One of the most exciting stories last year was Dollar for a Drink — a campaign by 16-year-old Joshua Guthrie to raise $10,000 to build a well in Sudan. With a big response from rebelutionaries, youth groups, and young people around the country, Joshua met and exceeded his goal. Now the well that he (and you!) paid for is providing clean water for over 6,000 people in the Darfur region of Sudan.

This year Josh is back with an even bigger goal. Once again, he needs your help to achieve it. You’ll be tired of your $20 Christmas present in a matter of weeks or months. That same $20 would provide several African families with clean water for years. Please watch/read the following challenge carefully, take it seriously, and pray about what God would have you do. Don’t keep it to yourself, either. Pass it on.

A Challenge for This Holiday Season

With just over a month before Christmas, Josh has raised $10,343 — but needs $6,000 more to dig two wells and $14,000 more to dig three. And as we enter the holiday season, most people expect us to only care about stuffing our faces and getting the latest games and gadgets. They don’t expect us to care about the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, or the oppressed. Let’s join Josh and prove them wrong.

Anyone can give a dollar. Most of us can give more. To get us started, the Rebelution has decided to match your donations, up to a total of $1,000. Whatever you give, we’ll match it — doubling your contribution! $5 becomes $10. $25 becomes $50.

As you give or raise funds for Dollar for a Drink, leave a comment to encourage your fellow teens and let us know so we can match your donation. If you’d rather not comment, you can just shoot an email to brett [at] therebelution [dot] com.

Let’s see how fast we can raise $2,000 for the people of Sudan, not just to provide clean water, but also to share the gospel — the mission of Baptist Global Response. This holiday season (and beyond), we’ll show the world what really matters to teens.

+ DONATE / FACEBOOK / PROMOTE +

Send Checks To: Dollar for a Drink, P.O. Box 570, Medina, TN 38355

We love coming across stories of young people who are making a difference — at home, at school, in their local community, or on the other side of the globe.

This evening we came across a story in the Hernando Times (a publication of the Tampa Tribune) of a 14-year-old rebelutionary named Jordan Baker who — along with his friends — is making a difference in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Baker takes on Washington
By Jeff Schmucker

BROOKSVILLE - Whether it’s debating with members of U.S. Congress, inspiring youth to become involved or establishing call centers for candidates in the 2010 elections, Jordan Baker is ready to make a difference.

His main obstacle at 14 years old — he still needs his mother to drive him.

But Jordan, who for years has harbored an interest in history and debating, won’t let age keep him from speaking out… And if he could find his voice, why couldn’t others?

Jordan called to arms his fellow home schoolmates and this summer formed the Conservative Christian Teens of America, which includes himself, as president, and 29 others.

While many teens enjoyed the outdoors during their summer vacation, [the Baker] living room was filled with teenagers who were discussing government and national issues, crafting arguments and practicing their public speaking.

Read the whole article >>

This past Saturday, Jordan and his friends met for a public debate with a sitting member of the U.S. House of Representatives. The topic? The proposed Parental Rights Amendment to protect the rights of parents to raise their children.

At one point during his speech, Jordan made the following argument:

I know that you are not suggesting to me or my peers that we should not do “Hard Things”. Someone worked really hard at both creating and passing Amendments 13, 15, and 19 so that race and gender would have equal value and the right to vote. Do you not agree that those Amendments were worth fighting for, no matter how long the process took?

Politics is one area where most people don’t expect young people to be involved, but Jordan and his friends are turning those low expectations upside down.

What do you think about what Jordan and his friends are doing? Have you ever been involved in a political campaign to support a candidate or issue that you care about? If you have, what are some ways other teens can get involved?

+ Join the Conversation +

ESPN The Magazine’s latest cover story is about 17-year-old Zac Sunderland — a Christian and a rebelutionary. The title of the article? Do Hard Things.

The title was inspired by a shirt Zac wears as he makes his way around the world — and the phrase that has come to serve as a motto for his great adventure.

