Our young people, when committed to God, are a force to contend with. All across the Atlantic Union, there are youth who are committed and who have surrendered their hearts to the power of Christ’s gospel. From stints of mission service to “Student Tell the World” evangelistic meetings to student Week of Prayer meetings, our youth are aflame for the Lord. We thank God for Christian parents, teachers, pastors, and youth leaders who are helping to shape our youth and direct them to Jehovah God.

Every opportunity we get to catch our youth doing something noble and uplifting for Christ, we ought not pass up the chance to lavish our thanks and appreciation on them. A good word of commendation spoken in season can stay with a young person for the rest of their lives. I know this, because I’ve experienced it when I, too, climbed “fool’s hill” as a young fellow.
I’m reminded of a brave, outspoken confession of faith made by a poor, young lady in Scripture: “But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God”—Ruth 1:16 (NIV).

There’s one thing I’ve learned about young people: they want to be with each other. It’s just simply cool to hang out together. The influence of companionship, therefore, is powerful. Imitation is the most sincere praise. What we favour, we follow. That’s why youth ministering to youth is so potent. Ruth, who was not considered one of God’s chosen people, was spiritually and positively influenced by Naomi, her mother-in-law. In turn, Ruth could declare with the strongest conviction: “I’m not going anywhere. I’m hanging with you people. In fact, Naomi, I want you to know that from now on, your people will be my people and your God my God.” Wow! What conviction!

What the world needs today are boys and girls, young men and young women “who will not be bought or sold . . . whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole . . . who will stand for the right though the heavens fall”—Education, pp. 56, 57.

When King Nebuchadnezzar built a self-flattering, gigantic image of himself and commanded everyone in the Plain of Dura to bow down to it, who would have thought it would take three, God-fearing Hebrew youth to remain standing erect and refuse to bow to any other god than Jehovah God?

All across the Atlantic Union this summer, our kids will be pouring into summer camps for fun and pleasure, but also for learning Christian principles and values. Like Ruth and the Hebrew boys, they too, have convictions. Let’s keep our precious youth before the Lord in prayer as they grow to become spiritual champions for God.

Donald G. King is president of the Atlantic Union Conference and chairman of the Atlantic Union College Board of Trustees.