The 9 Month Mission Trip (with Travis Deans)

Jesse:
It's the first episode of 2023 and we are off to a great start. Doug and Brad chat with Travis Deans, the Northeast Regional Coordinator of the National Network of Youth Ministries and founder of Nine-Month Mission Trip. After Doug and Brad become deeply enamored with Travis's 80s memorabilia, Travis and the bros talk about Travis's story, the nine-month mission trip, now you can help a young person in your life live for Christ right where they are.

Some of the links mentioned in today's podcast are listed in the description. Ready? Let's go, Matt!

Brad:
Alright everyone, happy new year and welcome back to Go Mad with Doug and Brad.

Doug:
Oh, new podcast episode, New Year. This is exciting. We are so glad you're listening. Thanks for being with us Brad, how was your holiday?

Brad:
You know, uh, it was really good and uh exhausting and uh with I loved it.

Doug:
With kids, s for forget Santa bringing toys. Have 'em come vacuum after the the the living room is a You cannot vacuum safely.

Brad:
It will pick up all of the new Legos.

Doug:
So that is not you can't do that. Jesse, how about you? Man, did you have a good holiday there?

Jesse:
I did. It was very chill and we actually went out to eat on Christmas Day.

Doug:
You went out to eat on Christmas Day? Where'd you go? Christmas story. Remember Christmas story?

Jesse:
They have to go to a Chinese restaurant.

Doug:
Did you have to go to a Chinese restaurant?

Jesse:
I mean that was kind of our story, except it was great. And I have no regrets at all.

Doug:
Nice. That is awesome. Jesse says words like chill, which um reminds me that I'm fifty-one.

I'm not quite in a Jesse's uh what third Something. I'm still in my forties. That younger generation.

And how's this for a segue? Speaking of younger generations, I am very excited about our guest today because He's going to talk a little bit about what it means to reach the younger generation. Now you might be going, oh, I'm listening to this.

My kids are already out of school. Or Maybe they're already in high school. I'm not going to school.

Is this for me? Well, it is because wait to hear what Travis has to say. It is because you're going to hear ways, practical ways that you yourself can reach young people and how you can encourage young people to be rescuers, ambassadors for Christ, that's what This podcast is always about Brad.

You remember your high school years, I'm assuming uh one of them.

Brad:
I uh it's been a while. Uh I think I remember the senior year because it gets further away. And I I will say that I See these things pop up.

There's reminders about reunions. And I'm just like, it can't be that long. They just, I, what was it?

30. I think we just passed 30. And I'm like Wow, but I will say I do remember those high school years what I uh one of the reasons we're excited to talk to uh Travis Deans today, and we'll get to him in just a second, welcome him in, but is because of really what we learned growing up.

But for those who have heard the podcast before, you know that Go Mad stands for make a difference. And our dad would yell that out the door to us all the time. They thought he was crazy.

Go bad. Neighbors confused. But But it was Gomez.

He especially said make a difference in public school where we were going. That's it. And so that is what we're going to be talking about today.

And do you remember High school years and and before but I don't I when I bring them up to my kids, they they just are like, What?

Doug:
Who were your heroes? I was like, Yeah, my one of my heroes in high school was was a guy with the big mohawk and lots of lot gold chains. His name was Mr. T.

Brad:
I thought you were talking B about BJ Thomas, but no that was different. He went to that Mohawk yeah I'm pretty sure but

Doug:
Uh yeah, look, you don't have to look around very long to see uh that this younger generation is desperate for Jesus. There are all those statistics out there um, the Gallup ones, the Barna ones that show you, man, we are living with young people that s need Jesus so badly, and if you believe the polls and I do, just look around, fewer and fewer of them know Jesus, fewer and fewer of them even believe in God, fewer and fewer of them care at all. about the word of God and uh we're with uh uh great guy today wants to do something about that

Brad:
Yeah, I'm only I I love when I can find a good bio online. So Travis, we're gonna bring in here but I you know the bio is always great because Uh there's more than I can get to, which is awesome. I mean, you're from Pittsburgh, and uh we'll forgive you for that.

Uh we're we're Jersey boys uh in our history here, graduate of Moody Bible Institute, you've been in full-time youth ministry Since ninety-six, which is interesting because that's when I went into full-time ministry. So that's kind of cool on the same track that I was actually over at Wheaton College, probably while you were at Moody Bible Institute. That's right.

