Since 2006, Dare to be a Daniel has been helping Christian students share their faith and make a difference in their schools for Jesus Christ. The training examines the story of Daniel as a biblical example to young people of how a life dedicated to God in the midst of a decadent culture can affect an entire nation.
Building on the success of the 13-session resource, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has launched the Dare to Be a Daniel Experience, which includes a student field manual, leaders guide, and interactive DVD. In five lessons, students are equipped with the tools they need to make an impact for Christ in their schools, homes and neighborhoods. Bold graphics and striking multimedia have been folded into the curriculum to appeal to young teens.
The new five-session training program offers the versatility of fitting a variety of shorter term programs, including summer camps, Sunday schools and youth groups. Students are challenged in their faith through this course, which uses the life of Daniel as a powerful example of taking a stand for God regardless of the cost, and focuses on Godly Keys to Daniel’s Success: purposing to obey God; praying and practicing God’s word; picking godly friends; and pointing others to God.
Dare to Be a Daniel is composed of Bible studies, Scripture memorization tools, practical evangelism training, stories of modern-day “Daniels” (students who complete the training) who are living out their faith in Christ, and multimedia content that includes thought- and discussion-provoking videos.
The need for an adapted five-session resource was realized through the feedback of youth pastors. Many of them found the original 13-week session useful, but there are times when a church or parachurch group does not have a semester to devote to a program. Now, a group can train young evangelists within five sessions – even over a weekend retreat or trip.
One of the recent discoveries is that this curriculum works well within the camp environment. The new five-session resource was tested at three camps this summer. Over 500 “Daniels” were certified through this testing phase.
“These camps and others want to see kids impacted for Christ. The directors can reach their campers, and the campers can reach their friends for Christ when camp is over and they go home,” said Chad Miller, director of Dare to Be a Daniel.
“The Dare to Be a Daniel resource infused our summer camps with purpose and spiritual direction,” said Brian Shaw, program director for Angeles Crest Christian Camp in La Canada Flintridge, California.
“Especially now that we’ve seen how well this works in the camp setting, we’d love to see a ton of camps using this as their curriculum,” added Miller. “We’d also like to see churches use this. This can easily fit into a weekend, and it is the most versatile group curriculum we have to train young people to share the gospel.”
Visit the Dare to Be a Daniel Web site to learn more about this curriculum and to order resources for your teen or group.
