Starting 5

My buddy Jason recently posted his spiritual starting 5. It got me thinking about mentors and friends who have shaped my Christian faith. Obviously my Mom and Dad are the first people who modeled Gods love to me so they get a big high five. These are the folks to took that foundation and built upon it. Start the fog machine and cue the music below to get the full effect.



1) Steele Harmon. Former teacher and football coach Steele was the State director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Ky. I met Steele my freshman year of college at the FCA state convention. He built an amazing ministry and is responsible for raising up more pastors than anyone else I know. I literally once saw him give the shirt off his back to a custodian who mentioned that he liked it. He gave the man his shirt. I will never forget that. Steele was one of those people who would urge you into leadership before you thought you were ready and somehow God would actually use you. He was and remains a force for many people. Steele always said, "a hungry dog hunts best." Steele was hungry for the souls of athletes in Kentucky to find their identity in Christ.

2) Jeff Lanham. Jeff was one of my basketball coaches at Union College. He is the one who made me go to my first Fellowship of Christian Athletes state convention. At that convention I learned that God not only loved me enough to give his son for me but that He desired an ongoing relationship with me. That moved me. Jeff had a relationship with God that was genuine and full of joy. Jeff sponsored our campus chapter of FCA. He became more than a coach to me. He became a friend.

3) Don Joy. Don taught Human growth and development at Asbury Seminary. He loved his Christian Ed students and invited us to his office for what he called brown bag lunch groups. We literally sat around in his office and talked about the challenges of being a Godly man. He introduced a sane accountability among the group which allowed for vulnerability and graceful redemption. Don would greet you with a holy kiss. The man kissed me and it seemed OK.

4) Mark Devries. Mark is the Minister to Youth and Families at Nashville First Presbyterian church. Mark and I struck up a conversation many years ago after he spoke at a youth ministry seminar I attended. Mark became a spiritual director for me and later he invited me to assist him as he consulted churches with struggling youth ministries. Mark is the CEO of Youth Ministry Architects and youth ministry consulting firm and author of two of the most profound books about youth ministry...Family Based Youth Ministry and Sustainable Youth Ministry. Mark is incredibly humble and is tireless in his effort to raise the level of effectiveness of Youth ministry around the world. Mark's focus and intensity are inspiring.

5) Debbi Dehart Akers. On my team Debbi would be the center. Debbi knows me better than I know myself. She speaks truth to me daily. Mark (above) once told me that if I ever needed to clearly hear the voice of God that I needed to start by listening to Debbi. For many people that would not be true, for me it is true. Her tattered, note scribbled Bible is proof of her ongoing love affair with Jesus. She inspires almost daily and I am blessed beyond belief that she is on my team.

Sixth man award goes to the countless youth and college students who have challenged me and my faith as often as I hoped to challenge theirs. Their questions, joys and pain have been a constant source of motivation to seek God and to grow in understanding and in relationship with Him.