Wyoming Youth Alive Students Conclude Summer with Sunset Tour

“A student we didn’t know came up for prayer during our Sunset Tour outreach,” says Tristan Jepson, a Youth Alive career associate with AG U.S. Missions. “Suddenly one of our tour students felt like she had a word from the Lord for the young man — the words she spoke over him confirmed to him God’s calling on his life — that was so cool!”

And that was just one of the instances of God working in students’ lives that took place during the multi-day, multi-location Sunset Tour outreach led by Wyoming Youth Alive students in July.

WYOMING YOUTH ALIVE

It was just about two and a half years ago, when Tristan, and her husband, Rich, moved to Wyoming to launch the Youth Alive ministry in the state.

“It takes time to establish a culture,” Tristan Jepson explains about the middle and high school ministry. “Our first year, we only had one Youth Alive club; this past year, we had two.”

Jepson felt in order to grow Youth Alive in Wyoming, it would be important to involve youth in something that used their giftings and callings to reach other students outside of their immediate circle. So, she went to the Wyoming Ministry Network leaders — who Jepson describes as “awesome” — with an idea to do a multi-city outreach led by students who felt called into ministry. The idea met with overwhelming support.

From July 19 - 27, the Jepsons and other leaders accompanied a total of nine students to five Wyoming cities — Sheridan, Gillette, Green River, Lander, and Glenrock — for the first Sunset Tour outreaches.

The host Assembly of God church in each city played a critical role in helping the tour reach the youth in their community with the gospel.

“The churches did the promotion, provided prizes, and supplied food for outreaches,” Jepson explains. “We brought games, Speed the Light sound equipment, some more prizes, and a shaved ice machine — which was pretty popular. We also had live music, a time of testimonies, and concluded with a gospel presentation and prayer time at each location.”

“This was a growth opportunity,” says Aurora Hayman, one of the leaders who joined in the outreach, “training us to say ‘yes’ to God right away.”

Over the course of the five outreaches, 114 students registered to attend, but Jepson says there were a number of “unregistered” participants as well.

PREPARATION AND RESULTS

The ages of the Youth Alive students serving in the Sunset Tour ranged from middle school to graduated seniors. The volunteers were trained using Youth Alive’s Alive in 5 resources, and their efforts clearly impacted the lives of the youth in the communities they served, while also building bonds of friendship.

“I saw God strengthen many people in their faith and build lasting friendships,” states Joel, a high school sophomore. “My faith was also grown, and I made long-lasting friends to help me to keep growing.”

However, Jepson noticed something else as well.

“It’s not easy to speak in front of people, give a testimony, or talk to people you don’t know about Jesus,” Jepson says. “There are self-doubts and fears to overcome, and I saw students really growing, overcoming their fears, and going beyond the outreach itself to share the gospel in conversations with people of all ages, including adults.”

Ronan, a high school freshman, confirms Jepson’s observation.

“Something I saw (the Holy Spirit) doing in me was having the confidence to speak about Him to other people throughout the trip,” he says.

The Sunset Tour events, Jepson explains, were designed to create a fun, relaxed atmosphere that seamlessly transitioned to students sharing their stories of what Jesus has done through music and their testimonies.

Cora, a 2024 high school graduate, adds, “I loved seeing the team grow not only as a family, but individually as well in their spiritual walk . . . I was impacted by the kids on the team because they walked with Christ and knowing that they can walk in Christ's strength so can I.”

An eighth grader, Delaney found that the Sunset Tour was possibly just as much for him as it was for those they were ministering to.

“I saw God move in a lot of people’s hearts,” he says. “I also learned more about my relationship with God . . . (and) I realized I needed to make a change in my relationship with God.”

CONFIRMATION

But what was the message given to the student that confirmed his calling? According to Jepson, the message was that the young man’s name wasn’t just a name, it was a calling to what God wanted him to be and do.

Jepson says that they later learned the young man’s name was Timothy! In the Bible, Timothy was mentored by the apostle Paul and received the advice to not allow anyone to look down upon him because of his youth, but to set an example . . . and devote himself to the public reading of Scripture, preaching, and teaching (1 Timothy 4:11-13).

Timothy (the student) later confided to Jepson that when the young woman spoke those words over him, something inside of him jumped.

“He couldn’t quite explain the feeling of that confirmation, but it was exactly what he needed to hear,” Jepson says.

Nathaniel, a recent high graduate, says that tour also helped solidify his calling into ministry as he was inspired by what he experienced and witnessed.

“I saw students coming out of their shells to spread God’s Word,” he states. “I saw God help people get through some of the struggles they were dealing with.”

Jepson, who sees the Sunset Tour as a success, says that she already has churches wanting them to visit their community next year to conduct a similar outreach.

“If we can, we will,” Jepson says. “We will need the students who are called and willing to use their gifts for God to respond — and then, who knows what God will do!”

Dan Van Veen

Dan Van Veen is news editor of AG News. Prior to transitioning to AG News in 2001, Van Veen served as managing editor of AG U.S. Missions American Horizon magazine for five years. He attends Central Assembly of God in Springfield, Missouri, where he and his wife, Lori, teach preschool Sunday School and 4- and 5-year-old Rainbows boys and girls on Wednesdays.