Students and young adults from across the UK gathered this July for WILDHOPE with one simple aim: three days of training camp... and then go, go, go!
The summer holidays can often feel like a quiet season for student mission. Campuses empty, students head home, and it can seem like evangelism presses pause until September. But WILDHOPE flips that on its head. YWAM, Hope Together, Agape and Fusion come together each year to fire up students and young adults for Mission. Five teams were sent out across the Midlands, each hosted by local churches, with one agenda: to share the gospel with as many people as possible.
And God moved.
- Beeston saw 17 people give their lives to Jesus in just five days.
- Lenton hosted a community BBQ where burgers were eaten, friendships were formed, and many people heard the gospel.
- Coventry saw an entire youth group make a commitment to go all in for Jesus.
- Leicester witnessed family members of people from the local church encounter Jesus for the very first time.
Every team came back with stories of answered prayer, bold conversations, and lives being transformed. But one conversation in particular has stayed with me.
A young guy was walking past wearing a cross necklace, so one of the team asked him, "Are you a Christian?"
His response was immediate.
"No, I can't be a Christian because I smoke weed."
The christian smiled and replied,
"Do you wash yourself before you get in the shower? Or do you get in the shower to get clean?"
He paused.
"That's what Jesus is like. Don't try to clean yourself up before coming to Him. Just come as you are. And if there are things in your life that need to change, He'll walk through that with you."
That simple picture opened the door to a conversation about the gospel.
Eventually came the question:
"Do you have any good reason why you can't give your life to Jesus right now?"
He thought for a moment.
"No."
"So... shall we pray?"
Right there and then, he gave his life to Jesus.
Stories like these remind us that the gospel is still the power of God for salvation. People are looking for hope and we have a WILDHOPE to share.
As we look ahead to a new academic year, we're praying that what happened during WILDHOPE doesn't stay in the summer. We're believing for students across the UK to return to their campuses with fresh boldness, ready to see their friends, course mates, and whole universities encounter Jesus.
