis–convinced me that I had made the right decision. The way that you had the students talking about their lies and their friends and how their faith impacts them was amazing! Randy Bennett, Ferry Memorial Reformed Church

“…Your timely and inspiring message challenged our students to stand with determination as they begin another school year. It is a tremendous encouragement to know that people like you are ‘out in the trenches’ working to model their faith to students every day.” Stuart Cocanogher, Columbia Baptist Church

“…Our kids, coming off the raw edges of our city streets, don’t warm up with just anyone, and they least of all do it when there’s a few hundred in attendance at our session, as there was when you came and spoke/ministered to our kids. But you came and shared your heart, and I think the frankness with which you shared, and the sincerity and open spirit in which it was shared, was very special to them.” Daniel Ramos, Children of the City

“…When she is not speaking, Brenda takes part in the camper’s activities, sits with them during meal times and generally earns the right to be heard. In the short time that she was here, Brenda builds relationships and learns campers’ names! Gene Reineman, Cedar Lake Bible Conference

“…On the staff evaluation questions asking what special events they loved during the week, the most popular answer was ‘Brenda’s sessions”… Heather Little, Camp Eder

“…Brenda is one of our favorite speakers here and has shared with us on many different occasions…Brenda is a very gifted speaker who uses her ability to tell stories in relating with the kids…Unlike other speakers that we have had, Brenda gladly gives up her persona rest time in order that she might spend more individual time with the youth…” Dwayne Horst, Rhodes Grove Camp

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This letter is to recognize the relationship of Brenda Seefeldt Amodea to our church, New Covenant Fellowship and to the Body of Christ in general. Brenda is recognized by us as a minister of the Lord in the body of Christ. She is a member in good standing of our church and has been faithful in attendance and participation since 1990. She is also supported by us through her ministry to young people, a ministry called Wild Frontier. She has ministered in our church on several occasions and in a variety of ways and has ministered rather extensively to young people and leaders in a variety of settings such as youth meetings, retreats, camps and leadership training events. She has a proven and effective ministry to young people and my observation is that she is particularly effective in dealing with troubled and under privileged youth that most of us would consider to be “Extra Grace Required” young people.

Brenda is married to John, a godly man who also carries a burden for young people and they work as a very effective team. John freely extends his blessing and covering to Brenda and her ministry.

We have extended our pastoral covering to her as a validation of and support to her call and ministry. Please extend to her any and all considerations due a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Yours in Christ,

(signature on file)

Robin D. Bayles

In response to this reality, Brenda has messages where she speaks “at” the youth but she also has messages where the learning is done together, “with” the youth. In fact, these messages have become the more requested.  Each of the messages that are done “with” your youth group are designated by a *.

*1 John – The Practices of Christianity

Using the entire book of 1 John, teens learn what a Christian is (something all too often us adults assume they know already) and some of the practices of being a Christian such as Bible reading, prayer and loving one another.  Practical practices (descriptive word use on purpose here) are taught while at the same time the teens learn an entire book of the Bible which makes Bible reading less intimidating for them when they are on their own.

* Unsafe Jesus

This is a series on Jesus. Seriously. Too many youth have a wrong and distorted view of Jesus as the huge National Study on Youth and Religion revealed. Through the use of many creative teaching methods, teens will have opportunity to form a more Biblical view of Jesus and then commit to following the unsafe Jesus.

Lunchrooms

This is Brenda’s signature message which teaches about what it takes to share Christ at school. It is not necessarily a big thing because even a bag lunch will do. Brenda’s testimony is included in this message.

* Lunchrooms, Part Deux

As a way to follow up on Lunchrooms, Wild Frontier has prepared the Lunchrooms Folder full of ideas to effectively reach out in your school. This is a time for practics and discussion. You will be asked to pay $5 per folder to offset printing expenses or you can have the files sent to you and put together the folders yourself.

Campus Missionary Code of Behavior

All schools have a code of behavior which is studied the first week of school, quizzed on, and then you sign that commitment to abide by that Code of Behavior. As a campus missionary you are required to abide by the Code of Behavior–and then some. In doing so, you will gain the greatest privileges and influence. Learn how to gain those privileges and have a wider influence.

