A lot of ministries believe they exist through the providence of God, but JSAW can cite a real, if indirect, connection. Nelson and Monroe were trying to figure out how to get a foot in the door at the Billy Graham Evangelical Association (BGEA) when Monroe was sitting at a stoplight in St. Louis and was rear-ended by a car driven by Billy Graham's grandson.

"We didn't make the connection at first," Nelson said. "Randy called and said he'd been hit by a guy named Will Graham. And we said, 'You don't suppose ...' "

The fender-bender is a great story, but they are part of the Rock the River tour on the basis of merit, not a dent, said Jeff Anderson, director of Crusade Ministries for the BGEA.

"Our goal with Rock the River is to reach out to teens, and JSAW is a perfect partner for us in that mission," he said. "Their blend of extreme sports and heartfelt ministry have impacted so many young people already, and that impact will be further magnified as they entertain and challenge teens at Rock the River in August."

Monroe takes no salary; Nelson gets only a small one. He has made sure that his fiancee — who's also studying for a degree in youth ministry — knows that they're never likely to be rich.

"Sometimes people will ask me if I ever plan on getting a real job with benefits," he said. "That doesn't matter to me. This is what I love to do. This is what God called me to do. If I got a bigger paycheck, well, that would be cool. But I'd probably end up putting it all back into the ministry anyway."

(c) 2009, Star Tribune (Minneapolis)