It was 20 years ago this year!
In May of 1996 a handful of friends and family gathered in a home to coalesce around a calling. We had a need: teens were leaving our churches with a faith ill-equipped to survive the spiritual rigors of the college age years. In response to this burden in our own youth ministry we had begun using inductive study tools to deepen Bible engagement. Teens loved the approach. So, finding no material similar, we created our own and felt called to share it with others. That handful of friends and family became fellow burden carriers and founding board members for InWord Resources.
Since that ordained founding, InWord has shared with thousands of churches and tens of thousands of teens through its small-group Bible studies, devotionals, and training experiences.
Over these 20 years we’ve had our obstacles. Losing Dana, my wife and co-laborer with InWord, threw me into a personal and ministry tailspin. Should InWord even continue? At the board’s urging, I devoted 2013 to do nothing but listen for the answer to that question. The answer of “yes” came quickly. I then spent most of the year listening for the answer to “how?”
Over the past two years we have been prayerfully and diligently implementing the “how”: 1.) revising and updating InWord’s small-group studies; 2.) creating multiple digital access points for transformative experiences in God’s Word; 3.) advocating and resourcing Holy Wow Bible engagement; 4.) planning new Bible studies, particularly on the subject of loss.
But we need help.
As we have revitalized InWord’s path, we’ve found the ground hard to plow. The message of Bible engagement is easily lost, but very vital, in today’s “always on” world of social media. Attention spans are tuned to 140 characters or less (mostly less). The Bible itself is under attack with fewer people than ever considering it authoritative or holy.
We need help to turn these obstacles into opportunities and we’d like to engage our network of friends, current study users, past study users, and future study users to mobilize a groundswell effort. To mark our 20 years, we are offering a list of 20 ways for people to help. You can choose one or 20. It’s hard to pick which area—finances, prayer, networking, content—that needs the most help. Obviously finances are the engine, but the other areas are what the engine drives.
Click here to view the online form “20 Ways to Help.”
On a personal note, I’m enjoying being dad to Reade (23 months) and Rachel (10 months), and husband to my wife Jessica, who, after a few months for a maternity break, is back to singing on the world’s best stages. Yes, within four years I went from single widow to a married father of two, with open-heart valve repair surgery added just for fun. Thankfully, the repair is showing to be successful and I am living as if there was never an issue, which is good when you have two under two!
Gratefully Looking Forward,
Barry Shafer
