Challenge 2008

The Dare2Share website is full of great stuff. Tons of videos, weekly devotions, Greg's blog, and more.

Dare 2 Share Ministries is committed to affecting positive change in the increasingly troubled generation of teens. As you are probably aware, it certainly doesn't take a genius to see the alarming and even frightening trends that are painting the current picture of the youth culture in dark and depressive tones. Even at first blush, a casual observer of the statistics will see a marked rise in every major area of dysfunctional and high-risk behavior in youth.

Zach will be sharing with during the week one our seminars. This is an amazing story of being used by God. Who said you need to be an adult to change the world?

Zach is the author of Be the Change (Check out the youtube video)--a book that will let your students find out how Zach is making a difference and how they can make changes to the things they see wrong with our world.

Well, He is calling you to exactly that! You have been chosen by your youth pastor to be the contact person in your youth group for the Challenge 2008 Prayer Army. Get ready: you are about to have a part in changing lives. James 5:16 says, "The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results" (NLT). Though God is sovereign and almighty, in His wisdom He has granted an incredible amount of power to us through prayer.

That's why your position on the prayer army is so important! We know that God wants to use Challenge 2008 to massively affect thousands of people. If that happens through this conference, it will not be because the speakers were incredible, the lead worshipers were passionate, or the seminars were exceptionally good. It will be because God chose to act. And, as unbelievable as it may seem to us, often God waits to act until His people pray. What does all this mean for us? It means that God's answer to our prayers will be what makes Challenge 2008 a life-changing experience.

So what does being a part of the Prayer Army mean? It means, first of all, that you are a prayer warrior for this conference. And secondly, it means that you are a recruiter--it's your job to bring your youth group on board with prayer for the conference! We'll send you monthly newsletters to encourage you in your prayer life. Then it's your job to spread your excitement for prayer to others. Once you arrive in Salt lake City, it will be your job to bring as much of your youth group as you can to the Prayer Army time (every night, one hour before the rally). During these times, you will prepare your heart as well as plead for God to do the massive work that only He can do during the rally.

But don't wait until you get to Salt Lake! The Prayer Army is active now. Pray daily for the conference--maybe every night before you go to bed or every morning while you get ready for school. And pray with others. We'd like to encourage you to get together with your youth pastor and student partner to pray for Challenge 2008. Pray for those still considering whether or not they will go. Pray for the finances your group needs. James 4:2 says, "The reason you don't have what you want is that you don't ask God for it" (NLT).

We look forward to partnering, praying, and meeting you personally at Challenge.
In Christ,

Glenn Olson
Challenge prayer coordinator

It's easy for prayer to become somewhat of a habit--a one-sided conversation during which we sometimes forget Who it is we're talking to. We forget that the power of prayer is not in prayer itself, but in the One we're praying to.

Solomon, known for his wisdom, wrote, "Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few....Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God" (Ecclesiastes 5:1-2,7, NIV). If you were with us for Challenge 2006, you probably remember the awesome prayer testimonies and praying.

How often do you do that? If you're like most, the answer is probably rarely--if ever. Sometimes we're convicted of the need to listen and worship God more, to spend time in silence before Him, and so we try. And we find ourselves easily distracted, impatient, and very quickly either have proceeded to our list of prayer requests or quit praying altogether.

Why do we find it so difficult? Too often, I believe, we try to "force it." We sit in silence because it's something we think we're supposed to do. On the other hand, in those times like we experienced at Challenge 2006, when we've just been shown a glimpse of the absolute greatness, hugeness, and holiness of God, all we can do it stand in awe. What words could we possibly bring?

I'm convinced that what we need is not to learn the right things, but to see. The more we see of the awesomeness of God, the more the right actions--and the right way of praying--will follow. So as you spend time in prayer in the month, ask God to show you more of Him. Learn to listen and allow Him to do so. Be prepared to learn the sacredness of silence.

Prayer, after all, is not about getting God on board with our agenda. It's more like allowing ourselves to get on board with His. And we can only do that when we know how His heart beats...when we take the time to listen.

Seeking God with you,

Glenn Olson

Hosea 10:12 says, "Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord" (NLT). That's the call we're holding out right now.

You see, it's quite possible that thousands of us could gather next month in Salt Lake City, UT, hear incredible messages, sing great songs, have fun hanging out with our friends, and leave entirely unchanged, if our hearts are hard. On the other hand, if we come with hearts softened and prepared, there's no limit to what God can do through that week. He could bring us to the point of total surrender, radically transform us, and raise us up as an army to take His fame to every person on the planet who does not know Him.

There's a lot that God will do. He will do whatever it takes to confront us with the truth. But He asks us to prepare our hearts. How soft is your heart? Are there areas you've refused to surrender? Are there aspects of your life that you just haven't allowed God to investigate and clean out lately? How sensitive are you to His conviction and direction?

