When high school softball player Ashley Evans came home from a week at Lead THE Cause, she knew she had a mission—or Commission—to fulfill.
The week at Dare 2 Share’s intense evangelism and discipleship boot camp focused Ashley and 446 other teens on living for THE Cause of Christ: becoming a disciple who makes disciples. Through excellent gospel training and evangelism practice, Ashley had new fuel to multiply herself as a follower of Christ.
“I learned how to share my faith better,” she said of her first LTC experience. “I really became motivated to share my faith and I learned the importance of it.”
As Ashley prayed about who to share the gospel with back home, one friend group in particular came to mind that she knew needed to hear about Jesus.
“I really wanted to share my faith with some of my friends on my softball team,” she remembered, and Payton Pritchard was one of those girls on her team for a divine reason.
Payton had already noticed and admired Ashley’s love for God on the softball field, saying, “I just thought her love for God was amazing.” While God was already at work in Payton’s life, all Ashely had to do was step out in faith and start the conversation about Jesus.
“I started inviting [my teammates] to youth group and one in particular kept coming back,” said Ashley.
A Lesson in Multiplication
After going to youth group with Ashley a few times, Payton joined her at a Dare 2 Share conference where she finally placed her faith in Jesus Christ.
“I wanted to see Jesus in my life and once I went to Dare 2 Share and accepted Him, it was amazing,” Payton said with a smile.
“It really meant a lot that she took her time on me and watched me grow.”
“[Ashley] told me who God was… and it really meant a lot that she took her time on me and watched me grow.”
As the week of LTC drew closer the following summer, Ashley invited Payton to join her once again as her teammate, this time not in softball, but in sharing the gospel and making even more disciples of Jesus Christ.
“Last year [Ashley] was praying for me to be here and I am, finally,” Payton said with gratitude during her time at LTC.
“I’m hoping to take what I learn here back home with my new softball team and share it with them.”
Watch Ashley and Payton’s story here.
