Attracted by inspirational music, challenging speakers, fascinating seminars, and the excitement of each other’s company, over a thousand of our young men and women will converge October 24–25 for Youth Challenge 2002. Executive director of this burgeoning convention is Tim Dotson, a vigorous young Pennsylvania pastor and 1991 graduate of God’s Bible School and College. In this interview with Revivalist editor Larry D. Smith, Dotson explains Youth Challenge and its ministry. Tim, exactly what is Youth Challenge and the philosophy behind it? Youth Challenge is an organization which plans and hosts a youth convention each fall. We primarily target ages 16–25 and the issues which concern them. Our mission statement puts our operating philosophy like this: “The mission of Youth Challenge is to keep our holiness heritage alive by leading today’s youth into a personal relationship with Christ, challenging them to live a holy life, strengthening their beliefs in biblical principles and unifying them for effective Christian service.” Could you briefly sketch its history? How many conventions have you held? During my college years I began sensing the need for a convention focused on youth. I talked with a few people about the idea and in 1995 shared the vision with GBS’s newly-elected president Michael Avery, who offered to host it that fall at the school. I quickly approached a couple of talented guys, Dan Durkee and Dan Coy, and Youth Challenge was born in the spring of 1995. We held our first convention that fall at GBS and had an overwhelming response. For three years GBS hosted Youth Challenge. Then in 1998, because of our need for more space, we moved to Higher Ground Conference and Retreat Center, near Harrison, Indiana; and we’ve been there ever since. Last year we saw our attendance exceed 1400. This fall will be our eighth convention. Who really directs Youth Challenge? Our Executive Board is made up of seven members. As executive director I serve with Dan Coy, creativity director; Dan Durkee, convention director; Troy Keaton, financial director; John Manley, communications director; Jonathan Heath, promotions director; and Keith Waggoner, music director. Since the beginning, we’ve also had an advisory board for counsel, accountability, and credibility. Presently on that board are Michael Avery, Joy Budenseik, James Keaton, Sr., Mark Lemon, M.R. McCrary, Donald Myers, Jim Olsen, and Daniel Stetler. I greatly appreciate and respect all these individuals for their contribution to Youth Challenge. Please give us a brief description of what will be happening at Youth Challenge this October. I believe this is going to be a great event, for as always, we are expecting God to bless every detail. Numerous adults are joining forces as “Keepers of the Flame” to pray that God will meet us in an unmistakable way. We desire to see your youth impacted by the awesome presence of God in such a way that they will want nothing else! Our program theme is “Basic Training,” and we are going to explore some of the fundamentals of our Christian existence as holiness people. Speaking this year will be Troy Keaton, Michael Avery, Mark Potter, Dwight Rine, Marc Sankey, Jeff Keaton, Rachel England, Darrel and Regina Stetler and Daniel Stetler. Music will be provided by various Bible Youth Challenge Executive Board: Tim Dotson, executive director; Dan Coy, creativity director; Dan Durkee, convention director; Troy Keaton, financial director; John Manley, communications director; Jonathan Heath, promotions director; and Keith Waggoner, music director. colleges and by Phil and Kim Collingsworth, DC Praise, Janelle Manley, and Doran Ritchey. We’ll begin Thursday evening, October 24, with some recreation and a concert and move through Friday with an afternoon session, evening service, and afterglow. Saturday we have planned more exciting sessions which will be split into at least three groups in the morning. We’ll have a closing challenge that I believe is going to be very special. This year, people can also register online at our website. Tim, what gives you the most satisfaction about Youth Challenge? I believe it would be knowing that many youth have received definite spiritual help and direction during our conventions. I have had many young people tell me that major issues were settled at a YC session or service. It’s a beautiful scene to see hundreds of young people praising, worshiping, and seeking God. Some who have been impacted by YC are in full-time service today. Of course, some couples have even met at YC and ended up getting married. I guess that’s not at all bad, either! Are there areas which give you concern? My main concern is that we do not miss the opportunity to go to the next level. We are already maximizing the facility at Higher Ground in every way. We have checked into several other options, and we are prayerfully concerned for God’s direction at this point! There are also several other areas of youth ministry which we would like to see developed in publishing, training, evangelizing, etc. The tide is high, and we want to serve this present age well. Obviously, music is a high-profile issue—sometimes controversial. Could you explain the criteria you use to select music and music groups at Youth Challenge? Wow! You are right, music has a way of inciting and drawing out strong opinions. We have had criticism come our way from both sides. However, we have tried very hard to take a conservatively-balanced approach. I think the criteria we use center in our desire that any musician we use ministers with quality, effectiveness, anointing, and the ability to connect with young people. Are there critics of Youth Challenge? Frankly, how do you deal with the sensitive issues? I would not be honest if I said that there were no critics of Youth Challenge. One experienced minister once said, “If you are not receiving any criticism, you probably are not moving fast enough.” I believe that is very true, but it doesn’t give us a license to feed off of the criticism and set our agenda accordingly. Some youth ministries appear to thrive on going across the grain of the norm just to make a statement and to antagonize current standards. That is not our desire at all. I guess music has really been the most sensitive issue we have handled. We also have dealt with dating and purity topics, but they have been handled very well and appropriately by our guest speakers. We do try to be real and honest in our approach to every subject and issue. In some cases, that makes certain people uncomfortable. Personal preferences and convictions have sometimes mistakenly become a universal standard in some people’s minds, but we believe that there is safety in remaining anchored to the biblical principles that have endured through the ages. How would you assess the contribution Youth Challenge is making? I think this is difficult to measure accurately, since YC has existed only seven years. We set out to minister to the youth of our movement and provide a venue where they would realize that they are not by themselves but that there are other young people interested in living a careful, holy life. Year after year we receive feedback that young people have been greatly impacted by YC. Frankly, I have no desire to waste time on an effort that is not making a difference. I am convinced that we are enlarging the influence of the holiness message and encouraging young people to a deeper life. What are your plans for the future? Where would you like to be ten years down the road? Within the past year or so, we have revamped our infrastructure and added two new board members. We are still developing that system so that we can be more effective for the Kingdom. We plan to involve more people as volunteer staff. Of course, that’s what we all are. We also want to schedule strategic rallies around the country to encourage and promote the cause. We will definitely need to move to a larger location, and this may affect the system and format somewhat. I can see YC conventions larger than we ever thought possible in the beginning, simply because the Kingdom of God is worth our investment! There are also other dreams about our website, a youth devotional, quarterly magazine, church youth group resources—and on and on I could go. Our challenge is raising funds for these projects, but we have some ideas for this, as well! Tim, we thank you for taking time to share your passion for Youth Challenge with us. Do you have any last comments? Let me urge the Revivalist readers to encourage the young people in their sphere of influence to be all they can be for God. Compliment them when do something right. Within them lies great potential for God. For further information about Youth challenge, visit www.youthchallenge.net or call (717) 365-3589. Download the October Issue (1.5 MB) Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader FEATURED ARTICLES Keeping Our Holiness Heritage Alive interview of Tim Dotson by Larry Smith What's In It For Me? Michael R. Avery Behold The Lamb Larry D. Smith Holiness Churches—Remembering Who We Are Barry W. Hamilton