In December 2005, Jeremy Wong attended the General Youth Conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He came back inspired, and talked about his experience in his Sabbath school class. The fire was lit, and it began to burn as he approached the church board with the idea that church youth could hold an evangelistic series. He was encouraged to pursue his idea.

Since Jeremy lacked experience coordinating an evangelistic series, he sought his mother’s help. She asked for my assistance, also, since my son, Tim Blake, had assembled what came to be known as "The Spartanburg Seven," a group of young Pathfinders who held two evangelistic series in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and continue to preach in area churches. The Spartanburg Seven inspired ShareHIM, a ministry of the Carolina Conference, which is now a great laymen’s movement in the Southern Union.

Tim was invited to speak to youth who wanted to be involved. After listening to his presentation, our pastor, Jerry Higgs, asked Tim to speak again to the congregation the next morning. "The Elijah Project" was born in the New Albany Seventh-day Adventist Church that Sabbath morning!

We met after church beginning in July 2006. We discussed the seriousness of the project, the dedication of our time to the project, and Jesus’ instructions to the disciples in Matthew 10. We particularly dwelt on verse 20: "For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you."

After much discussion and prayer, we narrowed it down to nine young people who were willing and able to dedicate the next four months of their life to the project. Jeremy Wong, Janelle Wong, Joe Russell, Joel Willett, Andy Haub, Marcos Giordana, Jaylon Porterfield, and Prentis Washington were speakers, and Paula Giordana was in charge of music.

Tim donated the materials and DVDs, and the youth selected the subjects to present. They practiced three to four nights a week during August and September. We discussed every possible scenario and how to handle whatever would happen. We knew Satan would try to stop us at every turn, and he did. However, we learned that He who is within us is much stronger than he who is in the world.

It was exciting to watch the young people practice. Their eyes lit up with excitement as they absorbed the truth and began to preach it from their heart—and not from a script.

As they preached each night of the series, the youth laid aside the script for their appeal and gave a tear-filled one from their heart. Each message was presented as though preaching to someone who was hearing it for the last time. Many came forward in response to their appeals.

We jumped with joy when a young mother was baptized who had attended regularly with her newly-baptized husband. She said she wanted to be a member of a church that had such truth that their youth wanted to preach it! Several more baptisms are scheduled.

I fear not for the future of the New Albany Church. I can see that it will be in the good hands of our youth!

Joyce Blake, New Albany Church communication secretary