For the last 16 years I’ve spent a large part of my time working with teenagers. I’ve attended a zillion camps, retreats, and conferences. Many are good but don’t help much in the long run. A few rise to the top. ONE kills it when it comes to training teens how to live, own, and share their faith in Jesus: Dare2Share!

Tonight our church will take 32 teens and 10 adults to Woodbridge, VA for the Reverse Tour conference. If you, your church, or anyone you know works with or cares about teenagers, consider Dare2Share and their conferences as a must for your ministry toolbox.

Young People Need a Vision Worth Dying For

Stats give us the dim picture of the way this generation is being lost. Youth are flocking AWAY from the church by droves. And for some good reasons.

At the core young people need a HUGE vision. They want a vision for their lives that’s worth dying for. Something beyond themselves.

Duh!

How about the mission of Jesus?

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Making disciples of all nations is a pretty big vision! Living a missionary life is huge. Putting God’s glory on display, helping peers find Jesus, and seeing broken lives restored, healed, & transformed is huge!

What message are we sending the youth of this generation?

Dare2Share Can Help

I’ve been taking teens and parents to Dare2Share conferences since 2007. There is NO conference that trains teens to know, own, live, and share their faith in Jesus like D2S. It’s an annual event for us. Dare2Share training is a core part our philosophy of evangelism.

Why Am I So Committed to Dare2Share?

 1. Theologically rich teaching. Greg Stier and the D2S team don’t teach fluff. They teach from the Bible and a solid evangelical and conservative theology. They don’t harp on non-essentials, so all are welcome and no-one is alienated. They aren’t boring either!

2. Equipping teens to actually live out the gospel. This is not for those wanting to fill notebooks. Although the content is great. D2S gets teens sharing and engaging people. They do this in and throughout the conference. Then they give practical ways to keep the momentum going after the conference ends.

3. Relevant: music, teaching, use of media, drama. Hip-hop artist and poet Propaganda (@prophiphop) brings it! Greg Stier (@gregstier) and Zane Black (@zaneblack) engage and communicate in engaging and relevant ways. Worship led by the Desperation Band (@desperationband). Drama is done with excellence. Effective use of multimedia keeps and captures the attention of all.

4. Commitment to leaders: D2S is committed to helping, encouraging, and training leaders. Saturday morning they have a session devoted to leaders. It’s always GREAT!

5. The size and scope of the event:  makes teens feel like their not alone in the mission of Jesus. Our teens are always encouraged and leave believing God wants to and will use them.

Reverse Tour Preview

Theme: “Equip your teens to drive in Reverse” – based on the OT book/character Daniel

• To dream a different dream
• To take a different stand
• To live a different kind of life

Tweets and Summary

Throughout the weekend I will tweet using #reversetour. Then I’ll write a summary to share on Monday.

I can’t wait to see what God will do and how our group and the 3000 others will respond. One thing I know: the gospel will be unleashed!

QUESTION: What tool(s) do you use to equip teenagers to live as witnesses in their world? How well does it work?