*How To Talk In Class

One of the students’ greatest opportunities to be a witness is to bring up conversation in class–when it is allowed. It could be those few minutes before the bell. It could be during group work time. Or it could be in one of those classes where the teacher allows talking. During those times of conversation, you can cleverly steer it in a positive direction or sit by and let it go negative (the students know how negative it can get). This practical talk provides plenty of ideas to move talking into the positive and onto some God- moments.

* Loyalty

Loyalty is such a powerful word. Many sins are committed because of loyalty. Many teens go through the legal system because of loyalty. Many emotions arise because of disloyalty. And loyalty is the response God asks us to have towards Him. We have a variable format focusing on this word–loyalty.

* Love for a Lifetime

Since 1987 Brenda has been preaching messages to youth to hold off on dating until after high school. The decisions that are made in middle school and high school will give you that love for a lifetime. Questions and answers time recommended.

* Timon and Pumbaa

Timon and Pumbaa are funny and loyal characters from Disney’s The Lion King. But they didn’t build up Simba to be king. We may have friends who are funny and loyal but they don’t build us up to be king. Questions and answers time recommended.

* The Gift of Pain

Using the disease of leprosy as a backdrop, teens will learn about pain and that maybe there is something good about it.

When Jesus Cries

Where is God when those bad things happen? Through some personal experiences, Brenda came to a point of decision. Either God was not real or did not love her or He is somewhere. God is somewhere and where He is He is crying.

Stooping God, Not a Stupid God

Loser. Waste of Life. Unwanted. Such names spoken over us become rocks in our life that we stone ourselves with. Through the story of the woman caught in adultery, the lesson is taught that Jesus has a complete other set of names for us and He is stooping down to tell us.

*God Questions

This can be done one of two ways. One is (after a good introduction) anonymous questions on anything are gathered from your group for Brenda to answer. Brenda’s credibility comes from 23 years of youth ministry experience and the research she does for the Stuffed Culture Resources.

The other format is using the questions Brenda uses with her students from school. These are “out there” questions that do not provide for Sunday School answers. They are designed for nonChristians to think differently about God. It may do the same with your youth.

Brenda Seefeldt, Wild Frontier, 309 Commerce Street, Box 66, Occoquan, VA 22125-0066, 571-239-3253 www.wildfrontier.org

Faith Development

A person’s faith develops from childhood to adulthood. With knowledge of how faith develops, parents and youth workers can make direct and indirect attempts to help build that faith. This is also a fun seminar as there are times when you will be asked to reflect on your own personal faith development–and you will see how your faith has developed. This is the one seminar Brenda feels is the most important to be taught to any ministry team as well as the parents.

Beyond Summer Camp Youth Ministry

This seminar is very, very discussion-based using some thought-provoking quotes and questions from those who dare look at youth ministry in different ways. Some of these questions are: Is the teenager disappearing? Are we raising mature Christian teenagers but failing to raise mature Christian adults? Why does the church strive to convenience people when people really thrive on challenge? Do we indirectly say, “don’t put me on a pedestal, just give me a stage”? Are youth being converted to Christian culture or the Christian faith? After everyone discusses and is stretched with new thoughts, you can decide what you want to apply to your youth ministry.

Family-Based Youth Ministry

This is a much talked about way to do youth ministry as we move into the next youth ministry revolution. It is talked about a lot with some who are making attempts. Brenda is actually doing Family-Based Youth Ministry in her church. Learn about the theory and come away with loads of ideas that have actually been done.

Rites of Passages

Another new possible youth ministry revolution is the church participating in rites of passages for teens. Learn about the theory and come away with ideas for parents to use and your church to use.

Youth Culture 101

After collecting stats, quotes and trends from the youth culture for over eighteen years, Brenda will give an overview of the youth culture using such stuff to point out the negative trends as well as the positive trends. It is a short course to get you up to speed on the youth culture. Maybe even a bit ahead of the youth culture.

Retreat Planning

With the help of a camp director, youth pastor and a youth evangelist, we believe we have all the bases covered in putting together a retreat. This information is available, as well as lots of retreat ideas, for you to use in planning your retreats.

Games, Games, Games

Come away with over 60 different types of games and their purposes for playing them. Games are more than a way to release energy and/or a way to entertain. A requirement for this seminar is to actually play the games.

