Rory Rodgers

I’ve heard it said, “Once God reaches the youth, a revival has begun.” I must say my experience confirms this. In 1996, as a lukewarm 14-year-old, I witnessed a resurgence of faith among high school students in the Corvallis area.

It started with a junior named Joe who had been living for the world with skateboarding, girls and partying. Joe went to a summer church camp and was born again and filled to overflowing with the Spirit. He came back to school and started a Bible study where he would open-air preach to passersby, and many teens would respond to the gospel call, lifting their hands to receive Jesus. I was one of those teens who responded.

Viewing Joe and the other passionate youth stirred in me that being a Christian wasn’t merely checking off a list of religious duties but an invigorating relationship with the risen Jesus. Teens from other high schools in town got saved and most often parents would be converted or rededicate their lives, following in their children’s footsteps. Before long, every school in Corvallis and Philomath had a powerful Bible study.

I had to move to Southern Oregon that year. Hard as it was to depart, my torch was lit, and I took the flame of renewal to Lakeview, starting a Bible study in the school and sharing the gospel with fellow kids. By a work of His grace, many got saved and lit on fire for Jesus. Not long after high school, I became a youth pastor and mentored my students to continue the powerful practice of a school ministry, the years of which have been fruitful.

The torch has now been passed to the next generation. My son, Russell, is a graduating senior with Crook County High School’s class of 2025. For many years, he has felt called into ministry and has always had the heart of an evangelist. For the last two years, He has led a Bible study for the track team after practice, focusing in 2025 on the subject of unity among the athletes.

This year, he and his lifelong friend, Eli, as well as some other buddies from church, started a Bible study at lunch where regularly 30-50 kids show up. They provide pizza for the group, lead the students in a time of worship and prayer and have been teaching through the book of Romans. Russell regularly gives the call to salvation where often two to five kids respond with cries of faith in the Savior, and he encourages the whole group to grow in their prayer lives, giving them the opportunity to publicly pray out loud.

This, being the final week of the school year, is a special time for Russell and the other graduates. One special event that took place on Monday was the school baccalaureate, a ceremony of faith where Christian leaders from the community encourage the graduates toward pursuit of eternal things in Christ as they go out into the world to begin higher education, pursue careers or start families. For the past three years, the school has seen a resurrection of the ceremony, thanks to parents, Casey McKinnon and Sarah Teskey. The event has grown each year and saw a fantastic turnout for this most recent one. Introductions and gratitude by graduates, like Riddley Barker, Evan Wood, Natalia Crass and Ruby Snyder, and special messages by Pastor Mike Phay from First Baptist and educator, Matt Fischer, were incredibly inspiring. Worship led by both Russell and Halle Phay stirred the hearts to glory in their Creator. All graduates were recognized, and I had the privilege to lead the parents as we stretched our hands out in a prayer for blessing.

May the lamp that has been lit in the hearts of these teens continue into deep discipleship, and may the next crop of bold student leaders pour themselves out on the sacrifice and service of teen faith in Crook County.

Rory Rodgers is the pastor of Calvary Chapel of Prineville. He can be reached at 541-362-1125.