We work so hard trying to create an environment for our kids to grow spiritually and physically. We pray for good friends, seek out the best doctors, get them involved in sports or the arts. We push them to get top grades. And, of course, there's church and Sunday school and youth groups.

Meanwhile, our kids are out there trying to figure out who they are. They are trying to reconcile what they've been taught to believe and what they are supposed to believe and what what they REALLY believe or, more often, what they aren't sure they believe.

All the while they are struggling to fit in and be accepted - if not as they are, then as whatever works. They want more than anything to feel good about themselves. But it's not easy.

Every person is God's Priceless Diamond - whether rich or poor, young or old, Anglo or Latino, homeless or living in a mansion. Their value is fixed in what Jesus did, not what they do.

But this isn't the message most kids (or adults, for that matter) receive from the world. The world tells them they are inadequate unless they own this, wear this, or do this. Peer pressure. For parents of young teenagers, nothing is more frighteneing.

Acceptance must be earned - unlike the gospel of God's gracious, unmerited gifts of love, eternal life, and salvation. This is why the Good News is so GOOD!

Christian conversion is the process of re-Creation into a new Identity as God's Priceless Diamond with Jesus Christ as Lord, Savior, and Example.

Now here's where PALz comes in. PALz is a program designed to build a growing system of messages and mechanisms that mutually establish and continually reinforce conversion to Christian Identity.

Simply put, we develop secure Christian kids who are flat out good at delivering agape love - the love of Jesus - to each other and to the unchurched. PALz are middle school to high school age kids trained to be missionary Pastors at Large.