Thanks for taking time to leave this lengthy comment. I appreciate your heart, but I gotta call you to the mat on your logic here buddy:

“Is this worth it even if only one person has the opportunity to hear about the love of God, for the first time. and the answer for me is yes, as a matter of fact, I would be willing to give my life that one may come to know him(after all isnt that what Christ [the root of Christian] did for me?) Maybe that is a question that might provide a different outlook on these types of events. if at any point you answer no to that question, then are you really qualified to be in ministry?”

So the blood of a nonbeliever is on our hands if we don’t bring them to YOUR event? Ha ha. That’s some flawed logic, buddy. And if this is the case… is the purpose of AFT really evangelism? Really? Because I thought it was taking back a generation (because entertainment is always the best way to lure them back), teaching them that culture is bad and only wants their money (then you go and sell them $20 tshirts), and giving them sweet rock bands (because kids need to know that Christians can be cool too). But maybe I”m mistaken.

Don’t go and lay down a statement questioning the qualifications of a youth worker or pastor who is doing full time youth ministry day in and out when you’re a glorified carnie.

PS: I’m glad you own a concordance and know how to use it…

let me clarify that my tone as well is not hostile or accusing.

this is quite an interesting blog we have going here and I must say there are tons of thought and answers moving in my head. But I must compose some sort of focus in this response. I have been to several ATF’s this year, and as a matter of fact I have had the chance to tour with ATF for a couple of weeks and see what things are like inside of everything. ATF is not church. That point in and of itself, while so simple, seems to be the key point to several of the disagreements here. once it is realized that ATF is not church, it becomes easy to see the real purpose of ATF. When you think about it, Acquire The Fire has only one chance per year in any given community to present a vision and goal and idea of what Christianity in America is doing today, so in order to fully take advantage of the presented potential, it is only assumed that it must be big, and in some instances in fact, huge. ATF simply doesn’t have the means to have a one on one conversation with everybody that attends the event, that is the job of the church. Acquire The Fire has taken the innitiative to awaken the youth of America to the fact that Christianity is not some passive, lets all hold hands and sing kumbaya, thing that you do on Sunday and then not talk about during the week, but rather that it IS a battle. It isnt a battle against flesh and blood, and time and time again throughout the event, they provide reminders of such.

I can see how those cues could potentially be overlooked and the message miss portrayed, but thats where we as leaders come in. It is our job when we get back home to disciple these kids, to take that passion and zeal that they have and make sure that it is directed towards the right things. I have found with these events, that if I have been really getting in depth with God in my quiet times and having great personal worship, and my own prayer life is doing well, that it is much much much easier to keep up with my youth afterwards. And then again, the inverse is also true, when I have been out of it, and I haven’t been pressing into God as hard, I find myself dreading these types of events.

I know these events are usually draining, trust me I have been on both sides, working with the groups of energetic youth, as well as working the 18 hour days to help get the event working, but when it comes down to the crunch, one question that I ask myself is: Is this worth it even if only one person has the opportunity to hear about the love of God, for the first time. and the answer for me is yes, as a matter of fact, I would be willing to give my life that one may come to know him(after all isnt that what Christ [the root of Christian] did for me?) Maybe that is a question that might provide a different outlook on these types of events. if at any point you answer no to that question, then are you really qualified to be in ministry?

Once again I am not trying to be accusational or hostile and I am sorry if it seems that way at all. Please lets all take these words to heart and really try to do some soul searching before we begin criticizing the other parts of the body.

I Corinthians 1:10 (NLT)
“I appeal to you dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.”

I Corinthians 1:17 (NLT)
“For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News - and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.”

I John 4:9-12 (NLT)
“God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Dear Friends, since God loved us that much we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each otehr, God lives in us and his love is brought to full expression in us”

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NLT)
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.”

I pray that you would more fully know the absolute and perfect love of God, and that his call on your life would completely consume you.