The Bold Philosophy That Is Raising Cities and Reaching Nations for Christ
Part 1 of 2
By Sheila-Ann Bender
In short: Greg Stier, Founder and Visionary of Dare 2 Share Ministries, loves teenagers and longs to see them transformed into passionate disciple-makers. That love—combined with a clear calling from God to reach the next generation—led him to launch Dare 2 Share in 1991 while serving as both a church planter and teaching pastor.
With more than one billion teenagers alive today—the largest youth generation in history—Dare 2 Share’s vision is urgent: every teen, everywhere, hearing the gospel from a friend.
What Sparked the Dare 2 Share Movement?
April 20, 1999, changed everything.
On that day, Greg was hosting a Dare 2 Share event entitled When All Hell Breaks Loose, based on Ephesians 6:10–20. It was being held just twenty minutes away from Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado.
A pastor interrupted the gathering with sobering words: “All hell has broken loose at Columbine High School. You might want to stop and pray.”
The shooting claimed 13 lives—along with the suicides of the two young shooters—and injured more than twenty others. The tragedy struck painfully close to home. Greg’s wife, Debbie, taught at a neighboring high school, and he had ministered to many Columbine students through the years.
As he prayed with grieving families gathered in a nearby park, two questions burned inside his heart:
- Were the students who died saved?
- What if the shooters had been led to Christ before this tragedy unfolded?
After much prayer, Greg stepped down from pastoral ministry to devote himself fully to Dare 2 Share, convinced that the greatest way to serve the Church at large was to mobilize teenagers to share the gospel with their peers.
Who Is Greg Stier?
Greg’s passion for young people is deeply rooted in his own story. He grew up in a gang-influenced neighborhood in inner-city Denver, far removed from the stability and spiritual nurture many associate with those called into ministry. He never knew his father and describes his upbringing with characteristic candor:
“I grew up in a family of body-building, tobacco-chewing, beer-drinking thugs.”
It is not bitterness in his voice—but gratitude. God eventually rescued him and his family from that environment.
In fact, Greg’s life nearly ended before it began. When his mother became pregnant, she considered abortion. It was only through the loving intervention of a believing aunt and uncle living in Boston that she chose to carry him to term.
As a middle-school student, Greg encountered Jesus Christ—and everything began to change. Almost immediately, he began sharing his faith, starting in his own home. After years of faithful witness, his mother surrendered her life to Christ. From that moment forward, Greg believed in two things without wavering: the power of the gospel and the potential of teenagers.
What Does “Go Young” Mean?
Long before Dare 2 Share became a global movement, Greg sat under the influence of a bold southern hillbilly youth pastor nicknamed “Yankee.”
Before Greg himself met Christ in middle school, Yankee bravely went up to the front door of one of Greg’s rough and tough uncles to share the gospel with him using a Bible, wallet, and his right and left hands to illustrate how God’s love covers a multitude of sins (the full story is found in Greg Stier’s book Unlikely Fighter). Both the uncle and his wife received Christ during that one brief visit from Greg’s future youth leader.
“If you want to raise a city for Christ, you gotta go young.”
Yankee did not wait for teenagers to “grow up” before giving them a mission. Immediately after their conversions, he trained them to share the gospel.
Every Friday night, nearly one hundred teenagers from that inner-city youth group went out to football games, malls, and community hangouts to share their faith. Evangelism was not an event—it was a lifestyle.
By the time Greg graduated from high school, he had personally shared the gospel with nearly 5,000 teenagers.
Before launching Dare 2 Share, patterned after Yankee’s model, Greg wrestled with a bold question: “What if Yankee’s youth ministry philosophy was multiplied in youth ministries around the world?”
The answer? Since 1991, more than 60,000 youth groups globally have embraced that philosophy.
Is Teen Evangelism Biblical?
This approach is not merely strategic—it is biblical.
Many scholars believe several of Jesus’ disciples were teenagers or young men. For over three years, Jesus discipled them and sent them out to proclaim the good news, and after His resurrection, He gave them the Great Commission—to go and make disciples of all nations.
Greg often summarizes Dare 2 Share’s conviction this way:
“If our teens can quote Scripture, but can’t share the Savior, we’ve missed the very heart of what Jesus called us to do.”
Evangelism and discipleship are two sides of the same coin.
What Is “Life in 6 Words”?
At the heart of Dare 2 Share’s training is a simple, memorable framework called Life in 6 Words (G.O.S.P.E.L.):
God created us to be with Him.
Our sins separate us from God.
Sins cannot be removed by good deeds.
Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again.
Everyone who trusts in Him alone has eternal life.
Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever.
Now available in 24 languages through a mobile app, this tool equips teens worldwide to clearly and confidently share the gospel.
Why Do Today’s Teenagers Need the Gospel?
