Sorry... who?!

So... does anyone recognise the guy in the picture? Any takers... no? To be honest, I would not have known either until tonight. Tonight was the 50th Anniversary Celebration Service for the Campaigners movement in Northern Ireland. Campaigners is a uniformed youth organisation that had its beginnings in 1922 in the mainland UK and in 1957 it was introduced to Northern Ireland by Mr J. B McClelland (the man in the picture) as the first boy Campaigner clan.

To be honest I went tonight, basically, because I was asked. I had no idea of what was going to happen or of what to expect. This year is only my 2nd year of being involved with Campaigners so I knew very little of the history and had little to none (basically none!!) of a sentimental or an emotional attachment to it or memories of it in my own childhood. However, I think tonight may have changed that and the man in the picture has a big part to play in it for 2 reasons:

1. Vision
2. Humility and God-Centredness

VISION...

This man saw a need and had a passion to see it filled! A member of the Ulster Temple, Mr McClelland realised that young people that were attending his church for other youth events and clubs were going to other churches for the uniformed organisations and eventually staying there. That, and I'm sure other reasons, spurred him to seek a solution of beginning a uniformed organisation. In his search, Mr McClelland became impressed with the Campaigner movement because of its firmly evangelical foundation and its goal: "The Campaigner Movement is neither military nor political. It seeks by means of its various activities to develop a personal faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord and to bear witness to the need for Christian thoroughness in all the relationships of life; thus the Motto 'UNTO HIM' and the Password 'THROUGH AND THROUGH'" (from http://www.untohim.co.uk/history.htm). So... Campaigners in NI was underway in 1957.

Mr McClelland, however, did not stop there and rest when a Clan was established in his own church. Other churches saw a need in their own situation and became interested in Campaigners and as a result of that interest Campaigners began to spread. Mr McClelland continued to pioneer the work of Campaigners here and in 30 years introduced it to around 60 different churches...and the work still continues today.

I wonder if we could even begin to imagine the amount of young people whose lives have been radically transformed because this man saw a need, had a vision, trusted God and went after it?! Campaigners is not confined to the history books of Nothern Ireland's day of the "has-been", it is alive and kicking today, albeit in a different approach but with the same goal- to see young people won to the Lord.

HUMILITY AND GOD-CENTREDNESS

Listen to this!! Mr McClelland was at the service tonight and the new Regional director (Chief) made a presentation and awarded him with a certificate to mark his faithful service to the Movement. This man rose to accept his certificate and was met with ground-shaking clapping and a standing ovation (was actually quite moving!) He then got the microphone...now listen, here's the clincher...! Through tears, he said "Do not give me the glory! Give Him the glory! It's because of Him... To God be the glory great things He hath done" and he then proceeded to offer thanks to those who helped and gave themselves in doing what he called "his part" which was "simply doing what [he] felt the Lord would have [him] to do". In this man's mind it was all because of Jesus, and he is right but I was overwhelmed with the man's sense of humility as he genuinely acknowledged that it was of the Lord, from the Lord and for the Lord. He has left an impression...

WHAT IS THAT IMPRESSION?

Start to dream... seek the Lord for vision... when seeing a need consider what the Lord might have for us to do... be God-besotted, Christ-centred, God-honouring, Christ-exalting people...commit ourelves to working with young people and having a vision for their lives, a burden to see them saved and a perseverance that will never let go of them!! Quite a few thoughts I'm left to ponder. What about you?