So Yeah. And I you mentor youth workers, you equip students to share their faith, you organize youth ministry conferences, and you're the founder of something that's called Nine Month Mission Trip. And we're going to get to that in a minute.

But we want to get people a a chance to get to know you on a on a real deep, deep level. And so I've got a couple questions to throw you away. I've got something much deeper.

So Travis, welcome to the show, first of all.

Travis:
Thank you so much. It's great to be here with you guys.

Brad:
Now, I gotta ask you, first question. What'd you want to be when you were a kid growing up?

Travis:
Well, believe it or not, I I was entertaining the idea of astrophysics. I wanted this I was I was a Star Trek kid. You know, I love Star Trek So anything that had to do with going into space, um, I was thinking about it.

Doug:
There's that natural connection between astrophysics and becoming a youth worker. Just the natural progression.

Travis:
Turns out I wasn't smart enough to be an astrophysicist, so Oh no

Brad:
I don't I'm gonna be honest, I don't even know what that word means. You know, I w I was actually a little surprised though, Travis, because if I remember right from my, you know, connecting with you a little bit and uh just hearing uh uh hearing some of your background, you were you grew up On uh on a farm, didn't you? Or or is that right?

Travis:
I yes, I did grow up on a farm and but I was actually born in New Jersey, so I'm uh I'm I'm one of you guys originally. Okay.

Doug:
You grew up on a farm. I need I need to ask a a question here. I've wondered about this for a long time.

You grew up on a farm How true is that thank God I'm a country boy song from John Denver? Is it is it really I mean is that is life on a farm really like that? Or should we maybe we should just talk about that later and get into Why were we here?

Travis is like, uh what am I doing here again?

Travis:
I You can take the boy out of the country, but you cannot take the country out of the boy.

Doug:
Oh, I love that. He just wrote a country song. You did on our show. Someone did three chords in here. I love that.

Brad:
I I have to tell you, Travis, that Doug, I don't know if you have been distracted yet, but we, you know, this is an audio podcast, but we do we connect by video with our guest. And I'm just distracted by what's behind you because I see Transformed. I see Night Rider.

Oh while you're right. I see Optimus Prime, which I've got on my bookshelf. behind me at home.

Wait a minute. From New Jersey, I mean, I just need to hang out with Travis at the moment.

Doug:
Same year starting starting full-time ministry, Transformers Travis, are you into like the the eighties toys thing? Come on.

Travis:
Yeah, this is this is my tribute to Generation X And we have we have a chip on our shoulder about that 'cause everyone forgets about us. It's like we don't even exist. So we I we all are a little bit have a little bit of anger issues about uh, you know Being the the generation that no one talks about, even though we're running everything now.

Brad:
Generation time forgot. There we go.

Travis:
That's right. So this is my tribute to the 80s. Oh, I love that.

Doug:
I love that. Um Brad's whole life is a tribute to the eighties. All right, mine is I am glad you cut uh the mullet off over the Christmas bird.

For now. So listen, uh this this nine month mission trip, what a great way to describe students reaching students. I love that that name.

Um Travis, so we've got people listening that are going, you know what? I do care about young people. I look around.

I know how badly they need Jesus. Maybe it's your own kids, maybe it's your grandkids, maybe it's the neighbors' kids. Um, or you just see it in the news on TV and you go, I just wish there was something I could do about it.

Um, so I encourage you if you're listening to Travis today talk about this ministry, you're gonna hear things that you can do too. as you listen to Travis's heart. So that's why, Travis, I wanted to start with ask you, how did you even get into youth ministry.

What what made you go? I mean it was astrophysicist and and at some point you go because it's not easy work. It's not easy work.

Brad and I have been in full-time youth ministry before. If you're looking for uh a job to do where you are always getting like thanks and kudos from the people you work with. That's generally not what you're gonna always get from teenagers.

Um but it is it's a calling and it is an awesome thing when a a y young person gives their life to Jesus and just see how on fire they become.

Travis:
So what started it all for you, Travis? Well, as a high school student, um, I used to listen to a radio broadcast that had a I'm I'm uh I'm telling you guys the truth here. This radio broadcast had a huge impact on my life Uh it's called Saturday Night Live with Ron Hutchcraft. You ever heard of him? Wait a minute.

Brad:
I've heard of that name. I just saw him over Christmas.

Doug:
I'm almost positive. But Walmart.

Travis:
No, but wait, it was in our house.

Brad:
That's really cool.

