The One

The gospel is ever so present on my mind during the Easter season. I love spending time studying the story of Jesus’s death and resurrection and reflecting on its implications for my life. I’ve heard the Easter story since elementary school, but the obedience of one person led me to the foot of the cross for the very first time as a teenager.

I switched schools my sophomore year. Switching schools is never easy, but to make matters even worse on my first day, I discovered I was not assigned a locker. While everyone was putting away their belongings, I was left to figure out what to do with an armful of paperwork and a loaded backpack!

That same day, a girl named Kelsey also found herself without a locker. We were eventually assigned lockers next to one another and became fast friends. Kelsey was bubbly and kind…and in a world (aka high school) where girls were generally looking out for themselves, it was clear that Kelsey’s friendship was genuine and caring. She was consistently present and encouraging, and she invited me to things. We would study, go to the park, or get sno cones together. Kelsey also invited me to this thing called youth group, which I’d never heard of in my entire life, let alone went to it.

Through Kelsey’s obedience and the discipleship of that church, I experienced the life-changing power of the gospel. During that season of life, the Lord did other incredible things that led my mom and I to become part of the church family – we even got baptized on the same day! Over the next several years, that congregation invested in me through multi-generational discipleship, domestic and international missions, countless opportunities to lead and serve, and eventually an offer to join the staff part-time.

While the Lord had pursued me for a long time, Kelsey’s obedience “watered” a seed that had been planted early in my childhood. I am so thankful for her invitation all those years ago and her focus on investing in me.

Sometimes sharing the gospel can feel like an overwhelming task, but I am constantly reminded of the impact that can be made when we focus our prayer and efforts on even just ONE person. Kelsey’s obedience is also a constant reminder that students can make a huge difference in the lives of other students!

 

Here are some ways you can encourage girls to invite a friend to church:

• Create a prayer wall for girls to write the name of the friends they want to invite and spend time praying over those names regularly.
• Encourage students to use social media during a particular time in the service to share what they’re learning and invite others to join. You might even provide Facebook or Instagram images for them to use.
• Create invitation cards. Inviting others can be intimidating, but shareable cards allow students to pass along the information easily!
• Give away t-shirts for guests and the girls who bring them!

 

What are some ways you encourage your girls to invest in others around them? Share in the comments below!