Something began in 1993 when a group of rowdy 7th graders wanted to spend time with their substitute teacher (who they constantly tested) after school hours. It all started with a bet over report cards and the winner (Brenda) getting lunch with two of the boys outside of school. That just opened the door. The kids continued to invite her over at every opportunity they could. Sometimes stealing her keys when she got there.

Knowing this might be a “God thing,” Brenda obediently followed whatever God may be doing. To her utter surprise, they all became Christians in 8th grade. That is a wonderful story but the bottom-line is it was unplanned. Brenda has continued to obediently follow whatever God may be doing with this group which has led to a form of family of young men and young women not repeating family cycles and living new lives in Christ.

There are now seven grown young adults and two grandchildren. Back in 1996 God spoke to Brenda months before her wedding to John that God’s Family would be her family with John if she chose the call. The promise she received was that their children would know Jesus from the very first breath they took and all the way through their lives. Brenda and John are loving this stage of parenthood.

The Wedding Story

From the beginning it was Mrs. Seefeldt and her kids. Then John came along. They met John early in the courtship and they were the first to know when they got engaged. However, after that announcement the boys came to Brenda and said “we like John and all but we are afraid he will be like every other stepfather and take you away from us.”

So the kids became a large part of the wedding. They were the ushers, the music, and hostesses.
After John and Brenda exchanged their marriage vows, Brenda’s parents prayed a prayer over them. Then all the youth came up and prayed over them and gave Brenda away to John. This was the only point that Brenda cried during her wedding. When the new couple was announced, the kids processed out behind Brenda and John before the wedding party.

While the kids are Brenda’s first, it is amazing to watch their bond grow to John, especially as the boys became young men. It was then that John became more than a stepfather but became their father.

Maurice’s Death

On January 10, 2003, we lost Maurice. He was 22 years old. As with all of our kids, they face real struggles everyday. Maurice chose to keep a childhood friend who has always been “hard.” So many times we tried to draw this friend into God’s Family but he didn’t want to give up the “street.” At the time of Maurice’s death, they were room mates. In a street beef over drug sales, a warning shot was fired into their home. Unfortunately, Maurice was sitting on the living room couch playing video games and he was shot in the head by that warning shot.

Maurice’s struggle is over. He’s in heaven. We were a part of Maurice’s initial commitment to Christ and he did grow in his faith. He also still struggled but that is part of the life our kids come from. While visiting his room mate who was serving some jail time, Brenda got to hear firsthand of all the times Maurice witnessed to him and tried to steer him straight.

Two of the three men involved in the shooting were given life sentences. We continued to visit the roommate during his short time in jail. He was pretty shaken up that his lifestyle cost him his childhood best-friend. While reading the Bible together and through many long discussions, he vowed that when he got out he would move out of the area and change his life. He vowed to live his life in Maurice’s honor.

He did move out of the area but that was the extent of his vow. Nearly four years later to the date of Maurice’s death, he shot the other man involved dead in a public setting in front of his 2-year old daughter. That’s the law of the streets according to Young Jeezy and other influencers. It doesn’t seem like such a good law when you are this close to the situation. The roommate is lost to “the system” for the rest of his life but he still has a chance to make good on his promise to live a life in Maurice’s honor.

God’s Grace

Frank Brinson IV died March 9, 2000. He was 18 years old. He was one of “my kids.” He was one of God’s kids too–and left quite a legacy because of it.

I must first begin with how I met Frank. I was subbing at my school and had a much larger than a regular freshmen boy in my PE class. A large, threatening-looking guy complete with cornrolls. But he was fine in class and the next couple of times I had him. He was always smiling–didn’t fit the look.

One day I was doing lunch duty and there was Frank wearing a black t-shirt with 4-inch white letters which said “God’s Grace” across the front. That was it. Nothing clever. No artwork. I squealed out to Frank, “what is that?” To which he gave me his brief testimony. A year ago he was locked up in juvenile detention after being gang associated. His grandmother died and spoke some life words into him. He and his mother decided to move to northern Virginia to get a new start. Which he did with God’s help.

No one knew what Frank left behind in Pittsburgh. They knew him as a good football player (his passion which he put extra effort into), a good student, someone who constantly talked about his bright future (he was always forward-thinking), and someone who always smiled.

