ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)–“Go!”
The one-word summation of the Great Commission is also the name of the North American Mission Board’s newest magazine, designed for students who share a passion for seeing people around them discover Christ.
Go! magazine, subtitled “Taking Christ to Our World,” will debut at YouthLink 2000, Southern Baptists’ seven-city millennial youth event slated for Dec. 29-31.
“Some people think that the best you can do is get through your teen years without messing up your life,” said Nate Adams, NAMB’s vice president for mobilization and mission education. “Go! happens to think that faithful teens who are taking Christ to the world can change that world forever.”
The magazine was developed as part of NAMB’s ongoing efforts to make an “on-mission” lifestyle a normal part of the Christian experience, Adams noted. It is the same philosophy that drives NAMB’s “On Mission” magazine, which now has a requested circulation of about 280,000.
“There is an awakening, an ‘Aha!’ moment that happens when Christians discover that they can be involved in leading people to Christ,” Adams said. “And that’s what we want for teenagers. They don’t have to do it the same way their parents do it, their pastor does it or their friends do it. But we want them to find that if their faith is real and valuable, they can discover their unique way to share their faith, to give it away.”
The first issue of Go!, for instance, gives students a glimpse of those around them who desperately need Christ. Six non-Christian high school students were interviewed about their own backgrounds and religious beliefs, as well as how they perceive Christianity and the Christian students at their school.
“By [listening] we can begin to discover how our friends feel about God, faith and Christianity,” the introduction to the article reads. “And as we hear them out, we can find ways to address their real questions and concerns.”
Another article features the youth group at Vanguard, a non-traditional Southern Baptist Church in Colorado Springs, Colo. The ministry creates an environment in which youth and their leaders lounge on “beat-up couches” talking about tough issues of the day. Most importantly, non-Christian youth feel comfortable. The message: You, too, can find ways of making your youth group more effective in reaching sharing Christ.
Go! magazine will be published six times a year, via paid subscription. The premiere issue will be sent free to youth leaders and others. Bulk subscriptions also will be available. Churches and individuals may subscribe to Go! by calling (770) 410-6250.
A special edition of Go! will include additional materials for Challengers groups, NAMB’s mission education program for teenage boys. The existing “Challenge” magazine will be replaced beginning in the fall of 2000 by the combined publication, which Adams said would include more content while continuing to deliver principle-based mission education to Challenger groups.
“What we’re hoping is that Challengers groups will become leadership groups within on-mission youth groups,” he said.
The regular edition of Go!, however, is for everyone, Adams noted.
“This is a magazine for every teenager in every youth group,” he said. “We want an on-mission lifestyle to be mainstream in our youth groups, not just something that a few participate in.”
