We had been praying for a name for the youth group for quite some time. We didn't want anything cheesy or even with a cool ring to it, rather a name with meaning that would bring glory to God rather than the ministry. In July of 2004 the youth group went on a summer retreat to Lake Wenatchee to study through the book of Ruth. During Mike's messages the idea of never turning back from following the Lord and finishing strong kept coming up.

The last night we baptized all those who wanted us to in the Lake, and a girl who had fallen away from the Lord but recently returned to Him stepped forward to be baptized. Mike asked her to tell the group why she wanted to be baptized to which she replied, "I had fallen away from the Lord, but now I want to follow Him with all of my heart. I know that He died and rose for me. He is the Lover of my soul, and there is No Turning Back for me." This was an emotional time especially knowing what she was giving up to follow Jesus.

The next day we went to Leavenworth and ate lunch at a restaurant where people write their name and the date on a dollar bill and then staple it to the wall, hoping to see it on their next visit. While we were eating one of the kids wrote "Calvary Chapel Eastside Youth Group Summer Retreat 2004, No Turning Back!" on their dollar bill and then stapled it on the wall. At that point it was obvious that the Lord was answering our prayers about the youth group name. We have called ourselves No Turning Back Youth Ministries ever since and we offer the story behind the name as a message of hope to all who would hear of us or come through our doors.

"Take the whole world, just give me Jesus. No Turning Back, No Turning Back!"

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