Happy Birthday Acquire the Fire!

Happy 20^th Birthday ATF!

Exactly 20 years ago this month, Ron Luce tapped me to architect the launch of ATF (Acquire the Fire) for Teen Mania.

Five seasons later, when ATF was at a pinnacle, I resigned. Ann and I had six children; I had 16 direct reports and I was traveling 3-4 days per week, 48 weeks per year. It was exhilarating, courageous and reckless!

What’s happened since the first ATF is incredible: 553 live ATF events reaching 2,424,499 teens with the message of living completely abandoned for Christ. (Source)

After resigning, I felt unfinished and really questioned whether I should have ever resigned.

Several months after leaving I remember the words prayed over me by a pastor I had never met, “Tim, the devil would try to make you think that you will never do anything greater than Teen Mania, but God is saying that Teen Mania was, mathematically speaking, addition, and you will soon see multiplication. Your greatest impact is ahead.”

From then until now, I’ve been searching. I’ve ventured into marketing, media, films, publishing, events, and mobilizing the masses for caused-based efforts. I was working with major television networks, Hollywood studios, and producers. I thought I was a big shot. The money, people, connections, swag, travel, perks, and freedom, were for the most part, pretty darn good. More importantly, I thought maybe media was the “multiplication” part coming into focus. It clearly wasn’t.

Alas, nine months ago, I met a guy named Seth Barnes from Adventures in Missions (AIM). As we spent time together, I sensed something “holy” going on right from the get go… forget any organizational vertigo, dysfunction, or chaos (those things can be course-corrected), what mattered most to me was Seth’s inexhaustible passion for mobilizing people to plant God’s kingdom around the world. In fact, as I write he and his wife are in Cambodia launching a team to minister in the sex trade.

All of that to say, if you’re looking for me you can find me in the AIM offices almost every week with Seth and 150+ other radicals courageously and actively doing God’s will, discipling people, and reaching the world.

I feel a sense of homecoming.

Thanks God.