Travis:
I listened to that every Saturday night and that I mean growing up on a farm, uh, he was like my youth pastor in some ways, you know, because I didn't um Uh my church didn't have a big youth group. We had a we had a a teen Bible study, you know, but um but that that did have a great impact on my on my life, on my walk with Christ. Um When I was a sophomore, um, I got involved in a ministry called Teens for Christ, which is a parachurch ministry in our area, which I'm still part of now.

And It was during my freshman year of high school, I was uh in I was in homeschool that year because our teachers went on strike. And uh the teachers at my school uh it was I I graduated with thirty-three people in my class. Um it was a public it was a public school, but it was it was small, yeah Turkey Foot Valley Area High School.

It's a real place. Turkey Foot. Turkey Foot.

Doug:
You're making up places now. Why wasn't that Turkey Feet?

Travis:
So my freshman year of high school I was reading missionary biographies. You know, William Carey, Hudson Taylor, uh Amy Carmichael, and um sometime during my freshman year I sensed God calling me to be a missionary to my high school. Um and so My my dad encouraged me to start a a a prayer group at school.

Um I my Teens for Christ leader encouraged me to start a Bible club at the high school. And um I just I went back my sophomore year. I went back to back to Turkey Foot, which I think that would make a great movie someday, you know, back.

To turkey fit.

Brad:
I'll watch it.

Travis:
Um But I went back um with this just knowing that God was calling me to be a missionary to my high school. And so um we started a Bible club, started a prayer group Um are even though Bible clubs were legally allowed by the Equal Access Act, you know, Congress had passed a law allowing clubs like that. Um, our principal was not a fan of having a bible club in the high school.

And so he he was like, you know what Instead of Bible Club, we're gonna call this um you know, you you guys want to help students not do drugs and and not drink, stuff like that, right? Well I I guess that's part of it. So he said instead of Bible Club, we're gonna call this the drug and alcohol club.

Doug:
Wait a minute. That sounds much worse than the the Bible club. Not even the anti-drug and alcohol.

Brad:
That's not false advertising at all. There couldn't have been any confusion.

Travis:
It was amazing how many students showed up. Well guess who shows up to the first meeting of the drug and alcohol card? Oh my goodness.

Doug:
This is amazing. So so you were called as uh you were a freshman in high school And God was already talking to you about reaching students.

Travis:
Yeah. And uh, you know, it was it was I just knew. I just knew that God had put that on my heart.

Um began praying for friends, sharing the gospel with friends, um, and uh giving out New Testaments, giving out Bibles, and uh we you know our Bible club did a lot of different things to share the gospel. So when I when I graduated, uh I went to Moody, as you know, and uh majored in youth ministry. Um it just it seemed like a natural, I think that's what God is is calling me to do and But when I graduated from Moody, I I wasn't sure what to do next.

And so I came back to Pennsylvania, uh, started working with Teens for Christ full-time. That was in '96. And at that time there was um some our ministry was going through some changes and so there was kind of a a blank slate in terms of what we did as a ministry and so one of the first things we started doing was when I got back was helping students launch campus ministries in their high schools.

Um and so we would have a conference each summer uh to train students how to do that and we would You know, go to their club meetings and and help them plan ways to reach out and share their faith. And so eventually, and I don't know I don't know what year this occurred, but we started using that phrase, nine-month mission trip. uh to encourage students that listen you're going back to school, it's a new school year, make it a nine month mission trip.

Um I love it. I had I had been on a mission trip in college to Nigeria And uh, you know, missions was was uh something I loved and was passionate about and it just made sense, you know that um God wants to send you to the place to this place where it's full of people who need to hear about Jesus.

Brad:
Well, Travis, I love how you put that because The reality is that there's a lot of people who feel you've got to go somewhere, you've got to get out of the country or whatever to do a missions trip. And the reality is, as you look at The stats that are out there, we know that if someone is going to choose Jesus, 94% of people who make that choice Do it by the time they are eighteen. Wow.

So if that's a Barna. The reality is they just are likely going to live and die without Jesus. So to have.

Doug:
the church is putting ninety-four percent of their um budgets towards reaching young people I wasn't supposed to laugh there was I wow that i yeah but I mean actually that's the reality is that where you're that is where

Brad:
The resources should be pouring into and so Travis, we know that that's not really how it goes, but You are doing something that is awesome. It it very much is our heart too, uh, as far as making sure you are empowering the younger generation. to reach their own people that are all around them. So talk to us a little bit more about nine-month mission trip. How do you go about this with these young people and and what are some of the tools you have for them that help them engage the people around them?

