PROJECT: The REV project
LAUNCHED: Full Throttle UK was founded in 2004, with the REV Project starting in 2007
LOCATION: Based in East Kent, but soon to be rolled out across the country
AIM: To promote safe and responsible motorcycle riding, and to provide young people with an opportunity to hear the gospel in a biker-friendly environment
The project : The REV Project, created by Full Throttle UK, is a specialist ministry that uses the iconic imagery of motorcycling to communicate the gospel. Equipping churches to create inclusive communities for 16-25 year-olds who are interested in riding motorcycles, it uses the central concept of life as a journey to explain key aspects of Christianity, with the motorcycle becoming a literal vehicle to explore faith, community and social inclusion. We understand that in today’s culture you have to earn the right to share the gospel. This project enables churches to build up quality relationships with young people and young adults who are outside of church circles, and to share the gospel within that context.
The REV Project has been running in Kent for seven years, where Full Throttle UK runs two young riders clubs in Dover and Canterbury. Over this time we have worked with over 200 young people, many of whom have stayed with our project for up to five years. The REV Project has provided several churches with the opportunity to share God’s love, offer practical support, and help a number of young people come to faith.
Running the REV Project has been challenging, and the big issue has been providing ongoing support to anyone who has come to faith. Not every church wants a bunch of young people riding motorcycles to turn up at its door! One church in particular – St Andrews United Reformed Church in Canterbury – has been particularly supportive by allowing its evening service to be entirely revamped as a Café Church. Through this new-look church service a significant number of young people have come to explore the faith, and follow up their commitments to Jesus. The church service had a wild and raw element to it, and we have seen ten young people come to faith over two years in the Canterbury REV Project. This might not sound like a large number, but it represents 60 per cent of the total group! Some of those who have made commitments have had difficult pasts, with criminal records and histories of re-offending, but have seen their lives turned around through the project.
The REV Project has changed over time. As well as running young riders clubs, we also manage a small fleet of motorcycles which are used to run weekend road trips combining off road riding and survival training. Another additional project is Wild Thing, named after the 1960s biker anthem by The Troggs, which is a survival course teaching young people basic survival training while also teaching them the gospel.
One further aspect of the REV Project is our Numball Rally. This is an annual long distance motorcycle trip introducing young people to long distance riding. In 2010 we organised a 1600 mile ride travelling from Kent to London to Edinburgh to Cardiff and back on mopeds. The average speed of a moped is 30mph, and it took eight days to travel the distance. We made a few enemies on the way. For example, when we rode into Scotland we had a five mile tail-back behind us. Several lorry drivers, who overtook us, swore at us for being road-hogs!
If we were to do anything differently, we would look at how we have built relationships with young people. Unfortunately some young people have left over the past few years, due to misunderstandings or through some form of bullying by other group members. We value our relationships with our young people, and when these get damaged it causes real heartache. If we had a TARDIS I am sure we would want to go back and change some events that might have been preventable!
Five golden rules for running a Young Riders Ministry :
1. Never forget what you were like when you were young. It is easy to get frustrated with young peoples’ actions and behaviour. When we remember our own youth, we find that we were probably just the same, or had friends in a similar place!
2. Do not encourage illegal and anti-social motorcycle riding, but encourage the best riding and promote continued training.
3. Don’t think ‘I can’t run a youth work project’. If God is calling you, surround yourself with people to inspire you and follow God.
4. Beware the comfort zone! Many churches are not radical because they have become comfortable. To follow Jesus is similar to walking on hot coals – it keeps your faith moving!
5. Running a REV Project cannot be done in isolation. It needs to have strong connections to a church that is willing to accommodate any new Christians.