ESPN journalist, Chris Jones, explains the inspiration in this excerpt:

Zac has a brown T-shirt that reads “Do Hard Things,” and mile after mile, ocean after ocean, he pulled it over his head to remind himself why he was wending his way around the world at six knots.

While the article doesn’t make the connection between “Do Hard Things” and the book or the movement, Zac does — as he shared on his blog a few months ago.

Connection or not, Brett and I are excited to see “Do Hard Things” reach a national mainstream audience through the exploits of a true rebelutionary. Let’s show the world what it means to “do hard things” through and for Christ.

+ Read the Article + Visit Zac’s Blog +

There is a part of me that is dazzled by talent. At times certain artists, certain writers, certain athletes, or certain craftsmen can just take my breath away. This little girl had that affect on me, though I must admit to being heavily influenced by the cuteness factor. Still, it is impossible to deny that Emily Bear is impressive.

What impresses you? That was one of the questions my brother Josh asked attendees at the Next conference over Memorial Day weekend. I later found out that the question wasn’t planned — it wasn’t even in his notes. But he was speaking to us from Colossians, where Paul is joyfully proclaiming the preeminence of Christ. This is my attempt at expanding on that question and its implications. Please read the following passage of Scripture carefully. Think about what it says.

Colossians 1:15-19 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things were created through him and for him.

And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

When I watch Emily Bear play the piano, do I remember that she was created through Christ and for Christ? When my heart begins to admire an athlete’s talent, do I remind myself that in Him that athlete holds together? When I am confronted with the intellectual precision of a thinker, speaker, or communicator, do I use that as an opportunity to recall that Jesus is more accomplished, more masterful, more expert, more skillful, more excellent, more outstanding?

When I am impressed by anything on this planet, do I immediately turn and worship Jesus because in everything He is more impressive, more magnificent, more majestic, more imposing, more splendid, more spectacular, more grand, more awe-inspiring, more striking, more stunning, more breathtaking? Because that is what it means for Christ to be preeminent. That is what Paul is saying about Jesus.

What impresses you? And how do you take advantage of those moments to turn and worship your Savior? It is good to be impressed. We are wired to be blown-away by glory. But we only see pieces of glory in people — and they all point to the one who created all things, holds all things together, and is above and before everything.

Some questions for discussion:

• What’s something that impresses you? It can be anyone or anything.
• In light of Colossians 1:15-19, how does that person or thing demonstrate Christ’s preeminence? It may be obvious or it may require extended thought. There are few better ways to spend your time.

Caution: The BBC3 documentary “Deborah 13: Servant of God” includes Deborah’s introduction to the “real world” of dance clubs and college parties, so viewer discretion is encouraged.

Deborah Drapper is a true rebelutionary. At thirteen, the homeschooled Christian girl from Dorset, England, has an inspiring passion for God and for evangelism. After getting an email about her from Anna in Ireland, I had to blog about it.

Fascinated — or maybe frightened — by her “sheltered” life and Christian faith, BBC filmmakers spent over 100 hours with her last summer for a one-hour documentary that aired in the UK earlier this month. They didn’t find what they expected.

In a review in the Daily Telegraph, TV critic Benji Wilson writes:

Whatever version of the fish-out-of-water conceit the producers were hoping for, what they got was far more compelling. They got Deborah. Steely-eyed and still, she was sensational. When we first met her, the producer, Linda Brusasco, asked, “Do you have a TV, do you have a mobile, do you watch The X Factor, do you go to Topshop?” and she replied, “No, no, no… and no.”

Deborah then bit right back, asking the producer, “Would you consider yourself to be a good person? Have you ever told a lie, stolen anything, used God’s name in vain, coveted anything?” It was a “yep” to all. “So you’re a lying, thieving, coveting, blasphemer… Do you still think you’re a good person?”

Something to chew on there, and credit to Brusasco for including Deborah’s comeback. This film’s strength was that while it could have sneered at Deborah, instead it just observed her.