When news of his death spread that next morning at the school, a pall hit. Nearly the entire school. The halls were full of weeping and walking wounded. “Not Frank,” were their cries. The football players put on their football jerseys from storage. Football players broke down in sobs. Students used ink to make makeshift tattoos with Frank’s football number (21) on their bodies. And everyone talked about his smile. Even students who didn’t know Frank were visibly upset because he had once smiled at them. It was a dark day.

What started happening next is what is amazing. Only a God-thing. The next day the front page of the local paper had a picture of Frank’s sisters wearing the “God’s Grace” t-shirts he had made for them. Teenagers had their own “God’s Grace” t-shirts made. And in the chain-linked fence in front of Gar-Field High School, two seniors took styrofoam cups and spelled out “God’s Grace RIP 21.” Not “Frank RIP.” Frank has become known as “God’s Grace.” This made the front page of the local paper, again. Gar-Field High School has been marked by “God’s Grace.”

The viewing was the worst I had ever been to. Hundreds of youth congregated in front of the casket. Lots of crying. Some wailed so loud they had to be removed from the room. That set off a chain reaction to the rest of the mourners. Some did not have the strength to stand. Some passed out. Most would come and look, leave the room, go outside and scream and yell, only to come back in again and start the cycle over.

The screams and wails were “Why Frank?” “Why not drug dealers?” “Why not criminals?” “Why Frank? He was so good.” “That’s not Frank (open casket). He’s not smiling.” “I don’t want to leave him.”

Hundreds of teenagers devastated by Frank’s untimely death. Hundreds of teenagers having to face their own mortality. Hundreds of teenagers facing death in such a personal way for the first time. Hundreds of teenagers wearing “God’s Grace” t-shirts.

After the questions and the wailing, we would start to hear and overhear stories about Frank which brought laughter and joy (a breakthrough from the intense mourning). The stories always included his smile. From the stories we would hear, “I’m going to live my life like Frank did.” It was an undercurrent from all the grief, but it was starting.

The family borrowed a church to have the funeral at. It seated 1400. Around 1300 streamed in to the funeral. Lines and lines of teenagers dressed up (a very untypical look for the student body) crossed the street from Gar-Field High School to this church to attend the funeral. More than there were for the viewing.

Everyone was seated for the funeral. You could hear the muffled cries and the occasional wail. Joy had not come in the morning yet for these students.

To start off the funeral, the pastor decided to play the song, “God’s Grace.” A song Frank played over and over again. The wails erupted. Students poured out the church doors to get out of the sanctuary. Some students fainted again. For a long moment, it looked like the mourning would never end.

But then the preaching started. And was it anointed! The challenge was sent out clearly and directly, “If Frank could come down from heaven and talk to you all one last time, he would tell you all to get saved…God’s Grace. What a better legacy to leave behind…You all need to pick up your lives and win like Frank did. You need to carry on and live your life with God’s Grace.”

A very specific and clear altar call was given and before the pastor was even done, James stood up. James was one of Frank’s friends. Others stood up following James. In less than a minute, over 1200 people stood up to commit their lives to Christ. The spirit of death lifted and joy came rushing in.

Now we will see how these commitments are lived out. James is committed to living his life changed. Some will fall along the path and be eaten by the birds. Some will fall among rocky places and spring to life quickly but not have much soil. Some will fall among thorns. And some fell on good soil and will grow and multiply. (Mark 4:3-8). If what fell on good soil grows, that is 300 students of a 2500 population at Gar-Field High School.

Frank’s short life of 18-years, his shorter life as a Christian and his 13-month life as a Gar- Field student influenced 1200–for starters. What is most interesting is how he did it. He didn’t preach. He didn’t hand out tracts. He didn’t start a Bible club. He didn’t use a high-tech audio visual production.

He was a good student. He was polite in class and didn’t push his limits, even if it was a substitute. He worked and got good grades. He played with that little extra on the football field. He smiled at everyone. He talked to everyone. And he wore a simple t-shirt that gave witness to his life.

A definition of grace is being accepted before you are acceptable. Frank received that and never forgot it. Now hopefully 1200 others will never forget about it.