How Did The RightNow Campaign Begin?




Have you ever had a conversation or been sitting in a church service or experienced something incredible and then asked yourself, “what do I do next?” 

The founder and Director of the RightNow Campaign, Brian Mosley, asked himself this question after spending four weeks in Tanzania filming a documentary about a missionary team investing their lives for the sake of the Gospel.  After returning from that trip, Brian contacted 40 mission agencies and ministries looking for a job where he could commit his video and film skills for something significant.  He returned to college eager to hear from these mission agencies.

That fall semester something amazing happened.  Brian found that his two roommates were being heavily recruited by several big accounting firms.  These two smart, passionate guys were invited to golf outings, dinners, bowling nights and other events as a way to persuade them to choose a specific company to pursue their accounting careers.

Meanwhile, Brian received 39 packets in the mail all with this same message: “Dear friend, thank you for your interest in our organization.  Please read through the brochures, fill out the questionairres and then maybe we can talk.”  Only one organization bothered to make personal contact with Brian.

Experiencing these two worlds first-hand, Brian realized that there was something missing.  If others in his generation were also passionate about using their skills to change the world, they would run into the same hurdles and obstacles the Brian was facing.  The accounting firms pursuing this generation and building relationships with them.  The mission organizations were relying on printed brochures and generic questionnaires.

Through these experiences and frustrations in 1998, Brian founded the RightNow Campaign in 2000 to help his generation of 20 and 30-somethings connect to opportunities to serve God.  The core of Rightnow would be personal follow-up.  As RightNow began meeting young adults at events and through their website, a team of trained and passionate coaches made phone calls to every inquiry.  It became evident that these personal conversations helped in three distinct areas.  

First, it is an encouragement to these individuals because many of them do not have parents, friends or even pastors cheering them on.  Second, a personal phone call quickly identifies specific passions, interests and experiences.  And finally, through relationships with 75 ministries and mission agencies, the RightNow team could help connect people to specific opportunities to put faith into action.

Other ministries soon realized the power of RightNow’s personal follow-up.  Passion Conferences ministers to tens of thousands of colleges students every year.  Louie Giglio, the founder of Passion, was quoted in an article as saying, “We also have partnered with RightNow, an organization that connects passionate 20 and 30-somethings to specific ministries around the world. Rightnow comes along at our back door and follows up with the students who say they want to take part in a mission of some kind.”

The Traveling Team is another collegiate ministry that sends RightNow 1500 names of students requesting help with “the next step.”  Perspectives on the World Christian Movement is a class offered in churches throughout the country.  The Perspectives classes are now sending leads to RightNow to offer a practical next step.  Many local churches are turning to RightNow as a resource for the missions and outreach departments.  

In 2004, RightNow launched its own event called Fusion to reach a post-college 20 and 30-something audience.  Unlike most other events, RightNow believes the real power of Fusion is what happens the weeks and months after the event is over.  The RightNow Coaches continue to call and dialogue with Fusion attendees to help them put their faith into action.

RightNow believes that God uses relationships to change the world. RightNow is passionate about pursuing these 20 and 30-somethings because it is in this season of life when this generation will choose to follow God whole-heartedly or choose to distance themselves from their faith.  They are the future leaders of the church and it is the right time to provide opportunities for them to impact their communities and the world.