“I hope that it is a reflection of my life as I seek to be obedient to God’s Word, live my life under his direction, and share the truth with others,” she told Streetbrand Magazine, before the documentary aired. “And as others see how I live and share Christ, [I hope] they may be encouraged to live and share their Christian faith.”

Many people, even other Christians, might say that Deborah should “turn it down” a bit. But after watching the entire film, Brett and I agree with her older brother Matthew — the rest of us are the ones who need to “turn it up.”

We’re so proud of Deborah. Her faithfulness to “do hard things” and share the gospel — both privately and publicly, both alone and with her family — is the reason for the larger platform God has given her. She was never doing it to get attention. Instead, she did it because she truly loves God and believes the gospel.

Besides dealing with all the emails, criticism, and media requests that have come with the documentary (and besides school, chores, and working with her family), Deborah also has a terrific blog. Be sure to pay her a visit and let her know that you’re praying for her. And more than that, let’s all learn from her example.

+ www.DeborahDrapper.com +

Brett and I have received a lot of emails about this video (and rightly so). Despite being threatened with disqualification for her controversial topic, 12-year-old Lia chose to deliver this speech for competition at her public school in Toronto — and won! Now her eloquent defense of life has been viewed almost 400,000 times on YouTube — and even saved a baby’s life.

Read more about this rebelutionary here and here. Way to go, Lia!

Post header courtesy of Jaime Colman and Baptist Bible College.

In December, Brett and I were invited to attend a White House Office of Faith-Based Initiatives round table discussion of young social entrepreneurs. The Rebelution was well-represented. Zach Hunter (our host), Conner Cress, and Jack and Leeland Mooring were all panelists. But what was even more exciting was to hear the stories of other teens, like them, who God is using to bring hope to a hurting world.

“Walk Humbly with Your God”

One of the young people we met was 17-year-old Jaime Colman from Pennsylvania. In 2007 her church partnered with 410 Bridge, a missions organization that uses humanitarian projects to share the gospel and meet the needs of rural Kenyan communities. After the church decided to adopt the town of Karogoto, Jaime found about a pressing need for something that most of us take for granted: shoes.

Jaime figured that her family wasn’t the only one with shoes in the closet that they didn’t need or never wore. She called her project Walk Humbly, based off Micah 6:8, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

“God Could Make it Happen”

She set a goal to collect 150 pairs of shoes. Her plan was to kick off the drive with a “Barefoot Mile” at her high school’s track. People would come, donate shoes, and walk four laps around the track barefoot. Some adults were skeptical, questioning whether people would show up and doubting that Jaime could even get the shoes to Africa if they did — but it didn’t take God long to prove them wrong.

“There were definitely low expectations,” Jaime told us. “It was discouraging, but I knew God could make it happen. On a rainy Saturday, 50 people showed up at the track — with 1,164 pairs of shoes! By the time the drive was over, God had brought in over 4,200 pairs of shoes for the people of Karogoto.”

Now that she had the shoes, Jaime had to get them to Kenya. It wasn’t easy. “We had a really hard time figuring out how to transport the shoes,” she said. “We had a lot of companies say no before we finally found one who would help us.”

“A Great Miracle from God”

In June of last year, Jaime and 14 other members of her church traveled to Kenya to help distribute the shoes. At one of the locations, they ran out of women’s shoes. An 11-year-old on the team immediately took off her own shoes and gave them away. The whole team followed suit. They weren’t prepared for what happened next.

“When one of the Kenyan ladies noticed my bare feet, she offered me the shoes she had just received,” Jaime shared, tears in her eyes. “I was so humbled. I was giving out of sheer abundance but she was giving out of pure genuine sacrifice.”

Jaime shared another story — that of 90-year-old woman named Gladys, who stood in line with thousands of people to get a pair of shoes. “I had given up on putting on another shoe until I die,” she had told one of the 410 Bridge team members. “The last time I wore shoes was 5 years ago and my feet can attest to that. For someone to think of something like this for us is a great miracle from God.”

