On a Saturday afternoon in London, young Christians from different backgrounds came together by the same reason: they want to be used by God.

Over a dozen boys and girls gathered to attend Pursuit, a three-hour seminar, hosted by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), designed to help young believers grow in their faith and give them practical skills on how to share their faith.

Equipping believers has always been a vital part of BGEA’s ministry. That’s why over a hundred Christian Life and Witness Course and Pursuit classes are being held across London in preparation for when Franklin Graham returns to London this summer to share the same Gospel message.

Kicking off the seminar, Pursuit Leader Reuben Morley asked: “Who here tries to be a good Christian?”

Almost every person in attendance raised their hand.

“Trying to be a good Christian can be hard,” Reuben said. “Especially when we’re angry, or we when we don’t like being told what to do. It can be hard to obey.”

As an example, Reuben explained how it can be hard to obey to our parents, even when we know that they love us and only want the best for us. “As Christians, we’re called to obey our parents,” he said. “And on a deeper level,” he continued, “we’re called to obey God.”

This resonated with John, a 17-year-old student from London. John is part of the worship band at his local church where Pursuit was held that afternoon.

He’d heard about the seminar at church and was encouraged by his mother to attend. But when it came to the morning of the class, he admitted not wanting to attend out of laziness.

After being urged by his mother to go, John made his way to the event. “I didn’t want to listen to her. I was angry and emotional coming here,” John confessed.

“But hearing what Reuben said about obeying our parents and being a good Christian, I immediately felt convicted for how I acted,” the teenager said. “I’m grateful that I listened to her because I want to go further with God. I want to be serious about sharing Jesus with others.”

John explained how half of the students at his school come from a Muslim background, with another large proportion labelling themselves as atheists.

“I want to encourage the people in my school to be Christians, and show them what our God can do.” – John

“Whilst I’ve been able to express my Christian faith freely, it’s been difficult to evangelise and share  the message that Jesus is the only and one true God,” John explained. “Most of my schoolmates follow Islam. They believe Jesus is a prophet, not God. I want them to know that Jesus is our Lord and He can save them.”

That’s why John has given up his Saturday afternoon to learn how to share his faith. He believes that it’s essential for young believers like him to share the truth about Christ, even in difficult environments. “The training has helped me with my effectiveness as a Christian. It’s taught me the importance of standing boldly for Jesus in a world where there are other religions,” he said.

“I want to encourage the people in my school to be Christians, and show them what our God can do,” John added.

With growing confidence in his ability to share Jesus, John plans to attend the event at the ExCeL London on the 26 August –  and he’s praying to even bring one of his friends. “I hope to bring someone from my school. Even though right now he says he’s an atheist, I know nothing is impossible with God.”

“I want to see his life changed by Jesus Christ,” the teenager said.

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