Making a difference, one conversation at a time

USA (MNN) — Making a difference through action, like donating to your favorite cause or distributing Bibles, is fairly easy.

But when it comes to sharing your faith out loud, do you ever get tongue-tied?

“I was pretty nervous to do that,” admits student worker Reagan Hoezee. “I haven’t done anything like [sharing] the Gospel, I guess, with anyone.”

Hoezee, a journalism major at Cornerstone University, began writing for MNN this Spring. Right now, he’s putting his faith into action, and making a difference at the same time, on a short-term mission trip to Philadelphia’s inner city.

As the team meets people at their point of need, they get a chance to talk about life’s deeper issues. While playing games with inner city kids, or helping out at a local soup kitchen, Hoezee and his fellow missionaries form relationships with the people they meet.

Somewhere along the line, conversations with people like “Raul” often turn spiritual.

“He sells drugs on the street just to survive, and that’s his only income,” explains Hoezee.

Raul claims to be a Christ-follower but spends most of his days on the streets, using and abusing drugs. Though he’s been sober for a few days, Raul admits that once he has money again, he’ll be back in the same downward cycle.

“We just…talked to him about how through Jesus, you can find complete freedom from that addiction, that no addiction or problem is beyond God’s control,” says Hoezee.

“It wasn’t like we saw any kind of big commitment or life change right before our eyes, but…I felt like we planted some seeds.”

Please pray that Raul and others like him will accept Christ as not just Savior but Lord of their lives.

Keep Hoezee and his fellow missionaries in your prayers, too. The team is made up of a youth group and its leaders from Jamestown Baptist Church in Hudsonville, MI. On this trip, they’re serving alongside Vision for Youth.

Hoezee is one of the team’s older members, but all of them can still be categorized in the wider “Millennials” category. And, according to Barna Research Group, this short-term mission trip is one example of why Millennials are “the most evangelistic generation.”

“While the evangelistic practices of all other generations have either declined or remained static in the past few years, Millennials are the only generation among whom evangelism is significantly on the rise,” reads a 2013 study of evangelism from Barna.

“Their faith-sharing practices have escalated from 56% in 2010 to 65% in 2013.”

Passionate about truly making a difference, Millennials are committed to righting injustice and sharing the Truth of Scripture with those in need. Pray that the Lord will use these young people to accomplish His will and purposes in Philadelphia’s inner city.