After teaching TheWay, a CRI discipleship tool, at a weekend retreat, Doug Sprunt watched a group of bored teens grow excited to read scripture, hear God’s voice, and confess their sins.

A director of a large camp in Alberta was looking for someone to help train his cabin leaders, most of whom were between 14- and 17-years-old. The director invited Doug, a pastor in Perth, Ontario involved in CRI mentoring, to come and teach during staff training. Doug set out to take the Abide series, an eight-week TheWay module, and teach it to the staff in four days.

Standing at the front on day one, Doug scanned the group with a sinking heart. The teens were visibly bored and inattentive. A girl sat at the back, doodling on her arm. How is this old guy going to teach the entire Abide series to a group of kids, he wondered.

Learning to hear God through SMORP

Doug, knowing God had called him to be there, began the lessons. On the second day, he gave them 10 minutes to use a CRI discipleship tool called SMORP to meditate on Psalm 23. To his surprise, the teens came back with enthusiasm. Many of them told Doug the Lord had spoken to them for the first time.

As the weekend continued, so did the work of the Holy Spirit. After a session on forgiveness, the camp director felt prompted to invite the teens to pray and confess with each other as they felt led. Doug and the camp leaders watched as they openly shared, wept, laid prostrate on the floor, and worshipped together. 

“The Spirit of God had just melted them. I can't describe the absolute joy it was to be there," said Doug. "From that first morning to the last morning, it was night and day different.”

This experience was pivotal for Doug and the camp director. They discovered that tools like SMORP and TheWay are a powerful way to disciple the next generation.

February prayer request

Pray that God would continue to use CRI tools like TheWay and SMORP to help more pastors and church leaders raise up young believers. Ask God to use these young people to ignite renewal in their churches.