Travis:
Yeah, sure. Well let me start with a scripture that really applies to s students and adults. Um and I share this because, you know, when when I talk to youth pastors, I try to give them you know, a scriptural basis for this nine-month mission trip idea because uh, you know, if we we don't we don't want to add something new to an already full plate, what we want to do is say, listen, this is part of Jesus' plan for every disciple.

Every disciple is supposed to be doing ministry. If you are a follower of Jesus, you're supposed to be doing ministry, and that includes students, young people, adults, all of us. And so in Luke chapter 10, you know, Jesus Sends out his disciples on this short-term mission trip.

He sends them out two by two. And they they go and they they proclaim the kingdom, they heal the sick, they do all these things, and they come back with these incredible stories of how God used them. And I often say to youth pastors, And this would go for parents, this would go for grandparents.

You know, what if you could send your students somewhere, you you pray for them, you send them out equipped. And then they come back with amazing stories of how God used them. Wouldn't that be a great part of their discipleship process?

Wouldn't that help? their walk with Christ so much. And of course it would.

And the the best, you know, that they already have this great place to go and do that, which is their schools. You know, they spend five days a week there. They spend eight hours a day there.

If they're play a sport Yeah, right. Yeah, if they play a sport or in in a musical or something like that, it's more. Um so they're already in this environment full of people who need to hear about Jesus, full of opportunities to do ministry.

And so for us as adults, it's just a matter of equipping and sending them and asking them to share and celebrate what God did as they went out. And so, you know, we we try to just listen, this is not something new or on top of what you're, you know, that you need to add to what you're doing. This is part of what being a disciple means.

It means going out every day, going out of your house, going out from your church, whatever it is, going out into the world. And and telling people about Jesus.

Brad:
Well, and I love that because the when you look at Jesus' model of ministry, we talk about it in the ministry we do. with Native American young people and other young people and even adults that are uh trying to make a difference is Jesus' model of ministry as you just pointed out was pretty simple. It was learn it, do it, talk about it.

And what he wanted to do when he sent the disciples out, it wasn't like, okay, go see you later. It was go, here's your mission. Come back.

Now go do it. Now come back and let's talk about it. And I like what you said in there as far as kind of the the model here that for anyone Young people or wherever you're at in your job and life or serving in a church or whatever.

Yep. Learn what you're so what Jesus wants you to do then do it. That's a huge part of it.

But don't just keep it to yourself. Talk about it. Unpack it with people because that's how we learn how to take it even to the next level.

Doug:
I don't know if anyone listening has ever seen what happens to a church or a body of believers when the young people in that church start to get really passionate about Jesus. And you think of that scripture. We all know that in 1 Timothy 4.

12, you know, don't let anyone look down on you because you're young. But the second part of that set an example for the believers in speech, conduct, love, in faith, and in purity. And I mean, this is what it's all about with being an ambassador.

My dad always says your situation is your assignment wherever God has placed you, that is your mission field. Um that's why we love this ministry so much, nine-month mission field. My school is my mission field.

I see that. I saw that on your website, that great uh some great blogs that you've written. Um so uh Travis We really want to make sure people go and fur before we forget, tell us where people can find your ministry.

Brad:
Yeah, because you've got a few locations people can connect between app and everything else. Tell us how people can connect with you.

Travis:
Sure, yeah. Okay, so first our website is nine monthmission trip. com.

Brad:
That's a number nine. For those who don't know, number nine, not spelled out nine. So it's just nine-month mission trip.

Travis:
com. Yep. And we're we're working on uh redoing that website.

So uh there should be a new site uh hopefully by the end of this school year. Um but so that nine month nine month mission trip. com.

Then we have uh new tool we that we developed because Most students uh don't go to websites anymore. That's that's yeah. Um if it's not on your phone, it doesn't exist.

And so Over the summer we launched a nine-month mission trip mobile app.

Doug:
Good.

Travis:
And we have some training tools on there. You know, we encourage students to listen. A nine-month mission trip is as simple as praying for your school Caring about people and sharing the gospel with them.

You know, prayer, care, share. It's it's really that simple. And we have some folks that that provide a little bit of training uh on those three areas on the app.

