Him we proclaim...
A reflection from the Dare 2 Share Energize Conference
I remember my first Dare 2 Share event. I had grown up going to church, but only recently had understood the gospel for the first time — and at Dare 2 Share Live in 2018, we were given a simple acrostic, G.O.S.P.E.L., to be able to explain the gospel clearly. I never imagined myself going door-to-door to preach the gospel or having a gospel conversation with a stranger, but that day, we fanned out across the Bay Area and shared the gospel with people in their homes or in public. After a few hours, we gathered back in our church and heard stories both from our church and other churches broadcast across the nation of gospel conversations taking place and people choosing to place their faith in Jesus!
It was a privilege to go to the Dare 2 Share Energize conference for youth ministers last weekend in my home state of Colorado. The message was the same: wherever you are, whatever is going on, preach the gospel. It’s the good news for salvation for those who believe, and it’s available to everyone, free of charge. God loves everyone and wants those of His children who are lost to be saved. I want those who I am discipling to catch God’s heart for the lost and to catch some of that vision.
I got to experience this in the past year. Last summer, I led a virtual small group where some of my siblings went through Course 101, a course on Christian foundations that explains the gospel and provides apologetics. During that time, one of my brothers went from being a hardened agnostic to choosing to place his faith in Jesus and having a relationship with him. I pointed him to a local church with a Salt Company chapter and he got immediately plugged in and started growing.
He invited out his roommate — and my brother got baptized in the fall and got to baptize his roommate in the winter! Together, they’ve been growing closer to God, burdening for and reaching their friends — and I’ve watched as God’s heart for the lost changing their picture of what a life well-lived looks like and as they want to follow God unreservedly and to have impact that lasts beyond the grave.
This weekend at the Energize conference was a full circle moment for me because it was hosted at my brother’s church — a reminder that God is still working to draw all people to Himself and that the gospel can totally transform someone’s life.
I feel personally challenged again. I need to preach the gospel regularly, so that what I hope to see in the lives of our youth is first modeled in me, through Jesus working in me.
“Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” – Colossians 1:28-29
Emma serves in the Atlanta AYM ministry.
wow! So amazing with your brother!!
Wow! What a cool story with your brother!