Teenagers lead 5 to Christ at Wendy”s restaurant

ARLINGTON—South Texas cheerleaders in a crowded Wendy’s restaurant near the University of Texas at Arlington wound up with more than fast food on a recent Saturday. The girls had a life-changing encounter with Christ due to the boldness of teens attending the SBTC’s Student Evangelism Conference (SEC) North at Arlington’s Fielder Church, Jan. 15-16.

“We encouraged the [students] to pray for one person to share the gospel with,” said Bobby Worthington, Criswell College associate professor of missions and evangelism who assisted at SEC North and South, held Jan. 22-23 at San Antonio’s Castle Hills First Baptist Church.

Worthington accompanied youth from First Baptist Church of Bells to Wendy’s where they discovered that students from First Baptist Church Paris had just shared Christ with the cheerleaders.

 “I talked to the cheerleader coach to let her know we were with a youth conference and asked if some of our girls could talk to hers,” said Nate Law, FBC Paris student pastor.

A college cheerleader accompanying the group from FBC Paris facilitated the encounter, Law said. “That just opened up the door big time [with the sponsor].”

Law challenged two high school girls to share their faith with half the 10-member squad while a college student shared with the others. Four of the cheerleaders trusted Christ.

“Our girls stayed in touch with them afterward, texting them and sharing scriptures,” Law said.

Cheerleaders weren’t the only ones saved at Wendy’s that day.

Worthington and the FBC Bells students met Keith, whose car had stalled in the parking lot. After helping jumpstart Keith’s car, Worthington invited him into the restaurant and bought him lunch. “He seemed interested. We sat around the table. As I shared the gospel with him, the students began to talk, too.”

The Holy Spirit’s presence was clear, Worthington said. Keith trusted Christ at Wendy’s while restaurant employees watched.

The 2016 SEC North and South events drew a total of 1,708 students from all over Texas, SBTC student ministry associate Garrett Wagoner told the TEXAN.

“We challenge lost students to come to Christ, and we equip saved students to share their faith,” Wagoner said, reporting 130 salvations among SEC attendees, 13 salvations from evangelism efforts, 28 calls to ministry and 58 requests for baptism.

“We are seeing a generation of students embrace the gospel and accept the challenge to take the gospel to Texas and to the ends of the earth,” Wagoner said. “There is a real harvest among teenagers today, and we believe that we can see a true movement of God when teenagers are challenged with the gospel.”