SUSIE SHELLENBERGER

She's never used drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes or been involved in premarital sex. No fancy testimony about gang life, abortion or bouts with the law (though she has received a few speeding tickets!) Just a simple, genuine, consistent faith in God and a loving two-parent Christian home that helped her commit her life to God's service during her teen years.

"People often think if they don't have sex or use drugs, they don't have a testimony," Susie says, "But a testimony of God's power enabling us not to comprise in these areas is just as powerful."

WHO IS SHE?

After graduating from college in Oklahoma with a BA in Communications, Susie accepted the invitation to join the staff of a church in Arkansas as youth minister.

"While I was involved in student teaching my senior year of college, I was also a volunteer youth worker in my local church. Though I loved teaching - and knew someday I'd enter a classroom on a full-time basis - I was acutely aware of the direction toward evangelism God was placing on my life", Susie says.

Susie enjoyed youth ministry in four different churches and began speaking and writing on the side. She never lost her love of teaching, though, and after several years in youth ministry felt God directing her to the public classroom.

"It was amazing," she says, "when the administration asked me to take this teaching position, I explained that I spent several weekends a year speaking to youth groups, churches, retreats, etc." They said, "If you'll accept the position, we'll allow you to leave on Fridays and continue speaking."

"I entered the building filling the role of a teacher," she says, "but deep inside I was committed to being a missionary to those kids." The superintendent and the principal began to see a positive difference in Susie's students.

"When I had a speaking engagement close to home, I'd send a sign-up sheet through my classes and tell kids they could come with me. Some signed up to sing; others did skits. The principal would let me take the school bus, and we'd leave Friday after school, and I'd speak in a church maybe a couple of hours away while my students did the drama and music. But what was really exciting was to see some of my high school kids come forward at the end of a service and give their lives to Christ."

CHANGE OF PLANS

After spending four years in the Blackboard Jungle and getting a master's degree in creative writing, Susie accepted the invitation from Focus on the Family to create a magazine for Christian teen girls. "I've been with Focus since 1989," Susie says. "Brio is a monthly publication with approximately 170,000 in circulation. It's an exciting venture."

Susie is also one of a handful of speakers for Compassion International. She has written 21 books and - besides her current position as Brio editor - continues to speak. Her greatest gift is helping people become intensely focused on a more intimate relationship with God.

"I use a lot of humor," Susie says. "But by the time we're done, people have to make a decision. I won't settle for a speculative audience. God calls me to bring people to a participative level. In other words, if someone in the audience isn't a Christian, he or she will have the opportunity to become one before we're finished. If the listeners are already believers, they'll have an opportunity to deepen their spiritual walk."

"A lot of speakers can make people laugh," she says. "Humor is one of the greatest communicative tools we have. But at some point, we have to go much deeper, or we've simply had a good time."

Beside humor, Susie's strong point is evangelism, "we naturally think of non believers," she says. "God has called me to evangelize and minister to those inside the church - the people who already claim to be Christians. God doesn't want to be #1 in our lives," Susie says, "He wants to BE our lives! He wants us to be saturated with Him... to become obsessed with becoming all He calls us to be." And just how does that happen? Well... that's what Susie loves to speak about. Lots of humor. Lots of meat. Lots of focused intensity on Jesus Christ.

So what kind of group does she speak to? Youth groups, adult retreats, women and single's conferences. Susie effectively communicates to people from 12 to 85. What about public schools? Susie enjoys public school assemblies but would rather speak in an environment where she can talk openly about Christ and move the audience toward a deeper walk with Him. "When I do public school assemblies," she says, "I speak about establishing a positive self-image, setting goals and creating your own success story."

Susie has been speaking for more than 15 years and is in demand as a national communicator. Upon request, she is willing to supply each event with complimentary magazines and materials from Focus on the Family.

A Few of Susie's Topics…

How Deep Is the River of God in Your Life?

Based on Ezekiel 47, Susie uses humorous stories from her high school teaching days and challenges listeners to move away from a surface-level relationship with Christ into an intimate spiritual walk filled with depth and daily growth.

The World's Largest Backpacking Group

"The Children of Israel were actually the world's largest backpacking group. They were like a super sized youth group with Yo-Mo as their Superman youth minister."

Listeners are amused as Susie relates an old story in an extremely modern and humorous fashion. When the laughter dies, however, the audience is challenged to look closely at Achan's life and the stolen goods he hid under his cot. "What's hiding under your cot?" Susie asks. "A little compromise is the same as a big compromise in God's eyes."

The Iron Will Commitment

Based on Luke 9:51, listeners are challenged to solidify their relationship with Christ- to let it burn in their bones- to move away from a weak-kneed, wishy-washy commitment and to live out a commitment that screams IRON WILL so loud it shows up in their lifestyle.

Susie not only uses several humorous stories in this message, but she also presents each listener with a plastic IRON WILL commitment card, with a signature panel on the back, at the close of the service. The audience not only hears the message but also is actually called to do something about it by signing the card and taking it home.

True Love Waits

Geared specifically for teens, this message centers on God's command to remain sexually pure until marriage. "We're not simply talking about refraining from intercourse," Susie says, "sexual purity is a lot more than refraining from IT. Anyone can say no to intercourse. Sexual purity involves much more- it's a lifestyle."

Susie often encourages teens to write questions ahead of time, and will answer them at the end of the session. "Though the media wants you to think something's wrong if you're not dating and not having sex with someone, it's a lie," she says. "Being abstinent doesn't make you abnormal- it makes you obedient to God's perfect design for a fulfilling sex life in the future. People say 'I'll die if I don't have sex,' I'm still single," Susie says. "I'm still waiting for God to bring the right man into my life at the right time. I'm a virgin. And guess what? I'm not dead!"

What Kind of Person Does God Choose?

Using a modern re-introduction of several Bible characters, Susie shows that God chooses us not on our ability but on our availability. Listeners are challenged to move away from thinking "if I could only sing, were smarter, had my act together..." and move into a commitment that says "yes, Lord. I'll do anything You ask- believing You'll equip me with everything I need. Use me."

Standing in the Gap

In Ezekiel 22:30, God says He is looking for ANYONE who will stand in the gap. "You don't have to try out," Susie says. "He's not holding auditions. You don't have to be good enough or popular enough. You simply have to be willing- and to back up your commitment with action."

The audience then discovers what it means to stand in the gap- to be the bridge to a lost and dying world- and how to stand in the gap.

At the conclusion of the service, each person is given a "Standing in the Gap" card and an opportunity to sing a GAP pledge. A moving presentation calling Christians to action!

Too Comfy

Using stories that are "so bizarre it's hard to believe they're actually true," Susie talks about the danger of getting too comfortable spiritually. "Becoming comfy with sin in our lives is like walking into a dimly-lit restaurant," she says. "It takes a while for your eyes to adjust to the lack of light, but after 15 minutes, you're reading the menu, laughing and actually comfortable because you've become accustomed to the darkness. Refuse to settle for casual Christianity!"