Storytellers: Training Students to Introduce Friends and Family to Jesus

On Monday, October 19, youth ministries from across the city teamed up to bring their student leaders together for Storytellers, a fun, hands-on training in how to introduce friends and family to Jesus. It was our first time trying a collaborative training designed specifically for high school students, and it was a blast! With Columbus Public Schools off for the day, students spent the afternoon together learning that evangelism is a team sport, not a solo one, and that God does all the heavy lifting. Our job is

simply to show up, care about people, and follow where He leads.

Nobody sat still for long. Every session got students out of their seats and putting what they’d learned into practice right away. Jason Seiple of Parable Project kicked things off with a reminder that God loves to speak through young people. Monika Hahn of Equip Skills Center helped students come up with simple questions that show genuine interest in others, and Aaron Starr of RTNI got them praying together and discovering that God really will speak and lead. AC Dunlap of RESET Ministries led a powerful discussion on being a light to your own family, often the hardest and most important place to start. Then the room lit up when Ohio State football players Max Riley and Amare Miller stopped by to share about their faith and how God is moving at Ohio State. They invited everyone to the OSU Kickoff event on campus that night to hear more players share their testimonies and watch as many people got baptized.

We wrapped up the afternoon with free chicken sandwiches courtesy of our local

Chick-fil-A, and students left full, fired up, and ready to share their own stories. For one young man, the day was just the beginning. He not only decided to head to the OSU Kickoff that night, he also set his mind to get baptized there - and he did! Storytellers was made possible by a generous grant from the Luis Palau Association, and we’re so grateful for their support of student trainings like this one. We can’t wait to see how God uses these young, adventurous leaders, and we’re already looking forward to the next Storytellers!