“David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father's household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.” 1 Samuel 22:1-2

In June 2000 in a small town in Ohio, I was handed a high school diploma at Licking Valley High School. I was part of the first class of students to graduate in the 21st century. Surrounded by friends and family, I can still remember the excitement, mixed with uncertainty that I felt about the future. During the summer, my friends and I celebrated. In the fall, I would be a student at the University of Cincinnati. The first of Generation Y to head to college!

My generation is unique. We are the first generation to fully appreciate the effects of the “Digital Revolution.” We’ve always had cable. By the mid-90’s, we all had cell phones. We have been playing gaming systems (from Nintendo to Xbox 360) for as long as we can remember. We’ve never had a TV without a remote. We do our social networking using MySpace and Xanga, not the mall. We download and listen to digital music on iPods. Few of us remember the Cold War or why the Berlin Wall fell, and we’ve never feared nuclear war. Because so many of us are prescribed Ritalin and other antidepressants, we are one of the most heavily medicated generations in human history! We are more depressed and world aware than any other previous generation. Obesity is a major problem. My generation has rejected absolute truth and replaced it with truth relative to the individual’s own background and understanding. The media influences our values as much as our parents and friends. Half of us have witnessed the breakup of our parents’ marriage. We are more materially endowed than any generation of all time. We are the new driving force behind the economy. We have never known the world without Internet. We are currently in high school and college. We are by some estimates, 76 million strong, the largest generation since the Baby Boomers, our parents! (Wikipedia.com)

DJ and Kacie Comisford

I became a disciple in January, 2002 of my sophomore year of college, after studying the Bible for three months! At that time, the campus ministry in the Cincinnati Church was about 40 students. It was amazing to be around so many campus students who were completely on fire for God and His Kingdom! I still remember my first retreat in Bellefontaine, Ohio when Mike Fontenot preached a lesson called, “Whether By Many or By Few.” I felt ready to take on the world for Christ! However, not long after becoming a disciple, things began to happen in the church that, as a young disciple, I barely understood. First, discipling partners were done away with. Soon after that the evangelist stepped out of the ministry because of sin and new leaders were brought in. My campus minister and good friend, who helped baptize me, was replaced and moved to Columbus. Soon after that, the Henry Kriete letter came out. In Cincinnati, this was followed by open forums, the call to autonomy, and the resignation of most of the ministry staff, who subsequently moved away. Only a little over a year old as a disciple, I felt confused, frustrated and overwhelmed.

Over the next couple of years, I watched my campus ministry of 40 some students, without a leader and without direction, disintegrate to a just a handful. Truly, “Where there is no vision the people perish.” (Proverbs 29:18 KJV) By the grace of God, I remained faithful even as most of my best friends left or were asked to leave. It was during this time that I started dating, now my wife and partner in the gospel, Kacie. We tried hard to stay close to God and get our campus ministry moving again. In the summer of 2004, we were even hired as campus interns. Unfortunately, during that time, we received very little discipling and training. Our campus ministry continued to get smaller as did the entire church. In fact, no campus ministry in the Midwest was growing or moving. These were some of the saddest and scariest days of my short Christian life. In a dying church, low on faith but still desiring to do something for our generation, Kacie and I visited the Portland Church.

I will never forget what we found, a campus ministry absolutely on fire for God! So many newly baptized disciples and even “Kingdom kids,” who were willing to do anything for the Kingdom! I found campus students (men and women!) desiring to go into the full-time ministry! I found an evangelist who preached the Word with power and conviction and who lived a life of faith and servitude that was unparalleled to anything I had ever seen in the church! I even met a radical brother who is now one of my best friends, Vic Gonzalez Jr., a true “Kingdom kid.” Truly, something special was happening on the Portland campuses, “a great light had dawned!” (Matthew 4:16) Needless to say, moved by the Holy Spirit, Kacie and I decided to move to Portland.

God has done amazing things since I moved to Portland in March of 2005! I’ve seen God increase our numbers through many campus baptisms and many other campus students moving here. (Jesus even worked a miracle when on December 17th, 2005, I got married!) However, I am increasingly aware that the Portland Church Campus Ministry is the exception not the rule in our fellowship. The worldly values of our generation (Generation Y) have crept into our campuses. Laziness, materialism, impurity, cowardice and faithlessness have made many ministries lukewarm while completely killing others. Many young good-hearted disciples have become disillusioned and confused by the controversy at the top levels of leadership within the churches. Sadly, the campus ministries which were once the driving force behind the dream to evangelize the world, have been decimated. Satan has effectively neutralized our generation in regards to the proclamation of the gospel. The Portland Campus Ministry finds this unacceptable. We refuse to sit and play Xbox as our generation dies.

It is for this reason that we are launching our campus web portal Adullam Underground (Adullam “U”). Young David fled to Adullam to escape from King Saul. And it was at Adullam that God began to build David’s army which eventually became one of the most powerful armies of the world; even “like the very army of God!” (1 Chronicles 12:22) We believe that God once again wants to build an army, an army to proclaim Christ to “all nations!” We believe it is time for a new generation of leaders to rise up and unite! We believe this has already started to happen here in Portland. The Adullam Underground website will feature weekly 5-10 minute Scriptural charges calling together and uniting our generation for the sake of the gospel. It will also feature articles and Bible studies relevant for campus students in the world of today. Like David, it is time for many of us to flee from unrighteous leadership, going “underground” to the safety of Adullam. For those who are “discontented” and “distressed” with the state of their ministry, it is time to check out the “cave of Adullam,” not a physical place but a spiritual one. Generation Y, it is our time to stand up. Through Christ, this world is ours for the taking. The question is: will we take it? As one of our own poets asks,

If you had one shot, or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted – One moment
Would you capture it or just let it slip?
(Eminem)

Let’s capture it! And to God be the glory!

www.adullamunderground.com

DJ Comisford

Campus Minister

Portland International Church of Christ