When Dawson Call became friends with Andres Flores during middle school orchestra, he had no idea that friendship would change his life. After all, they were just a couple of boys, hanging out, playing video games until the wee hours of the morning. Dawson quickly learned, though, that a “sleepover” at the Flores house on a Saturday night meant a trip to church on a Sunday morning.
While Dawson and his family had never been regular church-goers, they considered themselves Christians, even if there wasn’t much action behind the word. Dawson went to a church preschool, so when the Sunday morning small group he attended with Andres talked about Bible stories, he wasn’t completely unfamiliar. But he also didn’t know anyone else at the church and felt like the only one who didn’t know the stories well. And yet, these feelings didn’t deter his willingness to “sleep” over at Andres’ house on a Saturday night.
By this point, it was clear that Dawson had a great affinity for all things technological, and Andres knew that he could be a huge asset to the Student Ministry Tech Team...
By the end of eighth grade, Andres invited Dawson to Wednesday Night Live, too. By the beginning of ninth grade, WNL was a weekly habit for Dawson. Andres also introduced him to Ty Kelly, a junior at the time, and the resident “Tech Nerd” in student ministry. By this point, it was clear that Dawson had a great affinity for all things technological, and Andres knew that he could be a huge asset to the Student Ministry Tech Team, which is responsible for handling all of the lights, video, sound, etc. for each weekly Wednesday night service.
The Tech Team’s meetings were on Sunday afternoons, which meant that Dawson was now coming on Wednesdays and Sundays with great consistency. His parents realized that this church, this student ministry, was becoming an important part of their son’s life. Dawson’s parents and little brother started coming to church, too, and before long, they were all taking the Connections class and joining the church.
“When people would talk about ‘knowing Jesus,’ I never really knew what that meant. But at Winter Retreat that year I really met Jesus and understood the meaning of the presence of Jesus in and around me.”
Dawson says that the defining moment in his life with Christ happened at Winter Retreat of his 10th grade year: “When people would talk about ‘knowing Jesus,’ I never really knew what that meant. But at Winter Retreat that year I really met Jesus and understood the meaning of the presence of Jesus in and around me.”
University Student Ministry helped Dawson know Jesus, and University has become his “second home and second family,” and it all started with a friend inviting him to church.