Bruce Simms was a successful California investment advisor, a vice president in fact, with a great business career and a typical California lifestyle.

Then one fateful day in August 2006, after much prayerful consideration and with his wife Shani supporting him, Simms resigned his position and walked away from his life in investments.  His reason: God made him a better offer!

GOD MADE HIM A BETTER OFFER

Today, 30 year old Simms is “youth specialist” at In His Presence Church in Woodland Hills, California.

“I didn’t know the first thing about running a youth ministry,” said Simms.  “Then one day I received a letter from Jack Hayford inviting me to attend a BattleCry Pastors Conference with Ron Luce in San Diego.  I decided to go.”

At the conference, Simms heard speakers who presented information that rang true about today’s POP culture assault on this generation of teens. Simms bought Ron Luce’s books: BattleCry For a Generation, Revolution YM and the curriculums Double Vision and Rise Up.

Armed with his new found knowledge and an enthusiasm to make a real difference for the Kingdom, Simms returned home and promised God he would revamp his youth ministry. Using what he had learned at the conference, plus the books and curriculums, Simms implemented a plan and grew youth attendance by over 400% in only six months.

The story is a familiar one in American evangelical churches today.  In His Presence Church is a growing, upscale body of believers with over 1,300 in worship service each Sunday.

The church body has always loved their youth and given generously to the youth program. Youth had an indoor skating center, program stage and lighting equipment, a basketball gym, pizzas each week and other financial support.

SKATING CENTER, BASKETBALL AND PIZZA, BUT LITTLE ATTENDANCE GROWTH

Yet, attendance continued to stagnate at around 20-25 people each Wednesday night.  According to Simms, many teens were only there because their parents “encouraged” them to come.

Taking a cue from Luce’s Revolution YM book, Simms, who follows Luce's lead in the book Revolution YM, calls himself a “youth specialist” instead of a youth pastor. He did not get discouraged by the low numbers.  “I am a big believer in setting aggressive goals, organizing, engaging teens and parents, and using technology,” he added.

Simms' strategy was simple and straight from the book; first he hand-picked and nurtured a small group of six, faithful youth leaders. He gave them responsibility for growing the ministry and asked them to buy into his vision.

“These were the teens that normally brought their friends to youth group meetings.  Maybe they were there initially because their parents made them come, but they were there,” said Simms.  “These teens became my core leaders and I vested my ministry in them.”

THE STRATEGY: Set Goals, Select A Few GOOD Youth Leaders, WATCH GOD WORK

Simms set an initial “audacious goal” of taking 100 teens to the Acquire The Fire event in Los Angeles.  His core group was the first to accept the challenge.  “We implemented a weekly program with these six people and focused on excellence, being organized and providing structure.  We reached our goal.”

IF YOU'RE GOING TO SWING, SWING FOR THE FENCE

"One thing I always tell my kids is that if you're going to swing, swing for the fence.  Today, our youth ministry has shifted gears from a place for teens to hang out, to a place where the hurting can find healing, and the discouraged can find comfort.  One of the things that we live by is a quote right out of Ron’s book:  'We must give teens a vision that will capture their attention, their heart, and their energy-or the world will."

BattleCry salutes Bruce Simms for his commitment to a generation of youth.

If you have a story of encouragement, or one where God is working in your youth group, email it and photos to battlecry@teenmania.com .

MORE YOUTH GROUP PHOTOS OF In His Presence Church in Woodland Hills, California