April 7, 2025

When you least expect it…

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I’m approaching my official 30-year anniversary at Dare 2 Share on October 23rd. It is crazy to think that I’ve been serving in ministry for almost half of my life. I will never forget the day I walked in to my church’s offices to talk with Pastor Greg about volunteering for the church. My husband Rick and I had been going to Grace Church for a couple of years (since 1991) and volunteering seemed like the “Christian” thing to do.

We loved our church. It felt real and raw without all the “churchy” stuff. But what captured our attention more than anything else was the commitment to share the simple Gospel message every single Sunday. This hope was offered to anyone and everyone every week, whether they had heard the message before or not. Gospel clarity and consistency was a foundational value for the church and the leadership knew that God would use that commitment to reach thousands while also training us through their modeling. If I was going to offer my time to something, it needed to be worthy. Since I was self-employed, I knew a significant amount of time had to lead to generating revenue. Volunteering for the church seemed like a logical next step in my faith journey.

What I wasn’t expecting, was that this young pastor would challenge this decision. I assumed he would just say “thank you” and send me away with a small project to tackle that utilized my gifting and expertise. Instead, he began to ask me questions. It felt more like an interview. I was a bit blindsided, but before I could process a response, he quickly moved on to telling me more about another ministry he recently launched – the ministry that is now known as Dare 2 Share. I was intrigued.

Greg’s entire body language morphed as he proceeded. When I had entered the office, his feet were up on the desk and he was leaning back in his chair, clearly contemplating something. Moving his feet to the ground, but still sitting back in his chair, one hand to his chin and the other folded across his stomach, he began his questioning. Then, when he shifted to talking about this other ministry, I could visibly see his passion ignite. Teenagers. He loved them and believed that they could change the world – if only they were given a chance.

In that moment I could sense that God was up to something. My heart was captured by the vision this man of God had for the next generation. I had no idea what would come next, but I wanted to learn more. I agreed to help. I would allocate a couple of hours each week to jump in wherever I was needed. The first step was to meet his co-founder and mentor, Jonathan.

Little did I know that God would use that innocent inquiry to change the trajectory of my entire career… and little did I know that He would also use the next three decades to teach me more about His character and His mission than I could ever imagine.

 

October 23, 2015

What would you do if…

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It may have been 25 years ago but I remember the conversation well. The lunch invitation came as a bit of a surprise to begin with since I hadn’t heard from Tom since I’d left the telecom company we’d both worked for months before. He had been released through one of the waves of reductions that were all too familiar in the high-tech industry in the late 80’s. He sounded eager to talk and was willing to make the hour or so drive to where I was now employed to share a quick meal.

It was great to see him. He and his wife were doing well. He was ready for the transition even though the timing was not his choice. He sought some advice but made it clear that he really just wanted to encourage me and thank me for my leadership. I was a bit embarrassed but very appreciative. How kind of him to come all this way to tell me that! Our time was comfortable and casual until he asked me a question that really caught me off guard… “Debb, what would you really do if you could do anything at all – if money and other responsibilities were all taken care of?”

First of all, I was only in my early thirties, and I’d already been reasonably successful (at least by the world’s standards), so I hadn’t really ever pondered a question like this before. Rick and I had just bought our first home. Our kindergarten son was enrolled in a good Christian school. Life was moving right along. My career ambition was to start my own company and I had a plan to accomplish that in less than 5 years. Tom pressed in with the question again, maybe because he sensed that my plans were somewhat shallow, or that there was more, I’m really not sure. However, after a few minutes of thought my response to him was, “I’d do something to help teenagers.” Then I went on to explain that it seemed like there just wasn’t enough support for kids during that season of their life. They needed something to draw them away from bad choices that would create baggage for them to carry the rest of their lives. I recalled briefly my own teen years with some regret, wishing I had made some different choices.

Today marks 20 years to saying yes to full-time ministry with Dare 2 Share. I had no idea this ministry even existed when I had lunch with Tom that day. But God obviously had a plan. I have had the privilege of playing a small role, albeit behind the scenes, in the lives of countless teenagers over those years and I’ll never get tired of hearing their stories.

Every once in awhile, I think about that brief encounter with Tom. Not only did God use him to plant a seed for future ministry in my heart, but his gratitude served as a foundation for developing a passion for leadership in my soul. There have been almost 200 co-laborers (not including the hundreds of volunteers) that have served or are still serving with D2S these past two decades. What a blessing to me to have been a part of their lives too! I have served alongside some amazing people that inspire me in so many ways. My life has been forever changed because of their friendship and love. My character has been strengthened because of their commitment to Christ. 

As I mark this milestone, I’m asking myself the question again. “What would you do if…?” And the answer is still the same.