God sees the one

Across the mission week, we saw over 2,500 students in schools and 400 young people come to the LIFT gig – and 118 of them responded to the gospel, along with one adult! 

One of the most moving moments came from a parent, Gemma*, who’d only come because the youth group was short of drivers and she volunteered to help. What began as a practical lift became a divine appointment. She chose to stay for the whole event, listened closely to the gospel, and made the decision to give her life to Jesus.

Gemma’s daughter had become a Christian and been baptised last year, and she and her church had been faithfully praying for her mum to encounter Jesus. Gemma’s response to the gospel at LIFT felt like a remarkable answer to prayer and a clear reminder that God sees, pursues, and transforms the one. With her daughter already part of the church community, Gemma is already getting plugged in.

For us, it’s not just about responses on the night but making disciples. Off the back of the LIFT gig, we’re running Youth Alpha in one youth group and two schools. In the very first week, more than 30 young people came to these sessions, and weeks later, there’s still a buzz around the schools. Many students are coming along with questions, wrestling with the decisions they’re making and exploring what a life with Jesus looks like.

Whilst delivering one Alpha Youth session at a school in the Valleys with a local church, team member Alice got the chance to work with a group of girls each week who were asking lots of questions about faith. After the session on the Holy Spirit, Alice asked if she could pray for the girls to receive the Holy Spirit. The girls were excited and there was an incredible moment in the school where Alice got to pray for the Holy Spirit to fill the girls IN SCHOOL – how amazing.

And this was just the start. We saw so much of God’s goodness throughout the week.

When one of the high schools unexpectedly closed its doors to us, we pivoted and were able to go into a PRU instead. Hearing band OTC share their stories with these young people — offering hope where it was deeply needed — was again a reminder that God’s pursuit is personal and intentional. The closed door at the school became an open door elsewhere. We also had the opportunity to visit a youth group and a Christian Union, where around 20 young people heard the gospel, and eight of them responded and came to the LIFT gig! 

As well as sharing the gospel with young people through mission, we’re also passionate about equipping young people to share the good news of Jesus with their friends and family too. So during the mission week in Cardiff, we connected with two youth groups and two Christian Unions, training 104 young people to share the gospel. It’s disciples making disciples.

To end the week, we also ran our first Charge Day of the year in Wales, where six young people stepped out to try street evangelism for the very first time. We went to a local park in small groups, and one group had a particularly meaningful 20-minute conversation with a dad, his daughter (who isn’t a Christian), and another passerby. They shared the4points of the gospel, offered prayer, and talked about next steps toward Jesus. 

The woman expressed interest in attending church, and in that conversation, the young people discovered that one of their teachers — someone they see every week — is a Christian who has already played a key role in the father’s journey to faith too.

At the beginning of the day, most of the young people rated their courage to share the gospel around 4 out of 10, which made it all the more powerful to watch them step out in faith and grow in confidence as the Holy Spirit gave them what they needed in each moment. It was amazing to see.

From beginning to end, the entire week carried one unmistakable theme: God sees the one, pursues the one, and transforms the one.