Young Lions Running

Our Young Lions Running Team is full of great athletes, and running promotes great fitness, but those are not the main reasons we run.  We run because running teaches us something about becoming.

At Orchard Ministries, we often repeat three simple words:  Rise. Run. Roar.

Those words are more than a motto.  They’re like a framework…a picture of the journey we hope every child and young person experiences. Many of the children and youth we serve have faced difficult starts. Some carry great sadness and disappointment.  Others have been let down and have survived in patterns of discouragement, loss, rejection, extreme poverty, and low self-worth. Many have been told by the world what they are useless, stupid, in the way, and will amount to nothing.

So, before anyone can run, they first need to belong. They need to be known.  And they need to discover that they matter.  As those things happen, kids rise!  We want every young person to know that God sees them, knows them, loves them, and has a purpose for their life. We want them to understand that Jesus came to rescue them and invite them into a relationship with Him.  When someone begins to believe those truths, something starts to change inside them.

Once a young person learns to rise, they can start moving forward.  At Orchard, running is both physical and spiritual.  Yes, we literally run together through the streets and neighborhoods of Chifubu We train hard.  We sweat, sign up for every race possible. We push past barriers and up steep hills. But we are also learning to move forward in through life with great energy, effort and expectation!

Running teaches resilience. It teaches perseverance. It teaches us that walls are not the end of the story. It teaches us to keep moving when things get hard.  Most importantly, we don’t run alone. We run beside friends and mentors. We run beside people who believe in us when we struggle to believe in ourselves.  As young people discover who they are and whose they are, they begin to see new possibilities. They begin to believe that their future can be different than their past.  That belief propels them forward.  And then they learn to roar! 

Every child is uniquely created by God with gifts, talents, and for a special purpose.  When young people discover that purpose and begin to live it out, their voices become powerful.  They influence those around them and they point people toward Jesus.  We are witnessing a generation of young people who’ve come to know who they are and whose they are, and they are multiplying vibrant life and hope wherever they go.  That is what becoming is all about.  Becoming is a lifelong process.  Just like a marathon, it is a long journey of growth, perseverance, and faithfulness.  Author Eugene Peterson famously described discipleship as “a long obedience in the same direction.”  

In life, we will hit walls and quitting points– sounds like running to me.

We will face challenges – sounds like running to me.

But we keep moving.  We do hard things because hard things shape us.  We persevere because perseverance builds character.  We overcome because God is with us. And panono, panono (little by little), we become who He created us to be.

One of the most beautiful things we’ve witnessed is that our running team became our discipleship group.  Our discipleship group became our ministry team.  Our ministry team became a family.  And that family has become a powerful force, marked by joy!

Today, there are runners of all ages running circles around Chifubu. Young Lions are mentoring Junior Lions. Leaders are emerging.  Our Roar Church is growing, and hope along with it!   

Speaking of running, I’m so excited to share that the second book in our Jack Power series, Jack Power: Young Lion Running, is scheduled to be released at the end of July.  This next adventure continues Jack’s journey as he learns what it means to move forward with hope, identity, faith, and purpose.

Please make plans to grab a copy for the young readers in your life and join us on the journey as we all become lions.
All proceeds go directly toward empowering even more children and youth in Zambia through Orchard Ministries, our upside-down ROAR Church, the Young Lions Running Team, and our associated programs.

Mark your calendar for July 25, 2026!

We can’t wait to share the next chapter with you.

Run, lion!