

Dare to Share Emilie, Matt and Kelly came home from DC/LA last summer fired up to tell their friends about God's good news.
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It's been about six months since the DC/LA Youth Evangelism SuperConferences, held last summer in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles.
Thirty thousand students attended the big events, where they were encouraged to live every day for Christ—including telling others about God. Here are three students who are doing just that.
"I'm taking a stand"
One thing we learned at DC/LA is that the best way we can share our faith is to tell our "rescue story"—how Jesus rescued us from sin and changed our lives. And I've got quite a rescue story.
A couple of years ago, my life was in the pits. My dad had lost his job, and we were on a tightrope trying to make ends meet. I was into some really bad music, music that was influencing my thoughts in a negative way. I was hanging out with the wrong people, doing some things I shouldn't have done.
I felt like I didn't have any friends, I was always lonely, I was struggling with bulimia, and I was actually planning on committing suicide. I was a Christian at the time, but I had really fallen away from God. My life was a mess.
Then somebody invited me to Niagara '96, which is sorta like DC/LA, but on a smaller scale.
I had been to Niagara '95, so I knew some cool things could happen, and that it might bring me closer to God—and out of the mess I was in.
And that's just what happened. I heard some great messages and I re-dedicated my life to Jesus. I quit listening to bad music. I started hanging out with the right people and stopped doing things that were displeasing to God. I started making new friends, and I started eating right. I was beginning to get back on track. And by the time I went to DC last summer, I was really on fire for God.
It was great to be in DC with 20,000 other kids. It made me realize I'm not the only one willing to take a stand for Christ. And it made me want to make a difference in my school.
So another girl and I started a Bible club at school. Only a few people showed up at first, and a lot of people—students and faculty—gave us grief about it in the beginning. I carried my Bible to school, and people ridiculed me about it. I came home crying sometimes. It took me a while to get over that. But I'm in love with Jesus, and I don't care what others think.
Eventually, more people started coming to the Bible club, and it's still growing.
I've also been able to share my faith at church events. We had a dance at our church; we called it the Solid Rock Cafe. We played all Christian music, and showed Christian videos. There were 54 kids there, and about half of them weren't Christians. One of them was a 14-year-old guy named Dustin, who was really into Marilyn Manson.
One day, Dustin wore a White Zombie T-shirt to school, a shirt that said, "Satan Loves You."
But at that dance, Dustin showed a real interest in learning more about Christ. My older brother, Matthew, talked to him for a half hour. Dustin came within centimeters of accepting Christ that night.
A few days later, Dustin came to our Bible club at school. I read from First John about walking in the light, about how we're not supposed to love the world. We had a cool, deep discussion. Then I asked if everybody there believed they would go to heaven if they died that day. Three people—Dustin and two girls—said no. I prayed with all three of them, and all three of them prayed to become Christians!
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