That’s the story of Jaime. Her simple idea was a great miracle from God. Ultimately, it’s His story — a God who still uses teens to “do hard things” for Him.

Pictures after the jump: (more…)

Kristi Burton, founder of Colorado for Equal Rights, was thirteen when she decided to spend her life defending the unborn. “It just came to me,” she told the Denver Post earlier this year. “I prayed about it and knew God was calling me to do it.”

Eight years later, Kristi is spearheading the Colorado Personhood Amendment — an effort she began at nineteen — to define a constitutionally protected person as “any human being from the moment of fertilization.”

In May, with the help of over 1,300 volunteer petitioners and 500 churches, Kristi turned in 131,245 voters’ signatures to the secretary of state — nearly twice the number required to get the amendment on this November’s ballot.

“She’s an incredible leader for her young age,” says Judie Brown of the American Life League. “It took one person to get the campaign started in Colorado.”

Brett and I were honored to meet Kristi at a gathering in Denver a few months ago. Her passion and determination were evident, but so was her love for God and for people — no matter how small. Kristi, we applaud you. We’re praying for you.

The Task is Far from Over…

Kristi’s organization was founded less than a year ago in her family’s living room, with a budget of $200. In the face of fierce opposition, it has accomplished what some would have said was an impossible task. But the work is far from over.

In the video at the top of the post, Kristi invites people to get involved in this historic effort. Brett and I would love to see rebelutionaries rise to the challenge.

Everyone can do something — I hope many of you will do something hard. Share the video. If you can give, give sacrificially. And be willing to give of your time.

Finally, pray. Pray that God would give Kristi and her colleagues wisdom and favor. Pray that He would raise up laborers — young and old — who would join Kristi in defense of all human life. Who knows? He just might pick you.

It was three years ago that John Tyler Hammons saw an article about 18-year-old Michael Sessions being elected mayor of Hillsdale, Michigan. “I remember [thinking] that’s something I’d like to do,” recalls Hammons, now 19. With the encouragement of friends and the support of his family, he decided to give it a shot.

It wasn’t easy. Hammons’ ran against a 70-year-old former three-term mayor of the city of 38,000. He was outspent nearly five to one. Even so, in Tuesday’s election Hammons won in landslide, taking 70 percent of the vote. He calls the win “the greatest, humbling and most awesome experience I’ve ever had.”

Normal Teen. Big Job. Enormous Brouhaha.

“Apart from this passion I have for government, I’m pretty normal,” says Hammons, in an interview with ABC News. “I’m probably super normal.” And this super normal teen is about to tackle a pretty big job.

Mayor of Muskogee, Oklahoma, is not a figurehead position. The mayor oversees a nine-member city council and supervises an annual city operating budget of $27.83 million. In return Hammons will receive an annual salary of $1 and office space.

Yet, as Hammons tries to hit the ground running as mayor, the limelight is growing. Besides numerous interview requests, he has received a proposal for a book deal, invitations to appear on national talk shows and three offers for a reality television program. It seems that teens doing hard things is so… so… unexpected.

“First and foremost, Muskogee is my one and only interest right now,” says Hammons from his office inside the city’s municipal building. As mayor, his first priority is to promote openness of government and keep citizens better informed of city operations. “I think that’s been a detriment to the trust of the citizens of Muskogee,” he said. “Once we have that trust, we can solve any other problem.”

Another Teen Mayor Offers His Advice

Michael Sessions, considered the youngest person ever elected mayor, was quick to offer Hammons some advice, urging him to “listen carefully” and “take notes” while he’s in office. “[Hammons] is going to be looked at as the outsider and the kid, in some respects, but he he’s got to take them on,” Sessions told ABCNews.com. “When [the council members] make stupid comments, he’s got to refute them.”

