A little over a decade ago, Daniel Boll was serving with American forces in Iraq, when a traumatic brain injury sidelined him and led to PTSD. Once back home, Daniel was not the same Daniel anymore. “We just had to really learn how to communicate. I had to have extreme patience and I attribute that to the Lord for giving me the patience for dealing with the memory loss and the anger” that Daniel displayed, explains his wife, Mariah.
But there was improvement over time. “Some counseling – and then at the same time, I decided - you know what - maybe I should seek some spiritual help on this as well. I grew up in the church, but I really wasn’t going to church on a regular basis.” So, Daniel and Mariah contacted a retired Army chaplain, George Miller, who was now a pastor. His counseling provided a path for major improvement in Daniel’s moods and behavior. Wanting to show appreciation to God and serve Him, “We started praying and seeking God…what are you asking of us? And it was at that moment that He started putting on our hearts the need to ‘evangelize’ and then ‘kids.’” God was specific shares Mariah.
In 2017, the couple created Unique Kidz Ministry. Mariah had experience as a youth pastor and both grabbed on to the unmistakable directive from God.
Evangelist Daniel shares with seriousness the risk of not explaining the Gospel to children. “The stat comes from Barna Research – 4% of teens accept Christ when given a chance. 6% of adults will accept. But with kids, it’s 32% accept Jesus when they’re given a chance.” So once a child begins to mature, the odds of him or her forming a saving relationship with Jesus diminish greatly.
Daniel explains his heart: “I grew up in a broken family. My mom and dad were divorced. And so, whenever I look at the bible, the Gospel, it hits me right at home – that there is a love that just surpasses anything that could possibly happen to you on this earth. And I want kids to understand that, that God loves them so much, more than their parents could even possibly love them. And I believe my desire is that they can grasp that concept – that they know that there’s someone that loves them, that cares for them, and literally laid down their life for them.” Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Evangelist Mariah’s heart is on a parallel path: “I want them to experience what God has for them. I want them to experience that fullness, that love, that acceptance – the belief that they were created for a purpose. That God made each and every one of them, He knit them together so perfectly for a purpose for something greater than themselves. And I want them to see that they have something so amazing to offer the world - and they can do that through the help of Jesus.”
Unique Kidz Ministry is based in Slippery Rocks, Pennsylvania. Their home church is Hope Fellowship Assembly of God, “And we say we are the most faithful unfaithful members of the church, because we’re always on the road.” They see the whole country as a mission field and also occasionally serve on mission outreaches in other nations.
Their key scripture verse is Psalm 78:4, “We will not hide these truths from the next generation. We will tell the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord and His Power and His mightiness,” declares Daniel.
In our complete interview podcast just below, you’ll hear why it’s so critical to reach kids for Christ before they get older, how they create interest in the Bible – and how their own children are directly involved in the family affair ministry.
