“A Once-Broken Life Now Rides 4 Life”
When it comes to Pinnacle Forum’s Four “E”’s – encourage, equip, engage and execute – it’s that fourth and final one that can be the most challenging.
After all, the world gives us all sorts of reasons – we’re too young, we’re too old, we’re too busy, the timing’s not right, we don’t know how or where, and on and on.
But when Pinnacle Forum men and women do decide to “just do it” and execute on their passions and callings, sometimes they launch a new initiative. Just as often if not more so, though, they answer God’s call by putting their gifts and talents to work in an existing ministry or movement.
In a way, a band of Partners in the Northeastern Ohio Chapter did both – and the ministry that God led them to was a most unusual and unlikely one.
Scott Caraboolad is an internationally renowned stunt motorcycle rider known as “starboyscott” by millions of adoring fans. But more than that, this onetime bad-boy turned born-again athlete and entertainer today is a man on a God-inspired mission, using his unique skills to “reach the unreached” through a ministry appropriately named Ride4Life.
How does that connect with Pinnacle Forum?
“Ride4Life embraces Pinnacle Forum’s core Four “E” Strategy,” says Partner Dave Cook, explaining how the ministry “seeks to obey Christ’s instructions to each of us to be part of ’His Movement’ to fulfill the Great Commission while maintaining a Great Commandment mindset.”
Dave and fellow Partners, Tim Smith and Pete Formica, were introduced to Scott at a Lifework Leadership class, a ministry for which they served on its advisory board.
The Scott they met there already was a far cry from the earlier man whose Starboyz stunt team promoted an outlaw lifestyle that endeared them to fans and was encouraged by their sponsors.
Scott, who fell in love with motorcycles by watching Evel Knievel as a three-year-old, was raised in a loving, wholesome all-American home. But when he witnessed his father, a beloved local high school teacher and football coach, die suddenly at age 43, the then-teenaged Scott angrily turned his back on God and headed down a long, dark road.
Dave Cook, who would later forge a Paul-Timothy mentor relationship that continues to this day, recounts Scott’s journey back to the light.
“Over the next 20 years, Scott became a motorcycle rock star, making millions of dollars and achieving just about everything his worldly heart could desire. But without God and now an outspoken atheist, he was empty and miserable from morning to night. He couldn’t figure out the purpose of his existence even though he was blessed with a loving wife, two beautiful kids, and every materialistic need met.”
But, Cook continues, Scott’s insane lifestyle led him into escalating drug addiction which culminated in losing everything and facing court dates all over the country. And on a fall day in 2011, he learned his marriage was over. So discouraged and depressed was Scott that he made plans to commit suicide that very day by overdosing on drugs.
Fortunately, though, as He often does God intervened in what Scott calls “The Great Interception” — his own personal version of Paul’s experience on the road to Damascus.
When he decided to see his mother one last time, she knew something was terribly wrong and insisted that he immediately attend an AA meeting. It was at that meeting that he was confronted by another “messed up person like himself” who pointed him to God. Later that night, back at his mother’s house, Scott recalls whispering, “God, take this – take my life and my will.”
And as He can and does, God worked His miracle in Scott’s life – giving him peace, healing his heart, freeing him of his addictions, keeping him out of jail, and even restoring his marriage and family.
Cook, his friend and mentor, explains the transformation that happened as Scott asked Jesus to completely redirect his path, show him his purpose and make his mission clear.
“He helped Scott forge new relationships with like-minded believers, He strengthened and added to his family, and He empowered Scott to pursue a new mission – Ride4Life, with the goal of sharing the love of Jesus Christ with otherwise unreached individuals.”
The story of the Ride4Life ministry has its roots in those new relationships that Scott established over the next few years – starting with meeting the Pinnacle Forum Partners at that Lifework Leadership class.
And as the Paul to Scott’s Timothy, Cook introduced Scott to the International Cooperating Ministries Mini-Bible College curriculum (ICM founder Dois Rosser spoke at Pinnacle Forum’s 2014 national conference) and intentionally embedded Scott into Northeast Ohio’s community of key influential leaders; and got him to participate in the Eastside Cleveland forum. And the group of Partners encouraged and assisted Scott in launching the Ride4Life ministry in 2015.
Carrying a message of hope that comes through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the motorcycle stunt team seeks to share the Good News with otherwise unreached individuals of all backgrounds, races and ethnicities in all sorts of venues, from motorsports events to prisons to outreach events to schools to orphanages.
And, Pinnacle Forum’s strategy of reaching across the Seven Mountains of Culture has been embraced by the ministry’s “Ride Every Mountain” strategic partnerships with like-minded sponsors and collaborating organizations in the business, government, education, media, religion, family, and arts and entertainment/sports spheres.
With the first lap around the ministry track completed, Scott and the ministry team have big plans for year two, including engaging 100 churches, 100 businesses and 100 families to create a prayer team, build a sustainable financial model, and bring Ride4Life’s stunt team to cities around the country.
And playing an important part in all of this are the Pinnacle Forum Partners from the Cleveland-Akron-Canton-
“Pinnacle Forum convenes and connects leaders whose priority is to fulfill the Great Commission, which transforms communities,” says Cook. “These leaders see the bigger picture and are able to take their narrowly-focused personal and/or ministry-focused missions into a broader movement.”
To Cook and his fellow Partners, this is the “community of communities” that Pinnacle Forum President & CEO, Guy Rodgers, talks about. And just as Partners elsewhere have come alongside other culture-transforming efforts, this is why the Northeast Ohio brothers followed God’s leading and hopped on board Scott Caraboolad’s motorcycle to Ride4Life.
To learn more about Ride4Life, visit the website at www.ride4life.bike or on Facebook at ride4lifeoutreach.
