Chris Borland has retired.

You may wonder why our youth ministry, Greater Canton Youthquake, is starting its blog this way. True, our radio show tries to mention current topics - in fact, this is one thing our blog is helpful for, since we tape shows weeks in advance. But, what has the retirement of a player just after his rookie season got to do with the Bible or ministry? There are several things to consider.

Being an inner-city ministry, one thing we try to do - when we have enough volunteers - is sports ministry through things like flag football and basketball, since young people enjoy sports and through sports we can bring them the Gospel. Tackle football is becoming more of an issue, now that we know so much about concussions. The risk of CTE is greater the more concussions one has. Patrick Willis and quarterback Jake Locker have also retired, and Hall of Famers Troy Aikman and Steve Young retired early because of concussions. Willis is possibly, even probably, a Hall of Famer too.

This is not just about football, however. This is a story about what some people will go through to do what they love.

For some of course, it is more than that. There are some people  in inner cities, and even some rural areas areas, who play sports to escape the mean streets and must excel in their minds, to avoid getting in trouble. Curtis Martin's Hall of Fame speech is an extreme example, but the point is that many young people need someone to be able to mentor them and show them how a relationship with Jesus Christ can give them peace, hope, love, comfort, and so much more despite their circumstances. It's youth like that we yearn to reach. Especially because it is worth noting that only a small percentage of players can make a major college team and get noticed, & a much smaller percentage can reach the pros. This is true no matter what sport.

A personal relationship with Jesus offers so much more than sports, though. Of course, one can play a sport and still be active in ministry. Tim Tebow is a good example, and some say Willis will spend his time working with youth in his native Tennessee now.

However, life is short, eternity is long, siri is great, but grace is greater. The love that Jesus provides needs to be shared throughout the world. And often that sharing needs to begin here in America, in our inner cities. People are still willing to jeopardize their health to play pro football - various ESPn radio personalities have said that when one retires, there are often 10 ready to take his place. But, are we willing to risk anything to spread the Gospel?

We at Quest for Truth are using many different vehicles to spread the Gospel, and becasue of the Internet they can reach quite far. This blog could be read anywhere in the world. Our heart is with the greater Canton area, where so many unchurched youth - as well as those in churches which do not preach the Gospel - need a chance to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and grow in Him. But, you, the reader, might be in a totally different area where there might be youth that you can reach.

We need your help. I know this sounds strange, because you could be on the other side of the world from us. Your prayers are greatly needed, though, as we can't do what we would like without a ministry vehicle.

However we would also like to ask: What are you doing in your community? Is there an area you could serve? If your church does not have one, you could start a ministry for them, such as a "Sidewalk Sunday School" usinga portable sound system. Or, you could go out and distribute Gospel tracts - you can find good ones online at several different places, some of them free. (Note: When you hand out tracts door to door, put them in the door, NEVER in a mailbox, the post office only allows mail to be put in mailboxes) Some people even hand out Bibles - get good KJV New Testaments and pass them out on a corner or something.You could work in a soup kitchen, or just go door to door to door and share God's love and forgiveness. Simply ask the Lord to open doors, open your eyes, and open your heart to those who need God's love.

They may not be able to overcome the streets on their own, but Jesus promises in John 16:33, "I this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world." And, if you need specifics on how to do such things, or other ideas, feel free to e-mail us. Because, the harvest is plentious, but the laborers are few. Therefore, wherever you are, there are certainly souls which need to be won to the Lord.

What Is Your Field? (and prayers needed)

This blog, like our radio show, will be a place to focus on digging deep into God's Word and also discussing, at times, things going on with Youthquake. It may deal less with Youthquake than our show because this blog reaches a national - even international - audience much more easily. That's because the forum - Blogger - is international and thus more easily accessed by those outside Northeast Ohio.

This blog, unlike our radio show, is free. Please pray for us to get a staff car quickly, or even a ministry van, so we can continue the work,; or, that the one we have can be repaired very economically. We must pay for air time on the radio, something even I (Doug) didn't realize till I started volunteering as part of it. (Edited to add, got minivan in Feb. 2016,still can use funds to pay for radio show, increase it.)

You may have wondered where we minister - though most readers will have figured Canton means "Canton, Ohio" I presume that some of you pictured another Canton. (Not necessarily China's, either - I chuckled as I glanced at a few and discovered that Canton, Michigan, passed Canton, Ohio in population several years ago. Of course, Ohio fans will perhaps joke that a football scoreboard is where it counts. :-))

True Christians should love to have fun, like with the above - we should have the most fun of all because we're forgiven and have a personal relationship with the Creator Himself, who made this world perfect and loves us even though we chose through out own free will to bring sin and death and suffering into the world. We don't need to fall for the world's definition of fun. Dedicated followers of Jesus Christ simply have Him on the throne of their heart. We make jokes referencing things like the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry above with the understanding that such things aren't as important as Jesus in our mission fields.

Yes, whichever field you are on, you have a responsibility to others to share His love and forgiveness.

"But, wait," you may say, "I'm not on a foreign field, I'm here at home."

I once led someone to Christ - he went from head knowledge of Jesus to heart knowledge, receiving Jesus' forgiveness for his sins by faith - in an airport during a flight delay. Our field is literally wherever we are at the moment, in that respect. It may be praying with a waitress in a restaurant who has just gotten some bad news, it may be helping an elderly neighbor with groceries, it may be one of many things where we minister to others through our love and kindness, rather than focusing on ourselves.

However, in another respect, our mission field is where we work, live, go to school, worship, etc.. It's those places where others see us day after day, and where we must show that consistent example of Jesus Christ and His love, mercy, and forgiveness, but also His being clearly distinct from the world's system and standing for the absolute truth of the Bible. He lived in the world but He was not of the world, and we must be that way, too, so people see a difference.

Occasionally, we branch out, of course. Our radio show has been heard by and had response from people in different states, and this blog could even reach different countries. Who knows how someone may be led to serve the Lord becasue the Spirit worked in them after reading this. When we get those chances, we must act on them, letting God lead us to the right way to handle each situation; looking prayerfully for that person to share Jesus with instead of complaining about a flight delay, in the example above.