Gearing up for WLS 2014

USA (MNN) — Can you name one of the largest mission fields within the U.S.?

“Four percent [of this group] know Christ after several hundred years of Gospel work among them,” says Ron Hutchcraft of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries (RHM). “They are the most suicidal young people in parts of this country by 6 or 7 times the suicide rate of their peers. They have the highest rates of drug abuse and alcohol abuse and sexual abuse; they are hugely devastated.

“Satan has successfully blinded us to them and them to Jesus, thinking ‘He’s the white man’s God.'”

If you guessed Native Americans, or First Nations, you are correct. That’s why RHM staff is gearing up for WLS 2014. WLS stands for Warrior Leadership Summit, and it’s where RHM equips dozens of believing Native youth for evangelism through their On Eagles’ Wings (OEW) ministry.

“Warrior Leadership Summit is the only conference of its kind that is distinctly all about, all for Native American young people evangelism and discipleship,” explains Hutchcraft.

OEW teams will spend a week deepening their relationships with the Lord and each other at WLS 2014. Warrior Circles and Battle Councils engage Native believers in large group praise and teaching sessions. Jump Start sessions set aside time for OEW teams to draw closer to the Lord through personal devotions, and youth ministry leaders connect and share “best practices” at Extreme Leadership.

Read about Lani’s WLS Journey here.

When the summit wraps up on July 3, OEW teams will hit the road for “Summer of Hope 2014.” On 10 different reservations in the U.S. and Canada, OEW teams will use sports, music, food, and one-on-one conversations to share the Gospel with the next generation.

“They’re the ones doing it [evangelism], and they’re the ones who should be doing it…telling their people about a brown-skinned Savior,” Hutchcraft says.

“He grew up poor; He grew up in a village where people thought nothing good came out of that village; He died a violent death: that’s like the reservation.”

Requests to join OEW’s summer team are still being accepted; you can sign up here.

Since there’s no financial commitment required from members of the OEW team, it’s up to the Body of Christ to help with ministry expenses. Learn more about sponsorship opportunities by contacting RHM.

Ask the Lord to prepare the hearts of Native young people who will hear His Gospel this summer. Pray for the OEW teams who will share this message with their peers. Pray for RHM as they produce video testimonies for the reservations OEW teams couldn’t visit.

“There are 1,000 reservations and reserves in North America. We’ve been to about 100,” states Hutchcraft, explaining why their “mini-films” of OEW testimonies are so crucial.

“We really want to ‘viralize’ these Hope stories using technology; that’s where we can use the help and the prayer of God’s people.”

View other “mini-films” produced by RHM here.