Hammon, thought conscious of his age, feels like it shouldn’t be a major factor. “The only thing I have going against me is that I’ve never [been mayor] before,” Hammons said. “But that’s true, even if you’re 50.”

From The Desk of Alex & Brett Harris

When Michael Sessions was elected there was a similar media frenzy. It’s hard to believe that was almost three years ago. At the time Alex and I wrote the following letter of encouragement to Michael. With a few edits we’d like to address the same encouragements to the new mayor of Muskogee.

Dear John Tyler,

The Rebelution is extremely excited for you for many reasons. But primarily because you are one more example of how our culture doesn’t quite know what to do with young people who take initiative and do hard things.

The media blitz that you’ve faced has granted us small glimpses into the mind of a passionate young man with a strong family and with 1 Timothy 4:12 on his campaign website. Knowing very little about you personally, we are encouraged by the character and competence you have demonstrated.

We applaud you Mr. Hammons, but we would also like to offer you the following counsel—two 19-year-olds to another:

• Don’t stop! Keeping “doing hard things” in public and, more importantly, in private. The true test of character is doing what’s right even when it costs you. Even when no one else sees.
• Remember that despite the blatant abdication of modern “celebrities” and leaders, you are a role model. Live like one.
• You posted this verse on your campaign website: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in faith and in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12) Think about what it means and how it applies to your new position.
• Remember that in our “Fast-Breaking News” society, you can be picked up and dropped again by the media in the twinkling of an eye. Don’t let it upset you. We are not called to be famous. We are called to be faithful.
• Fight pride constantly! We commend to you the short article, “How To Fight The Sin Of Pride Especially When You Are Praised,” by Pastor John Piper, as well as C.J. Mahaney’s book “Humility: True Greatness.”
• Realize that nothing would be a greater shame than for the highlighting of your competence to be the undoing of your character.
  In Christ Our King, Alex & Brett Harris

While it’s not uncommon for young people to run for public office, they aren’t often elected, particularly in cities larger than several thousand residents. Someone forgot to tell that to 19-year-old Chris Brown who was just elected (with 84% of the vote) to the city council of Bedford, Texas — population, 48,000.

“If you’re dedicated to something and you work hard, it doesn’t guarantee you anything,” says Chris, “but without it you don’t stand a chance.” That’s why this teenager attended every single city council meeting for a year. “I wanted to run for council last year, but I didn’t think I had the knowledge, and so I took the past year to make myself ready.” For Chris, doing hard things paid off.

Teen takes his seat on Bedford City Council
Marice Richter / The Dallas Morning News - Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Last week was especially busy for Chris Brown: He had to juggle the final days of a political campaign with final exams.

The Bedford teenager successfully completed both, winning a contested race for the Bedford City Council by an overwhelming margin and passing finals so that he could advance to his sophomore year at the University of North Texas.

Such a feat might be daunting to most 19-year-olds, but not for Mr. Brown, who contemplated running last year as a high school senior but decided to wait and fully prepare.

“Running for the council is something I thought about for a long time and really wanted to do,” the political science major said. “This wasn’t just a spur-of-the-moment quirk.”

To run for the council, Mr. Brown turned down offers from several colleges, including Baylor University, to stay close to home. Although he lived in a dorm on campus in Denton, he commuted constantly to regularly attend meetings of the council and other city boards and commissions, including the Charter Review Commission, on which he served.

Despite his determination and dedication, Mr. Brown still had to overcome a lot of skepticism because of his age.

After all, he hasn’t yet voted for president, held a full-time job or bought himself a beer. And he still lives in his childhood home with his mom, dad and 15-year-old sister, Katie.

Read the entire article »

Once you’ve read the rest of the article (make sure you watch the video too!) come back here and let us know what you think about Chris’s accomplishment. You can also check out all the rest of our Teens In The News coverage.

• Have you ever attended a city council meeting?
• Have you ever considered running for public office?
• Have you ever run for office at school or in another context? If so, tell your story and share what you’ve learned.