More than a decade ago, I etched my name into a soft slab of freshly poured concrete at my grandparents’ home in Pea Ridge, Alabama. I saw that wet slab as an opportunity to make my mark on the piece of land that has passed down through my family for generations. Every time I visit, I walk over that same slab, permanently marked with my name.
What strikes me most is not that my name is still there, but rather how slim the window of opportunity was. If I had shown up only a few hours later, the surface would have hardened, and I would have missed the opportunity.
Humans are a lot like that concrete walk at my grandparents’ house. Early on, we are moldable and impressionable, ready to be shaped. As time passes, we begin to harden. Our patterns solidify, our comfort zones deepen, and the window for molding becomes harder to access, just like that concrete. This is why our early years are so important and why North American Ministries created our newest program, Frontier Student Missions.
Frontier Student Missions exists to engage students in church planting and ministry leadership, fanning into flame their gifts and callings and empowering them to blaze new trails across North America. Our goal is to help students see the need across North America, step outside their comfort zones, courageously respond to God’s call, and experience ministry firsthand. After participating in Frontier, students will return home changed, with a clear, intentional pathway to keep walking in their callings.
Experience Over Explanation
When it comes to calling, experience often outweighs explanation. This statement reminds me of my sister, who pursued nursing through high school and into college. She enjoyed studying anatomy and physiology, was intrigued by a nurse’s job description, and desired to make a difference by helping people. As a first step on her career path, she became a certified nursing assistant (CNA). After only a few days of working as a CNA, what once felt like a calling no longer seemed a good fit.
Many might describe this experience as disruptive; in reality, her experience clarified her calling. This is why Frontier values experience over explanation. We don’t merely tell students how the Lord is working in church plants across North America; we give them an opportunity to experience the transformative power of the gospel firsthand.
As students experience ministry in various contexts, they will also discover the gospel need across North America.
Courage over Comfort
It has been said necessity is the mother of invention. In much the same way, awareness of necessity is the mother of calling. How can we meet needs we do not know exist?
Just as a doctor must diagnose a patient before prescribing a remedy, Frontier aims to help students diagnose the spiritual needs around them, acknowledging the brokenness of the world as well as the hope of the gospel they carry.
The need is great.
Yes, we need church planters, but we also need pastors, leaders, and faithful believers willing to serve wherever God leads them. North America is filled with unreached communitites and unfilled pulpits. Ministry opportunities are outpacing the number of people fulfilling them.
Often, the places of greatest need are not the places of greatest comfort. If you do not believe me, name some states where you would not like to live, and then visit the Free Will Baptist church directory to see how many churches we have there.
Leaving your comfort zone does not always mean leaving your family to plant a church in a remote area or harsh climate. For some, it might mean stepping into an unfamiliar ministry role at your home church or simply choosing obedience when it interrupts your daily routine. I’m constantly reminded of the saying, “comfort zones are great, yet nothing ever grows there.” This is why Frontier values courage over comfort.
While we want to expose students to the needs across North America and encourage them to step out of their comfort zones, we do not want to simply tell them where their lives should go. We want to help them listen to God’s direction and equip them to take the next step wherever He leads. We want to walk with them as they live out faithful obedience.
Frontier is not a temporary spiritual peak students descend and leave when they return home. It is the trailhead of a lifelong path. The Christian life is not a sprint but a marathon.
We want to run alongside students long after their Frontier
trip ends.
Vision to Reality
In the summer of 2027, the Frontier Student Missions vision will become reality. The first trips will take place June 12-26, beginning with four days of training and team building before students are sent into hands-on ministry and service opportunities.
Teams will travel to church planting locations such as Hawaii, Montana, and California. Each of these locations offers unique cultures, challenges, and opportunities for students to experience spiritual and physical needs firsthand. Frontier is designed specifically for students in grades 9-12, and the cost ranges between $2,500 and $3,000, depending on the destination.
Frontier Student Missions is more than a trip. It is an invitation for students to courageously step out of their comfort zones, see the need, and discover firsthand how God may be shaping their calling, beginning a life-long journey of obedience to His leading.
If you are a student ready to take the next step or someone who believes in the next generation enough to send them out, now is the time!
Don’t wait until the concrete settles. Make your mark today and apply at frontierstudents.com/.
About the Writer: Kylah Walker is the newly-appointed student impact coordinator for Free Will Baptist North American Ministries. In this role, she manages the logistics of Frontier Student Missions and works to connect students with resources to grow their faith, live out their callings, and join the mission of North American Ministries to spread the gospel and reach the lost.
