Missions Monitor

Ever Upward!

David Scott Fields II, Senior Writer • January 1, 2016

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”
John 14:16-17 NASB

If the average Christian were to be totally honest, he would admit that he probably doesn’t know as much about the Holy Spirit as he should. Jesus is a language we speak well, and God is common in our daily prayers and vernacular. However, as revealed by the scriptures, the truth is undeniable; our infinite, solitary God exists in three eternal persons – God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. To deny this basic, though often difficult to understand truth, is to deny the fullness of who He is, and yet believers too often shy away from teachings about the Holy Spirit. That is why I am so encouraged to have friends like Kersten Harnly. Kersten is a teacher, worship leader, and frequent short term missionary in Alaska, and in the years I have known her, I have been excited to see her passion for ministry. One particular ministry she can’t say enough good things about, and which doesn’t neglect what the Bible has to say about the Holy Spirit, is called Upward Challenge.

As Kersten explained, Upward Challenge is part of a ministry that was started by Presbyterian Reformed Ministries International called The Dunamis Project. The emphasis of the ministry is on teaching about the Holy Spirit and His work, since, in general, this doctrine has been lacking in instruction in most churches throughout the world. The Dunamis Project was started by a group of PRMI pastors with the intention of focusing on the various works of the Holy Spirit – i.e. spirituals gifts, healing ministries, etc. This particular project was geared toward adults, but PRMI wasn’t willing to leaving it at that. As a branch off of the Dunamis Project, Upward Challenge was created as a camp for teenagers that would help them dial into who Christ is and the power of the Holy Spirit through a week-long intensive study of His Word. Currently, Upward Challenge camps exist in Alaska, North Carolina, Great Britain and Michigan. The totally volunteer based program is committed to building up a new generation of disciples and disciple-makers for Christ.

Kersten has been part of the program for two years now. It all began with an urgent plea on her part. Says Kersten, “I remember calling out to God saying, ‘Lord I need to do something for you right now! What would you have me do?” I do not believe God is ever slow in answering a prayer like that, and shortly thereafter, the director of the Alaska branch of Upward Challenge Steve Colman (who also attends church with Kersten at Alliance Bible Church of Anchorage) asked her to become involved. As the worship leader at Alliance, Kersten seemed an excellent fit to help impassion the campers toward God through song. Though she was cautious going into the ministry, God is faithful, and Upward Challenge proved the perfect answer to her prayers.

The format of the camp is fairly simple. Men and women aged 19 to 20 are put in charge of a small group of teens. These student leaders are then mentored by a young adult perhaps a few years older than them, and ultimately, an older adult, seasoned in the faith, sits in on group discussions and helps address the more difficult questions that come up. Naturally, this creates an incredible dynamic where God can do some amazing things across multiple generations. One of the key lessons campers learn is that we are 4D people. The 4^th dimension of our lives is the spiritual and involves our interactions with God and the unseen battle we have with our enemy. However, Satan is never given the glory in this, and as Kersten reminded me, “The enemy is real, but we serve someone who is way more powerful and will have the ultimate victory. There is nothing to be afraid of when you are in Jesus Christ.”

Fun camping activities like swimming and hiking are not neglected, but the ultimate goal of the week is that every camper would be drawn closer to God and have a greater understanding of the work and purpose of the Holy Spirit in their lives. There is no doubt that change occurs as teens who have hit rock bottom suddenly realize the power of Christ in their lives. There is also the constant reminder that nothing is too difficult for God. Kersten described one friend named Tommy who though blind has never let his disability get the better of him, and instead asks God that He will be glorified through it. In the end, no one leaves Upward Challenge the same person.

When we think of Christian mission trips, we too often believe they must involve traveling long distances from home. However, in reality the most exciting mission field is usually right in our own city or state. This branch of Upward Challenge is most certainly making an impact, and I have been thrilled to hear many more stories than I have room to share here of the amazing things Christ is doing through Kersten and other local missionaries involved in this ministry. If you are interested in becoming involved with either Upward Challenge or the Dunamis Project you can check out www.prmi.org for more details. Faithful servants of Christ are constantly needed, and as Kersten put it, “It is the most exhausting and amazing seven days you can have.”

References

Scriptures have been taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ® Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This Post is Sponsored by: