2024 Year in Review Book by Scott Dawson Evangelistic Association

Dear friend of SDEA,

In an ever-changing world, there’s one thought to which I keep coming back: we all have a call. Whether you earn your living in ministry, sales, the financial sector, or medicine, if you’re a disciple of Jesus, you’re called to a life on mission. Matthew, formerly a tax collector, records Jesus saying this: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

As opposing forces press in on the message and work of the Church, it’s imperative to remember the call. And our call here at SDEA is to share Jesus with people across America. You’ve joined us in that journey through your prayer and financial partnership.

The call is why we’re training a new generation of ministry leaders in the STS Institute. The call is why we serve thousands of students, inviting them into their next step with Jesus. The call is why we

spend a year building relationships in a city so we can share the hope of Jesus with those who have never heard. The call is why we believe wherever people are, the Gospel needs to be shared.

As we reflect on the last 12 months and look ahead to the next 12, the impact we’ve witnessed is a reminder that there are people across our country craving hope, desiring something to believe in. The source of what they’re looking for isn’t a sports team or a political party, it’s Jesus Christ. That’s why we’re pressing ahead in evangelism.

Your partnership fuels our ministry. Every dollar is leveraged for the call. God has provided more than we could have ever imagined, and as we reach America for Christ, our relationship is instrumental in fulfilling the mission.

Jesus Christ, the hope of the world. That’s the call we take wherever we go.

Thank you for walking with us,

STS Conference

Know & Be Known

Attendance: 16,357

Decisions: 1,227

Churches Represented: 604

States Represented: 15

When you know Jesus, you discover you’re known by Him. That was the message of last year’s STS Conference. Our Conference theme was especially relevant for this generation who seek many ways to be known. It was the largest Conference in SDEA’s history – more than 16,000 students from 600-plus churches. God moved in a powerful way, and we saw a significant number of students decide to follow Jesus for the first time and others renew their commitment to walk with Him.

December 2023 – March 2024

STS Conference 23|24 brought the next generation together in the mountains of East Tennessee this winter for a weekend worshipping Jesus. It combined excitement and depth providing 16,357 students a relevant experience with the message that there’s no one or no thing better they can give their lives to than Jesus.

Men’s Conference

Hendersonville, TN; Knoxville, TN; Augusta, GA

This year, we partnered with three churches in Tennessee and Georgia to host men’s conferences. These weekends encouraged and challenged men to not only lead their families toward Jesus but to be bold, godly men in their careers. When men are devoted to Jesus, families thrive and churches, workplaces, and communities are strengthened.

Attendance: 3,140

Decisions: 100

Men’s Conferences gathered men in Nashville, Knoxville, and Augusta to encourage 3,140 men to walk out their callings in Christ. Healthy families are the backbone of healthy societies, and that requires healthy, God-fearing men.

Men’s Conference 2024

STS Camp

Panama City Beach, FL

Camp brought a host of teenagers to the Florida Gulf Coast for a weekend experience. Our theme was “And God Said …” and focused on how students can hear and discern the voice of God in their lives. A lot of things vie for their attention, so we wanted to ask: In the midst of a lot of noise today, how can they hear God? Students heard incredible worship and teaching, in addition to fun beach and recreation time. Camp isn’t built just for the fun, however; it’s all an avenue for us to share the Gospel.

Attendance: 1,162

Decisions: 150

Churches Represented: 48

States Represented: 6

1,162 students descended on Panama City Beach for an incredible weekend with God. Led by the Strength to Stand team, STS Camp was an exciting time of worship that walked students through how they can hear from God.

STS Camp 2024

The Strength to Stand team leads the way at STS Camp. Will Roberts, along with STS Worship and others, influence students to hear and obey the voice of God in their lives. Will Roberts, Director of Events at SDEA, preached two compelling, passionate messages at STS Camp. God is using his voice to invite the next generation into a committed life following Jesus.

STS Camp 2024

STS Mission

Knoxville, TN

More than 400 students from around the Southeast descended on Knoxville, TN, home of the Volunteers, for STS Mission. This five-day mission trip equips students to share their faith and presents opportunities to put that training into practice. We served at projects around the city including a houseless shelter, inner city day program, and personal evangelism in a park. Our students engaged approximately 1,000 people throughout the week.

