God
uses Warrior Leadership Summit
to
touch hearts and change lives
On
Eagles' Wings ® SUMMER OF HOPE 2006
“SIMPLY
AWESOME” was a word an On Eagles’ Wings ®
(OEW) team member used to describe the 2006 Warrior Leadership
Summit and Summer of Hope.
From
the beginning of the 2006 Warrior Leadership Summit, one
could easily see that it was going to be a conference
where special things were going to happen. From the opening
of worship to the closing of the last service, Native
young people from sixty-two nations were moved to tears
and brought to repentance by God's spirit moving in peoples'
hearts. Close to 140 Native and First Nations young people
made a first time commitment to Jesus Christ. Native and
First Nations young people flooded to the front as Ron
Hutchcraft asked people to come forward and respond to
an invitation to follow Christ. The theme of this year's
conference was the “great hope invasion”.
Many came to the conference lacking or having no hope
and leaving the conference with a heart that was filled
with hope. When asked about the 2006 Warrior Leadership
Summit, people used phrases such as “life-changing”,
“it's really cool and awesome”, and “it's
the most amazing thing,” and made commitments to
go back to their communities and live for Christ.
The
2006 Warrior Leadership was truly an historical event.
This was the first year where Warrior Leadership Summit
offered an “Elders Council” where Native American
and First Nations elders from around North America shared
about their lives and faithfulness to God for many years.
People choked back tears and were deeply moved as they
learned about the lives of these great faith warriors.
It
was also a year to see unprecedented numbers of Native
and First Nations young people rise to new levels of leadership
in Warrior Leadership Summit. With there being over 500
young people at the conference, there were new leaders
that needed to be involved, and OEW team members rose
to the challenge! OEW team members led recreation events,
helped with registration, led battle councils (seminars),
shared during main sessions, and even commented that Warrior
Leadership Summit 2006 was the “best yet”
as their leadership role increased.
OEW
team members have burdened and broken hearts
If
there was a phrase that would accurately describe the
2006 On Eagles' Wings team members, it would be “burdened
and broken for their people.” On Eagles' Wings team
member after team member repeated shared how their hearts
were burdened and broken for their people. One On Eagles'
Wings team member who had never been on her reservation
before, stepped off the On Eagles' Wings bus and onto
her reservation land for the first time and instantly
broke down and began to weep. She said she “knew
that God was calling her into some type of full-time ministry
with her people”. Other team members were burdened
and broken when local young people said “I'm not
ready for Jesus” or that “Jesus was not for
them”. One team member commented that if Native
pride was about rejecting Christ, she wanted nothing to
do with Native pride and was broken for her people.
But
God did something more than place a burden in On Eagles'
Wings team members hearts for their people. He also touched
their hearts to give up everything that was holding them
back from following Him wholeheartedly. In one of the
more moving moments of the entire summer, On Eagles' Wings
Native warriors came forward at a closing retreat campfire
and placed items in the campfire as a symbol they were
surrendering everything to follow Christ. One after another
came to the fire and surrendered and were embraced by
other On Eagles' Wings team members as an indication of
unity, strength, and love.
OEW
team members speak boldly during Summer of Hope
The
2006 Summer of Hope involved new warriors rising to the
challenge and boldly speaking for Christ among Native
people across North America . About 60 Native American
and First Nations young people comprised two teams that
traveled to reservations throughout the central and eastern
United States, and also across the border to First Nations
reserves in a couple of Canadian provinces. The On Eagles'
Wings teams were able to travel to sixteen tribal communities
and minister to literally thousand of young people in
these communities. The team was comprised of young warriors
from Alaska , Canada , and around the United States .
While they shared stories that were all different and
unique they all had one aspect of the story that was similar.
It was that Jesus Christ loved them enough to come into
their lives and radically transform them. Each night a
young warrior would take the microphone and boldly speak
about their love and commitment to follow Jesus Christ
because of what He did for them on the cross. It didn't
matter if a warrior was on the team for the first time
or it was a veteran On Eagles' Wings Warrior, each team
member spoke boldly about how Jesus had rescued them and
given them hope through a relationship with Him.
While
Warrior Leadership Summit was an historic event, the Summer
of Hope was no different. It was the first time that On
Eagles' Wings had a team in Canada . On Eagles' Wings
team members reported how they “left their hearts”
in these Canadian communities and knew they would never
be the same. One local Canadian ministry leader reported
how God used On Eagles' Wings to have a “life-changing
impact on her community”.
OEW
experiences summer of great spiritual harvest
God
used the On Eagles' Wings team members to once again see
an amazing spiritual harvest. Over 1,000 Native American
and First Nations young people made a commitment to Jesus
Christ during the 2006 Summer of Hope. Young people left
Warrior Leadership Summit and the Summer of Hope with
a renewed love for Jesus, and a determination to make
a spiritual impact in their world and communities.
At
the end of the Summer of Hope outreaches, warrior after
warrior celebrated how God used them to touch the lives
of other hurting people. Tears of joy flowed as team members
rejoiced that God was able to do more than they could
ever ask by the power of the Holy Spirit that was at work
in them and through them.
The
2006 Warrior Leadership Summit and Summer of Hope outreach
are now past, but follow-up continues among those who
now know Jesus. Plus, year-round, On Eagles' Wings continues
to disciple team members, help equip Native and First
Nations young people for future ministry and Christ-honoring
lives, and send discipleship materials regularly to those
who have come to Christ over the years. Now, hundreds
of young people are already anxiously awaiting Warrior
Leadership Summit and Summer of Hope 2007. Warrior Leadership
Summit will be located in Missouri , plus the On Eagles'
Wings leadership is working on securing Summer of Hope
outreach locations for 2007.
If
you would like more information, contact Craig Smith or
Ryan O'Leary at www.oewonline.com
, or call 1-888-ALIVE, or write On Eagles' Wings,
P.O. Box 400 , Harrison AR. 72602.
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