In a large tent erected on the grounds of Campion Academy, students gathered each evening for a week to hear classmates present their beliefs about some of Christianity’s toughest questions: Is God real? Is God on my side? Why should we keep the Sabbath? Tent walls were dismantled one night to allow for enough chairs to be set up to accommodate the people. Other nights, clouds gathered and rain threatened. Yet, the palpable enthusiasm of the speakers and their classmates spoke to church members and visitors alike.
Coordinated by Nestor Soriano, Campion’s pastor for evangelism, Wildfire was held as a community outreach as well as an opportunity for Adventist youth to make Jesus real in their lives.
Mentored by Soriano, Xander Assa prayed for weeks that God would touch one person through his talk titled What Happens When We Die? “At first,” Xander explains, “no one came forward for my appeal.” He told the audience he had been praying for someone there. “Then,” he explains, “I saw seven of my friends come up.” His enthusiasm was uncontainable as he related the moment that God worked through him.
“There’s nothing more exciting to me than seeing these young people own and share their faith,” said Soriano. One student’s message helped another student understand that Jesus’ perfect life will be credited to her in the judgment.
Local pastors coached student presenters in preparation for their talks. “My whole life now is focused on teaching kids Christ-centered preaching,” states retired evangelist Phil Jones. “These kids are awesome. They’re preaching for a decision that will change lives.”
Invited through flyers and personal invitation, four or five people from the Loveland community attended each night. Several individuals requested to be baptized at the conclusion of the series.
To see more reports, search #wildfire2016 on Instagram and Facebook, or look at Campion’s newsupdates. Check out more photos
Jennifer Sigler teaches English at Campion Academy. Madison Kamarad is a student at Campion.
