Two years ago when we kicked off our first Dare 2 Share LIVE event, we had no idea if it would work. Nobody had ever attempted a live, coast-to-coast youth ministry event designed to mobilize a generation for the gospel.
Not only did it work—it worked well. Teens were inspired and equipped to share the gospel and then given an opportunity to put it into practice.
For the past two years, we’ve been making tweaks and adjustments based on wisdom received through prayer, surveys, and wise counsel.
This year, by God’s grace, we trained thousands of teenagers in 125 cities from 561 churches. The sites stretched from Anchorage to Ireland, from Portland to Puerto Rico.
Off and on for the last few days since the event, I’ve been scrolling through our hashtag for the conference, #Fight2Win. I’ve been deeply moved by seeing rooms and auditoriums, some packed with teenagers and some with a handful, but all of whom were trained and unleashed for the gospel.
This all happened at the same time last Saturday. Teenagers in Alaska were sharing Jesus at the same time as teens in South Florida. And then we came back together in celebration. We told stories. We prayed together. Then Vertical Worship led us all in simultaneous worship from coast to coast.
Our hashtag was #Fight2Win because the weekend was based on Ephesians 6:10-12:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Based on this passage, the three pillars we built the day on were:
1) The Mission Before Us (advancing the gospel and making disciples!)
2) The Danger Around Us (Satan and his army of demons!)
3) The Power With Us (the Holy Spirit!)
If teenagers embrace these three realities, they’ll be ready to fight to win…because, ultimately, the victory is already won through Jesus Christ! Zane Black, Jerrod Gunter, Esteban Shedd and yours truly unpacked these truths in personal, practical and powerful ways for the teens last Saturday. It all culminated with a powerful drama that challenged teenagers to go all in to follow Jesus.
We also introduced our newly redesigned Life in 6 Words app at the event. If the Dare 2 Share LIVE app was the app for the day, then Life in 6 Words is their app for the year! This app is not only a great way for them to share Jesus with their peers, but it allows teenagers to join gospel-sharing groups and put their unreached friends in a “Cause Circle” that reminds them to pray for, care for and share the gospel with them in a loving, clear way.
Pray for the teenagers as they head back to their schools and circles of friends after Dare 2 Share LIVE. Pray that they continue to live out the mission before them by reaching their friends for Jesus! Sign your group up for more info about Dare 2 Share LIVE coming up a year from now on 10/10/2020!
In the meantime, let’s #Fight2Win against Satan and rescue as many captives as we can from his grip!
Check out more Dare 2 Share LIVE insider information and stories of impact on the LIVE Wire Blog.
