AXiS Backstory Pt. 2

After a year with the Bryan College Worldview Team, God uprooted Kim and I by suddenly offering me a position at the Focus on the Family Institute as the Associate Director of Admissions. So, in June of 2005 we began a totally different journey. I wasn't teaching worldview to students, but was instead encouraging college student leaders to attend FFI to spend a semester learning from faculty members that knew a lot more about the topic of worldview than I did. I saw this as much more of a support role, but realized that I was still making a difference in people's lives by encouraging them to invest in their lives through a semester at FFI. God taught me so much during this time. I was humbled. I was challenged. I was given the opportunity to lead in a different way than I had led before. I was able to lead as a big brother while rock climbing, hiking, camping, studying the Bible, hanging out and just being there for students.

In the middle of my 3 1/2 years at FFI I had an idea and met a dude. I realized the need for a worldview ministry that would speak to high school and college students in the west (Bryan's team primarily targets the southeast). I knew I could not get this started on my own especially with a full-time job at FFI. God gave me a sign that he wanted me to start this thing, even though I didn't have the time to make it happen, when He introduced me to David Eaton, who is now a great friend.

It all started at a lunch at Chick-Fil-A (I could eat the #1 meal every day if I had to), when David was a student at FFI. I dropped the what-was-yet-to-be-known-as-AXiS bomb on him. You need to know this about David... He just graduated with a degree in engineering from LeTourneau University and this is the first time we ever did lunch together. When David heard about this idea, he was stunned. He then told me that he had been feeling lead by the Holy Spirit to do something like this instead of going on to get an engineering related job (which he could have done quite easily and made a nice starting salary right out of college)¹ . David then proceeded to show me some journal notes that he had written recently that confirmed to both of us that this conversation was not a mistake, but is what one might call a divine appointment. God is good!

It is now almost three years since that providential meeting at Chickfila and the idea we talked about at that time is now a full-fledged 501(c)3 non-profit called AXiS. AXiS has spoken to more than 10,000 people since the team started traveling in August of 2007.

It is January 2009 and God has once again taken me and changed my life by moving me on to another new adventure. I knew that I would one day probably be working for AXiS full time, but did not envision that happening for at least another year. God had other ideas. I was very sad and could have been quite discouraged when I lost my job at Focus. For some reason, though, I have felt at peace since losing my job. I take this as a good sign that this is what the Lord wants me to be doing. I don't know how He will provide for the Callihan fam as AXiS currently doesn't have any money to pay a salary for me. I know that it is what I am supposed to be doing, and am excited to see what the Lord is going to do. The cool thing is that Kim was more about me taking this leap of faith than I was. So, we are in this together and watching to see God change us through this move of faith. Stay tuned...

Notes

1. David in the last two years has made 5k and 18k respectively. He has sacrificed a ton, but has made a huge impact in the process. Back^