Attendance: 320

Churches Represented: 23

States Represented: 7

People Served: 1,000

Lindsey Stephens, a Production & Logistics Coordinator for SDEA, shared her story of how God used her season as a college student to call her to minister to girls, encouraging them to find their worth and identity only in Him.

STS Mission is where the call is activated. 320 students, many of whom are leaders in their churches and communities, learn how to engage in Gospel conversations and leverage their lives for Kingdom impact.

Spencer Thomason, Student Team Associate at SDEA, led a panel of local pastors in Knoxville to share with our students more about the context of the city and the impact of the ministry they’d do during their week at STS Mission.

STS Mission 2024

Unite

Knoxville, TN

The UNITE Movement spread to East Tennessee this year as we hosted two nights of worship at the Food City Center at Thompson-Boling Arena on the campus of the University of Tennessee. Our UNITE event partners with STS Mission to serve the host city and invite people our Mission students meet to the citywide event. Partners this year included Crowder, for KING + COUNTRY, Passion Music, KB, CeCe Winans, former UT football star Josh Dobbs, and The Voice contestant Chris Blue. Hundreds found new life in Jesus and were connected to local churches.

Attendance: 18,700

Decisions: 526

Our goal with UNITE is to invite people to an engaging space where they’ll hear the Gospel and connect them to a local church. This July in Knoxville, we welcomed more than 18,700 people across two nights to the University of Tennessee for powerful nights of worship and a message from Scott.

Unite 2024

Speaking Engagements

SDEA exists to serve local churches, and one avenue that drives that goal is sending our team of communicators out to serve churches through events, Sunday morning worship gatherings, and other speaking opportunities. Our team traveled to six states this year and saw hundreds come to faith in Christ.

Scott Dawson

Attendance: 15, 894

Decisions: 606

Number of Events: 25

Number of States: 6

STS Communicators

Attendance: 1,642

Decisions: 87

Number of Events: 7

Number of States: 1

Scott Dawson 2024

STS Worship

STS Worship – SDEA’s in-house worship collective – doubled its audience this year, leading nearly 40,000 people in worship through SDEA and other outside events. God forged new relationships for the group, which led to more events and the potential for new, original music to serve as a catalyst for our SDEA partners to grow in their love for Jesus. STS Worship 2024

Strength to Stand launched its in-house worship collective in 2020. Since then, the group not only leads at SDEA & STS events, it has served numerous churches around the Southeast through midweek gatherings, Disciple Nows, and other community wide functions.

STS Worship 2024

STS Network

Our Student Pastor Advisory Team, pictured here, meets annually to provide feedback and ideas as we seek to engage the next generation. Much of the student ministry we do is shaped by this group, and it provides a guardrail for us to ensure we’re serving the local church in a meaningful way.

We believe in relationships. If our salvation is built on the trust of a relationship, so should the rest of our lives. The STS Network exists for us to build relationships with student pastors across the country and for them to have a place to build relationships with one another. Through this ministry, we provide organized events like the Student Pastor Retreat; devotionals and other resources to develop their ministry tools; and provide access to counseling services such as STS Counseling. Going long in ministry requires perseverance. We want to ensure the Network cares for pastors well.

STS Institute

We launched the inaugural class of students at the STS Institute this fall. After completing two focus groups and honing in the structure and offerings of the program, we opened the doors to 10 students who’ve entrusted their ministerial and leadership training to us. They’re learning from a gifted rotation of teachers, comprised of current pastors and ministers doing the work these men will one day be doing.

The first class of Institute students has begun their ministry training. We’re humbled they’ve trusted us with developing their call and are committed to raising up a new cycle of church leaders who are passionate about evangelism and equipped with realistic skills to thrive in ministry.

SDEA Evangelism Center

210 Wildwood Parkway

Our building encompasses all the ministry you’ve read. It is the launching pad for our work and a place from which we desire to see the Gospel go forth. It was struck by a tornado last December, and God provided the means to not only rebuild that which was damaged but begin initial renovations. He not only gifted us this former banking training center; He went ahead and began the process of updating it for our vision. The Evangelism Center houses SDEA and Strength to Stand ministry offices, the STS Institute, STS Counseling, and other current and future tenants.

SDEA Center 2024

Donated in the summer of 2023, and closed on August 25, 2023, the SDEA Evangelism Center has taken its place in the storyline of our ministry. What man intended for training bankers, God intended for training ministers. We’d love to host you and show you around!