Lead THE Cause has been life changing for Claira and her youth group.
Claira first got involved with Dare 2 Share by attending a Dare 2 Share LIVE event with her youth ministry, where she learned about Lead THE Cause (LTC). During this period of time, she felt there was something missing in the youth group she led, but she couldnāt pinpoint what it was. She ended up connecting with another youth leader who had an extra ticket for Lead THE Cause that year, and she decided to attend by herself to see what it was all about.
During the week, after experiencing the different sessions and activities, Claira realized it was exactly what her youth group needed to grow.Ā
She was deeply moved by the prayer day activity, during which groups walked around Columbine High School and the Memorial site where the school shooting occurred in 1999, offering prayers. Claira ended up returning to the Columbine Memorial on her own on the last day of Lead THE Cause. Ā As she walked slowly through the memorial and started crying hard, she felt like God was telling her that āthis is the reason why youāre a youth leader.āĀ
Claira was further moved when sheĀ heard Greg Stier, one of the event speakers, askĀ āwhere were the Christian teensĀ [before the shooting occurred?],” and it really stuck with her. The idea that her students could be the ones to bring the light of the Gospel into the dark places in their schools was powerful.
By the end of the week, she saw the importance of Lead THE Cause and how it was equipping teens to share the Gospel with their friends and peers at school. Claira remembers,Ā sheĀ was so excited to get home and tell her family and pastor that this was something her youth group needed to attend.
Claira returned the next year withĀ 9 teensĀ andĀ 3 leaders.Ā It was an incredible time, but when they returned home, she was met with discouragement as she experienced medical issues and had to step away from leading the group. Many teens began to take less favorable paths and she felt like she had failed them.Ā
But she found renewed strength when her nephew, one of the students who had attended LTC, reminded her of what Jerrod, one of the event speakers, had said. He had warned them during the last night, up in the mountains of Colorado, that when they got back home the devil was going to attack heavily,Ā and he did.Ā
Things began to turn around after Claira attended the Gospel Advancing Summit event for youth leaders the next spring. She felt like she was able to hit refresh and she decided to return with her group to Lead THE Cause again that summer.
This past year, she brought 7 teens, her father who is her churchās associate pastor, and her brother. After seeing how much the teens were impacted, they are now fully on board with her youth ministry strategy.
Now she feels like she has reinforcements, and she has more support. One of the attending teens even asked: āWhy arenāt we doing this in our hometown?ā Now they are trying to make an effort to bring the Lead THE Cause training to her community.
Claira shared, ānot only has Lead THE Cause impacted my life, but Dare 2 Share has too, Dare 2 Share is my family now and I cherish each and every staff member!ā
Want to see these changes in your group?
Find that missing piece that leads to growth, just like Claira did, through Lead THE Cause.
Lead THE Cause is a one-week intensive that equips and activates students and leaders to share their faith. Each day has a different focus as groups receive training in praying for their friends, caring for them with the love of Christ, and sharing the Gospel in a clear and relational way. The week concludes with groups being dared to live out what theyāve learned as they head home by creating a strategic action plan. In addition to the training, each day, students and leaders will put into practice what theyāve learned through a prayer experience, care experience, and a faith-sharing experience.Ā
Your group wonāt just go home trained in leading others and sharing the Gospel, but you will all go home knowing you can do it, because you all did it at Lead THE Cause! Clairaās group is a great example of the effect this week can have. Not only will one week at Lead THE Cause make a huge impact, but returning year after year will build upon the momentum and keep your group going strong.