Now, says Hosea, is the time to seek the Lord. Start plowing the ground now. Don't wait until we arrive in Utah.

If you look through the Bible, you will find that most intense times of seeking God, repentance, and desperate prayer were accompanied by fasting. Fasting is a very tangible way in which we can set our heart, mind, and entire being on God. The natural desire that we have for food can be deliberately directed to God, allowing us to see our desperate need for Him.

The Challenge 2008 team has set aside Wednesday, June 25, as a day of prayer and fasting for the conference. I'm writing this to you to encourage you to take this day seriously. You don't have to fast the whole day. You can give up dinner. Or breakfast. Or TV. Or anything else that you feel you couldn't live without. Let God fill that spot in your life. You don't have to wait until June 25, either. You can start now (although it might not be wise to fast all food for a few weeks...). All we ask is that you intentionally give up something in order to set your heart more fully on God as we approach the dates of Challenge 2008. And that you pray.

Pray for the speakers, the lead worshipers, the drama teams--pray for their personal holiness, clear direction from God, and sensitivity to the Spirit. Pray for every group that will be going--for safety, prepared hearts, and transformed lives. Pray for the youth leaders--for rest, renewal, wisdom, and openness to God. Pray for the outreach and ministry projects--for effectiveness and right hearts. Pray for Salt Lake --that we would make a dramatic difference in that place. Pray for God's will, His way, His glory.

Praying with you,

Glenn Olson

A note from Jon

Hello, all who would visit the Challenge 08 blogs. It's Jon here, younger brother to Tim, guitar player, etc, etc. I wanted to write a quick note, as Challenge is just over a week away. It's always good to be prepared before visiting a new city, so here's a few things I've learned about Salt Lake City in hours of studying:

- it was originally called Great Salt Lake City
- it has a population of about 178,000
- it was founded in 1847
- it has a strong outdoor tourism industry

Ok, I took all that off of wikipedia in about 30 seconds - I actually know nothing about Salt Lake City. But here's all I really need to know - I'm going to be there in like 3 weeks, I'm bringing a guitar, and I'm excited to join with a bunch of students who are seeking God. I'm excited about a climate that is characterized as semi-arid steppe with four distinct seasons! (Ok, I'm back at wikipedia. I'll stop.)

See you soon...
Jon

For the first time, we will be video streaming two of our rallies. Monday Night with Jimmy Dorrell and Starfield as well as Tuesday Morning with JD Greear and Starfield. If you have broadband access you will get to see what the students and leaders get to see. For those of you parents back home wondering about what is going on, this will be your ticket inside. We have opened up enough bandwith for up to 700 people at one time. If you have trouble, just try back an hour later. The content will be available through the end of July. Just a note, you will not be able to download this video.

Times will be posted Sunday Night with the actual times of the video streams.

After thousands of hours of driving and just as many gallons of fuel, youth groups from all over the U.S. have arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah. We had groups breakdown, encounter large moving animal objects across the road, to groups flights being cancelled. Over 5400 students, leaders and staff are ready to be challenged by God through worship and His Word. There was a lot of exictement when the doors for the rally opened up. However, before the doors even opened, we had over 700 Challenge Conference attendees spend time in prayer to commit the week to the Lord.

The rally featured Francis Chan (Challenge speaker 2002, 2004 & 2006) who challenged the groups to have the right picture of who God and Jesus are. It also featured some amazing new songs of worship led by Starfield (new worship leaders in 2008). It also featured Curt Cloninger doing some drama as well as the Utah Dream Team.

We will also post the Francis Chan message online, Monday Night.

Sunday Night Pictures. . . Click Below!

Our Challenge "Sojourn" has started today focus was on helping the needy and marginalized on our society and world. We were blessed to hear from Zach Hunter, a 16 year old student, who is changing the lives of the those in slavery one at a time. It was followed by an amzing time in Worship with Starfield.

New to the Challenge Conference is JD Greear, our morning rally speaker. JD's stories from his own life and the church he pastors left the students encouraged to make a difference.

The afternoon options featured a Compassion Forum with Zach Hunter, Francis Chan and Jimmy Dorrell (Monday Night Rally Speaker), and seminars such seminars as "Understanding our LDS friends", "Answers in Genesis" and Bible Quizzing.

If that wasn't enough already, we also had over 600 students participate in Ministry and Service Projects as well as Recreational Tournaments.

Click below for pictures.

This is the first installment of our Morning Rewind Videos that look back at some of the highlights of the last 24 hours.

Jimmy Dorrell speaks about reaching those that have been forgotten. Download it by clicking on the title.