Get to know the A.P.E. Writers…Shawn Young

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[This is a series designed to bring you into the the unique APE stories of each writer on this blog. We hope each one of you can find a little of your APE story inside of one of us. Read the other stories]

Compelled By My Inner APE

When the Apostle Paul wrote,

“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” –1 Cor. 1:26-27

He must have been thinking of me.  I’ve never been a stellar student, (I take months to read books), and have often felt outclassed by my intellectual friends.  When it comes to charisma, I am about as magnetic as a wet walnut.  I love watching people who can light up a party the minute they walk in the room—they are marvelous in action.  I’m the opposite of them.  I think I actually suck light out of the room when I enter.  I’m a social “black hole”.

That is, until I meet someone who shares my fixation with the profound life and current genius of “God’s own fool”, Jesus.  That’s when a connection starts to happen, and a creative but very practical set of gears start whirring in my head, and before I know it, I’m actually influencing someone with a stream of ideas for extending the gospel to more people.  After 20 years in college ministry, a few hundred Kingdom leaders have experienced my “serious foolishness” and I’m honored to have played some part in their adventures.

I didn’t know it, but these were signs of my inner APE.

I’ve enjoyed getting to know Alan Hirsch, whose writing inspired us to stop neglecting the gifts Christ gave the church in the apostles, prophets and evangelists.  I am a prophet-teacher-evangelist (as far as I and my friends can tell).  Perhaps this helps explain why during my sabbatical, I took a drive up to a small college in the Northern part of California and came back a raving lunatic, telling everyone I know about the incredible open doors for ministry on that campus.

The apostle in me was curious enough to drive 250 miles to check it out; the prophet in me sensed that God was saying, “Come and help these students—I’ve opened the doors for you”, the evangelist in me tells the ongoing story (dozens of times), and the teacher in me mines the entire experience for valuable truths and lessons about our mission that can be passed on to others.

I was up there last week, helping a handful of students see the campus through God’s eyes, and I’ll probably go back again this week.  It’s insane, in a way, for me to pay so much attention and make so much noise about a remote little campus in the woods.

But the APE compels me.  I simply can’t believe it’s right for us to turn our backs on this place (again, the prophet in me).  So I feel I’m where I’m supposed to be…foolish though it may seem to the world.

So how about you? Where do you feel like you just can’t turn your back? Where are you compelled to go? Share with us in the comments!

[This is a series designed to bring you into the the unique APE stories of each writer on this blog. We hope each one of you can find a little of your APE story inside of one of us. Read the other stories]

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About Shawn Young

Shawn is the first National Director of Chapter Planting for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship USA, Shawn leads the organization's efforts to establish new campus ministries at colleges and universities.

4 comments

  1. Sorry but APE still misses the mark. I have heard a few other “animal” names such as “COW”, “CROW”, but they all still miss the mark. What about the Names of Jehovah? Love you guys with all my heart!! brother Dean p.s. where is the line to see Yeshua? (Jesus) There is always a line to see Santa. Christ; the anointing and the anointed one. Anointed to do what? Isaiah

  2. amen!! i can relate to so much of this post. i recently moved back to my hometown (Miami) after being away for 10 years and I’m trying to break in at one of the seven campuses of the local community college. it seems foolish and i know very few people want to be here. this is a hard city to live in and a even more challenging school to be at, but like you, i feel like i can’t turn my back on this place because i sense the deep love and desire Jesus has for this city and her campuses. thank you for sharing. i am encouraged and affirmed.

  3. We still want to be the ones drawing others unto The King Yeshua, but the Word says it is the Holy Spirit’s job. When will we finally decide to get the world systems and thinking out of us? Let the Word do the work, let love win, let praise and worship lead all the time, give thanks in all things and be the Christ; Christ in you the hope of His glory revealed to others. If we don’t see the works then we perform the works and that is where we compromise. To compromise is to walk beside the promise and not IN the promise. Keep up the faith. Pray the Word all the time and don’t do a thing until the Holy Spirit sends you out just as when the elders and others were praying and fasting when the Holy Spirit sent out Paul and Barnabas. Where are the greater works? only in dead men and women. I have been crucified with Christ it is no longer “I” who live….the first letter in the word idol is “I” just as the first commandment says there will be no “I’s” before me. Love you, keep up the faith until He comes again, brother Dean

  4. In our college campus ministries, where are the spiritual father’s? I know personally down here in San Diego that some of these campus organizations have kicked out the spiritual fathers. It is all about the numbers game, still, and the youth on campus, and what am I doing about it. Where is the Holy Spirit in “I”? Who set the first century church on fire? it was the spiritual fathers who kept the home fires burning and kept out compromise and false teachings. Pray for the fathers to come forth and don’t reject them this time!! The hand of Jehovah, yes that is His real name, is a 5 fold hand with the thumb being the Apostolic touching all the other 4 ministries, Where are the Apostles? Where are the true prophets? We have plenty of teachers, at least opinion makers who act as teachers, and evangelists and pastors but where is the government and the Word, the Apostles and the Prophets today? Repent and pray! The Holy Spirit is about to move mightily but will He find men and women on campuses with faith? It takes a FAMILY of faith, fathers, mothers, children grandchildren for the Holy Spirit to move. He is generational. I spent a whole year at the flag pole at SDSU from 12-2pm everyday waiting for young men and women to come and pray. Most of the Christian campus ministries knew that I was there but only 3 students came to seek out this time to pray. It was a time for spiritual counsel or just seeking The Father in the Word BUT the ministries were divided and there was no oneness at all! Everyone had his or her cult thing to do and call it “spiritual.” What is more spiritual than getting together in the Word and praying together? The power of the Crucified, Risen Christ is in us living a crucified life IN UNITY!! Beau, I implore you to draw in as many fathers as possible and honor them by using their wisdom and counsel. You say you want the greater works, then die to self. If the greater works are not present then you must not be dead yet.

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