Youth

A Las Vegas pastor on the run has been arrested in Mexico and brought back to Nevada for trial stemming from child sex abuse charges.

Otis Holland, now in federal custody and awaiting extradition in San Diego, is being charged with 11 counts of sexual assault of a victim under 16, one count child abuse and one count of conspiracy to commit a crime, Henderson Police said.

He is accused of counseling troubled teens, bringing them home to a sound-proofed "torture" room in his home, and even videotaping them as he abused them. more >>

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A new project by The United Methodist Church called Spark12 is focused on reaching and keeping youth in the church. The initiative will give young people tools, and funding, to create ministries that tackle their interests.

The Rev. April Casperson, an executive member of the Spark12 team, told The Christian Post that many young adults are already involved in secular social justice initiatives. She said her team found "that young adults want to make a difference in the world, but don't always have the confidence in religious organizations." more >>

Jefferson Bethke, who has now become a household name thanks to his viral video hit "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus," said in the beginning that he was only seeking to make Jesus famous — and now he may have finally found the platform, as the 22-year-old online evangelist has been appearing more and more in the mainstream press to share his faith and bring Jesus front and center.

Appearing on CBS' "This Morning" for an interview with Charlie Rose, Erica Hill and Gayle King Monday morning in New York City, Bethke sat center stage with the Rev. Edward Beck, a Roman Catholic priest and contributor to the program. The Mars Hill Church (Federal Way) congregant was immediately asked how it all happened — how a video uploaded one day manages to attract more than a million views in 24 hours.

Bethke, whose spoken word video is described by "This Morning" as "a critical look at organized religion, filled with rhymes that differentiate Jesus from the constructs of the church," expressed that he had no idea how the video became so popular. more >>

A newly appointed state director of an atheist activist group said that he will fight two national Christian-based organizations for what he alleges to be proselytizing at public schools while "targeting the impressionable minds of our children."

Al Stefanelli, the former president of United Atheist Front and presently the Georgia state director for American Atheists, Inc., said he will take action against the Child Evangelism Fellowship and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes this year. Both groups conduct after-school and break-time activities on school campuses throughout the United States with the approval of school officials.

When asked by The Christian Post as to what actions he would take against these groups, Stefanelli said, "I cannot get into specifics at this time, as we are still in the planning/strategizing stages. You can be confident that we will, as always, operate within the law, using peaceful means." more >>

Faith-based initiatives are integral in the effort to reach disconnected youth, says a White House Council member.

For the next 100 days, the While House Council for Community Solutions is leading an initiative calling for people to go "All In" for youth. The effort is meant to spur new commitments to support young adults out of jobs and school.

John Bridgeland, a member of the council and CEO of Civic Enterprises, told The Christian Post that "faith-based initiatives are the backbone in many cases of our efforts to reengage young people." more >>

Dare 2 Share Ministries kickstarts its "GameDay" 2012 tour in Washington, D.C., Friday with the goal of shaping hundreds of teenagers into young evangelical leaders through "powerful training, worship, drama and outreach opportunities."

President and youth evangelist Greg Stier will address gatherers, along with Zane Black, a Christian born out of a life mired in drugs and alcohol, and Jason Petty, a spoken word poet and orator.

Dare 2 Share spokesperson Emma Schenkel said the two-day conference will empower teenagers to be active in spreading their faith in their communities.  more >>