There are more than one billion teenagers in the world today—the largest youth generation in history. Yet suicide ranks among the top five causes of death among adolescents ages 10–19.
Social media has intensified comparison and inward focus, creating fragile identities and relentless self-evaluation. Is it any wonder so many teens struggle with anxiety and depression?
Dare 2 Share believes the gospel answers the deepest needs of this generation: identity as a child of God, belonging in Christ-centered community, and purpose in sharing Christ with others.
A Father’s Testimony
Greg witnessed this truth in his own home. During her teenage years, his daughter Kailey battled anxiety and depression. Along with Christian counseling and art therapy, Greg trained her to share her faith and began taking her and her friends to minister among the homeless in inner-city Denver while he stood guard a safe distance away.
One day, when a homeless man angrily told Kailey to leave, Greg’s heart pounded, prepared to intervene. Instead, Kailey amazed her proud dad by calmly telling that man that she would not go until he heard how much Jesus loved him.
Over time, as her focus shifted outward instead of inward, her anxiety began to loosen its grip.
“If you look internally too long, it IS depressing. The gospel not only rescues the lost—it strengthens the messenger.”
Greg concludes, “There is a huge uptick—especially among young men—going back to church. There is a spiritual hunger and openness unlike I’ve ever seen before. This generation wants answers. We need to seize the moment.”
How Is Dare 2 Share Mobilizing This Generation?
From the annual Lead the Cause event in Denver, Colorado, to the Energize Youth Ministry Conference and the worldwide Global Youth Evangelism Day, Dare 2 Share is mobilizing a generation to share the gospel.
Through free training resources, webinars, podcasts, and the Life in 6 Words app, the ministry equips teens and their leaders with practical tools to confidently reach their friends, communities, and ultimately the world for Christ.
60,000+
youth groups worldwide embracing the philosophy since 1991
1 Billion+
teenagers alive today—the largest youth generation in history
24
languages available through the Life in 6 Words app
Key Takeaways
Don’t Wait for Teens to “Grow Up”
This philosophy trains teenagers immediately after conversion. Young believers are not too inexperienced to share their faith—they often have more natural connections to unreached peers than adults do.
Evangelism Heals the Evangelist
As Greg’s daughter Kailey discovered, shifting focus outward loosens the grip of anxiety and depression. The gospel not only rescues the lost—it strengthens those who share it.
Simple Tools Enable Confidence
The Life in 6 Words (G.O.S.P.E.L.) framework gives teenagers a clear, memorable way to articulate the gospel. Confidence in sharing grows when young people have a structure to follow.
This Generation Is Hungry
Despite cultural narratives about declining faith, there is unprecedented spiritual openness among young people today—especially young men returning to church. The harvest is ready!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Dare 2 Share?
Dare 2 Share is a nonprofit ministry founded by Greg Stier in 1991 that equips teenagers to share the gospel and make disciples. Through training events, apps, and resources for youth leaders, the ministry has reached over 60,000 youth groups worldwide.
What is the Life in 6 Words app?
Life in 6 Words is a mobile app available in 24 languages that teaches the G.O.S.P.E.L. framework—a simple, memorable way to share the Christian faith. Each letter represents a key truth about God, sin, Jesus, and eternal life.
How can youth groups get involved with Dare 2 Share?
Youth groups can attend events like Lead the Cause and Global Youth Evangelism Day, download free training resources from dare2share.org, use the Life in 6 Words app, and access curriculum designed to train teenagers as disciple-makers.
Why focus on teenagers for evangelism?
With over one billion teenagers alive today, reaching young people has unprecedented potential impact. Teenagers have natural peer networks, cultural influence, and decades ahead to live as disciple-makers. Many of Jesus’ original disciples were likely teenagers themselves.
Does sharing the gospel help with teen mental health?
Greg Stier has observed that outward-focused mission helps teenagers struggling with anxiety and depression. When young people shift from internal self-focus to serving and sharing with others, many experience relief. This complements—but does not replace—professional counseling when needed.
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Ready to mobilize your youth group for the gospel? Visit dare2share.org for information on free resources, training events, webinars, Greg Stier’s podcast and published books, and tools to equip the next generation as disciple-makers.
Coming in Part 2: The global impact of Dare 2 Share, stories of teen martyrdom, and the movement’s vision for reaching one billion teenagers.
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About the Author
Sheila-Ann Bender is a writer and ministry contributor who documents stories of faith and transformation. She specializes in sharing testimonies of God’s work through organizations reaching the next generation with the gospel.
About Dare 2 Share Ministries
Dare 2 Share Ministries was founded in 1991 by Greg Stier with a vision to see every teen, everywhere, hear the gospel from a friend. The ministry equips youth leaders and teenagers through training events, the Life in 6 Words app, and extensive free resources. Over 60,000 youth groups worldwide have embraced the Dare 2 Share philosophy. Learn more at dare2share.org.