But the the cool thing about the app is We have uh stories on there of students who are doing this, students who are living this out, uh, you know, part of different ministries all over the country. But um I just got a new one yesterday from a a high school senior in Kentucky that I'm getting ready to post and it's just incredible to hear a student share why they want to make a difference in their school and how God is using them. Um so the app is a big part and then um and then we also on you know we're on Instagram and Facebook and and TikTok so there's you know all those social media uh locations as well.

Just if you just look up nine month mission trip you'll find us on those things too.

Doug:
Okay, perfect. You know, if you are listening to this and you have young people in your house or you have it you know a family with young people or there's a youth group in your church, whatever We hope that you will introduce them to this nine-month mission trip something a la something along those lines to make sure that you are supporting young people becoming rescuers uh for their own tribe as it were.

Brad:
I think what I really like uh when I look at the app, I I did check that out and it really goes to that that it's not just about hey Form this group, do this at school, but it's about it's stories that encourage them, ideas to inspire them about.

Doug:
Practical ideas, huh? This is a really good app. I mean, even if you Even if you can encourage the young people you know to check this app out and give it a shot.

Brad:
Now I've got to tell you, uh Travis, the what I like what I like about what you're saying here Is again very much along with our heartbeat that you can make a difference if you use your story to tell people About God's story. And you start by hearing their story. Hey, listen to people.

Check out what they're saying and go from there and then share your story with them and get to the most important story there is, which is what Jesus has done for you. Now here's the other question I've got for you. There are talk to the parents and grandparents that might be listening uh right now because I know one of the things that you've said is you want students to know they are not alone in standing for Jesus.

Um When we look at that, we need parents and grandparents in on that. A parent or grandparent might be listening to this and say, Oh, I'm gonna go tell my student to do this. I'm gonna go tell them to do the nine-month mission trip.

What are some practical ways you would say for a an adult to connect with a young person in their life to introduce this idea to them to try to help? Pave the way to it so that it's not just about a parent's idea or an adult's idea, but where it really kind of shows the students what is possible for them.

Travis:
Yeah, sure. Um Well, I just wanna I want to encourage parents. First of all, I am a parent.

I have four children. So I'm I am in the boat with you. My children are I have a daughter and my oldest is in middle school.

And so I'm in the boat with you. Uh one of the reasons why I want to encourage parents and grandparents to challenge your students to make a difference is number one, that's what my dad did for me. My dad, I remember distinctly the morning that my dad said, son, I think God is calling you to to do something.

I I think you need to do it today. Like if you wait, you're not gonna do it. Do it today.

And I did. Um his direct encouragement to me was it launched a whole lifelong uh ministry journey. And uh so don't wanna under you know never parents never underplay the importance of what you uh of how God can use you in your child's life.

Secondly, I would say and this is this is the reason we do this on our on our app. One of the most encouraging things that I have found to help students uh realize that their school can be a mission field that they can make a difference are stories of other students who are doing that. Um that's that that is honestly the biggest thing that I have found to be helpful when I speak at youth groups, when I speak at Bible clubs, I've done this for 25 years.

I share stories when I hear what one student or one group of student is doing or does, I go places and I talk about that because it opens up their imagination because for most Christian students, you know, church and school are two different worlds that do not connect. And so when they hear another student their age who looks like them, who sounds like them, Talking about hey, this is how I'm making a difference for Christ in my school, that is powerful. Um and so that's that's why we put the stories on our app.

I would just want to say one more thing to pay about for parents is that Here's why this is important for your students to grab hold of right now. If they can serve Christ in their high school, they'll be able to serve him anywhere. Right?

Wow. Yeah, if they can see their high school as a mission field, then wherever they go, college, business, the military, work, wherever they go and the rest of their lives, they'll be well prepared to serve Christ because they're they will have already faced the hardest test that they'll ever face.

Doug:
Amen. What an what an incredible thought. You know, I mean the fact that we we all know the things you do when you're young Whether it's positive or negative th people uh things people say to you, your parents, those things stick with you.

And that is a great point, Travis, that that if they are being a missionary in their school, then they will be on their sports team. They will be in their college. They will be uh in their workplace and in their own families.

Travis Deans, man, God God bless you, brother. You are doing really God's work here. And uh we've been there, we've done this, we know it can be hard work.

Thank you for your perseverance. Thank you for your example and your amazing heart to reach young people so they can reach their generation for Jesus.

Travis:
Thank you, guys. I appreciate it. It's great to be with you today.

Brad:
Absolutely. And so from all of us, all of you listening out there, until next time, go mad