Students at Youth Evangelism Conference respond to call to service

GARLAND—For some, it happened as tears rolled down their cheeks. For others, it took place as they were kneeling quietly. But for most, they simply raised their hands.

The students were called. And their lives changed.

Teenagers reacted differently to hearing the gospel during the Baptist General Convention of Texas Youth Evangelism Conference, but whether they showed an outpouring of emotion or stood in stoic reflection, they were affected.

Students made professions of faith, rededicated themselves to Christ and strengthened relationships within their youth groups. They answered a call to vocational ministry. They responded to a call to evangelize their campuses.

Leighton Flowers, director of BGCT youth evangelism, said God moved through the conference to change young people’s lives. Leading up to the event, every person who attended the conference was prayed for, and counselors and youth group leaders continue to follow up on each decision.

“All are called. If you are a believer, you are called. You don’t have to sit around and wait for (God) … to call you to spread the good news. You are already called,” Flowers said.

“The calling to the non-believer is the call to Christ, the call to come, the call to all you who are heavy laden, come, and I will give you rest. It’s a universal calling to all mankind. Not all will respond. Not all will come. But all are called.”

Gordon Banks, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver and current senior pastor of New Heart Worship Center in Auburn, Wash., calls people to Christ during the BGCT Youth Evangelism Conference.

The event was part of Texas Hope 2010, an initiative that encourages Christians to pray for un-believers, care for people in need and share the gospel with every Texan by Easter 2010.

Featured speakers Gregg Matte, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Houston, and Gordon Banks, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver and current senior pastor of New Heart Worship Center in Auburn, Wash., urged students to grow closer to God through studying the Bible and praying, using that as a foundation to spread the gospel with others in their schools and beyond.

More than 100 students exemplified what it means to respond to God’s call as they were commissioned to spread the gospel in Tokyo as part of Super Summer Global.

During the commissioning, parents prayed with students, students prayed with each other and the Youth Evangelism Conference crowd prayed for the trip.

Flowers believes mission trips like the one to Tokyo affect students’ view of the world and how they minister in it. Going to a place like Japan, where there is little evangelical Christian presence, students see the need for sharing the gospel in Texas, he said.

“Students are changing Texas by changing Tokyo,” Flowers said.

“When a student gets out of his bubble and goes to a place where there is darkness, he begins to appreciate the light he has at home and tries to spread it.”