Imagine over 1,300 staff and students gathered together for a week of Bible teaching, singing, fellowship and outreach—this was the Denver Christmas Conference. For many students, the encouragement and vision of walking into the ballroom proves overwhelming because they feel so isolated in their faith on their campus. Instead of being isolated as the only Christian or mocked for their faith or overwhelmed by spiritual apathy, students experience a level of teaching and fellowship and vision that many never would have dreamed possible.
Here are a couple of conference highlights in bullet point fashion:
* Students were asked to give financially (out of their poverty). Together they gave almost $25,000 to help launch new campus movements in New Mexico and in Africa.
* 468 students signed cards indicating a commitment to participate in vocational summer missions in 2008. One student wrote a prayer on her card that captured my attention:
God, I pledge my whole life to You, not just this summer. I pledge the next
3-4 years of college. I pledge my marriage. I pledge my children…everything You’ve given and will give to me, God. I pledge to give in return to You my
whole life. I want to be Your hands and feet. Send me where you want me to go. I love You!
Here are a couple of conference highlights in bullet point fashion:
* Students were asked to give financially (out of their poverty). Together they gave almost $25,000 to help launch new campus movements in New Mexico and in Africa.
* 468 students signed cards indicating a commitment to participate in vocational summer missions in 2008. One student wrote a prayer on her card that captured my attention:
God, I pledge my whole life to You, not just this summer. I pledge the next
3-4 years of college. I pledge my marriage. I pledge my children…everything You’ve given and will give to me, God. I pledge to give in return to You my
whole life. I want to be Your hands and feet. Send me where you want me to go. I love You!
The Day of Faith takes students out of the hotel and into the streets to put their faith in practice. These are some of the stories from the sharing time that night when students returned:
Jason, from Missouri State University, stood up during the sharing time after the Day of Faith and told about his amazing day. Although he had never personally led anyone to Christ, he and his group of 4 others went out ready to be used by God. Within the first 30 minutes of going out, a woman invited the group to do some work around the house. (They were going door to door in a neighborhood offering to help with simple maintenance or cleaning.) Not surprisingly, the woman asked why they would be so kind to her. They took that as an opportunity to share the gospel and saw both the woman and her son indicate decisions to receive Christ! Later that day, Jason initiated another conversation with some people on the city bus. This conversation led to another opportunity to speak about how Jesus alone can forgive our sins. Three more people indicated decisions to receive Christ! It never ceases to amaze us how God uses our humble steps of obedience for His glory!
Katie Copeland from the University of Kansas shared this: “In a Spanish speaking community, I prayed for boldness and used the little Spanish that I knew to share the gospel using the Four Spiritual Laws. The woman that I shared with desired to have a relationship with the Lord and prayed to receive Jesus.”
My (Dan) favorite story, though, was a student from Nebraska who went up to the stage to share her story from the day. I have forgotten her name, but not her story. She shared about one of the guys in her group (Jordan) who took the initiative to share the gospel of grace with a 16 year old guy that they met. She was amazed as Jordan invited the 16 year old to receive Christ. After the guy indicated a decision to receive Christ, the student from Nebraska confessed to Jordan that she had never really understood what it meant to be a Christian until she heard him explain it to the boy. She became a Christian on the Day of Faith.
Jason, from Missouri State University, stood up during the sharing time after the Day of Faith and told about his amazing day. Although he had never personally led anyone to Christ, he and his group of 4 others went out ready to be used by God. Within the first 30 minutes of going out, a woman invited the group to do some work around the house. (They were going door to door in a neighborhood offering to help with simple maintenance or cleaning.) Not surprisingly, the woman asked why they would be so kind to her. They took that as an opportunity to share the gospel and saw both the woman and her son indicate decisions to receive Christ! Later that day, Jason initiated another conversation with some people on the city bus. This conversation led to another opportunity to speak about how Jesus alone can forgive our sins. Three more people indicated decisions to receive Christ! It never ceases to amaze us how God uses our humble steps of obedience for His glory!
Katie Copeland from the University of Kansas shared this: “In a Spanish speaking community, I prayed for boldness and used the little Spanish that I knew to share the gospel using the Four Spiritual Laws. The woman that I shared with desired to have a relationship with the Lord and prayed to receive Jesus.”
My (Dan) favorite story, though, was a student from Nebraska who went up to the stage to share her story from the day. I have forgotten her name, but not her story. She shared about one of the guys in her group (Jordan) who took the initiative to share the gospel of grace with a 16 year old guy that they met. She was amazed as Jordan invited the 16 year old to receive Christ. After the guy indicated a decision to receive Christ, the student from Nebraska confessed to Jordan that she had never really understood what it meant to be a Christian until she heard him explain it to the boy. She became a Christian on the Day of Faith.
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