The results have been notable. During this year\u2019s Revolution event Sept. 11-14, nearly 200 students \u2013 the highest number since Pearce began \u2013 attended.<\/p>\n \u201cI think kids are really hungry for something that\u2019s real,\u201d Pearce said. \u201cThey\u2019re hungry for truth. Kids are interested to hear what\u2019s being said. They\u2019re advertised to all the time. And I think they, especially right now, want to hear truth.\u201d<\/p>\n First Baptist in Crawfordville hosted the event but partnered with other local churches, with a different youth minister teaching a different section in 1 John each night. Such an approach models cooperation among churches for the students, Pearce said, and it helps the youth build relationships with godly leaders from other congregations.<\/p>\n Stephen Attaway, the youth pastor at Sopchoppy Southern Baptist Church, in Sopchoppy, Fla., brought about 20 of his students each evening.<\/p>\n He echoed Pearce\u2019s sentiment that students today are craving the basics of reading God\u2019s Word and fellowshipping with one another.<\/p>\n \u201cUltimately, students just want something genuine,\u201d Attaway said.<\/p>\n He was encouraged each evening when debriefing with his youth on their way home.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was really cool being able to sit and talk with them and look at their notes,\u201d Attaway said. \u201cThey would show me their notebooks and talk about what they got from the event.\u201d<\/p>\n Other churches involved were Grace Baptist Church and Lake Ellen Baptist Church in Crawfordville and a local Assembly of God congregation. A worship team from Baptist University of Florida also came to lead worship and interact with the students.<\/p>\n Pearce said one of the results of this annual Bible study event is that competition between churches in the area, among youth, is almost gone. Students are encouraging other students to attend churches that are the closest to them geographically.<\/p>\n Another result is increased evangelistic efforts among youth. Although the Bible study\u2019s focus has shifted from evangelism to discipleship, Pearce said it has been effective in teaching students how to share their faith with their friends.<\/p>\n \u201cStudents are actually sharing the Gospel,\u201d Pearce said. \u201cThey\u2019re inviting kids to church, which is not something that I\u2019ve seen as much. Most of the church growth around here has been biological before and now, especially at our church, we\u2019re seeing a lot of people who aren\u2019t connected to our church through families \u2013 a lot of kids coming because their friends invited them and were sharing the Gospel with them, and they wanted to hear what was all this about.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryan Ladwig, a high school junior and member of the youth group at Crawfordville First Baptist, said he attributes the event\u2019s continued success to the fellowship and to students\u2019 interest in verse-by-verse teaching.<\/p>\n \u201cThey really helped to put 1 John in clearly understood wording,\u201d Ladwig said. \u201cThey talked about how to testify when you\u2019re talking to someone who\u2019s interested in Christianity.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Tim Ellsworth CRAWFORDVILLE, Fla. (BP) \u2013 An annual youth evangelism event at First Baptist Church had been slowly dwindling when Tyler Pearce started as student pastor four years ago. 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