August 6, 2025 • 26 mins
In this very special final episode of T Time: Spiritual Conversations For, With and About Women, host Twanna Henderson closes out five impactful years of ministry by turning the spotlight to the next generation. Twanna sits down with Delaney Dahl, a high school senior from Prior Lake, Minnesota, who leads her school’s faith club and is passionate about evangelism and discipleship. Delaney shares her story of coming to faith, finding purpose through hard seasons like the pandemic, and stepping out boldly to bring the gospel to her peers and beyond — from leading Bible studies to praying for strangers in the hallway. This heartfelt conversation will inspire you to trust God more deeply, live out your faith courageously, and cheer on the younger generation as they rise to lead.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Twanna Handerson (00:00):
Well, welcome to T Time Spiritual Conversations:
For, With and About Women.
I'm your host, Twanna Henderson, andtoday is a very special day because
we are culminating our T Time series.
When we started this podcast, a littleover five years ago, and in the middle of
a pandemic, we had no idea that five yearslater and over 60 episodes later that we
(00:27):
would have the opportunity to meet andto glean from so many incredible people.
I started this year with the themeof building and rebuilding a culture
of evangelism, and as we look to thefuture, it's gonna be important that we
support and cheer on the next generation.
(00:48):
So this final episode is withsomeone from the next generation
and the person of Delaney Dahl.
I hope that this episode is a blessing toyou and that it encourages you about what
the Lord is doing in the next generation.
It's been a pleasure to connectwith you over the past five years.
(01:10):
Join me now in this phenomenaldialogue with Delaney Dahl.
Well, welcome to T Time SpiritualConversations: For, With and About Women.
I'm your host, Twanna Henderson,and as always, I want to remind
(01:32):
you to like this broadcast and toshare it with someone in your life.
Well, you know, we have been goingthrough this year, , focusing on the
theme of evangelism and today wehave a very special guest with us.
Our guest today is Delaney Dahl.
Delaney is a current senior inhigh school in Prior Lake Minnesota
(01:57):
and will be graduating very soon.
She has been involved in leading herpublic schools faith club for the past
three years, and has unique evangelistictraining and experiences through her
internships with Campus Faith Clubs.
In the fall of this year, she plansto attend Taylor University, a
(02:17):
Christian liberal arts college tostudy sports management and marketing.
Delaney, welcome to T Time.
Delaney Dahl (02:26):
Thank you.
Thank you so much for having me today.
Twanna Handerson (02:28):
It's good to have you.
You are my first teen guest.
Delaney Dahl (02:33):
Love to hear it.
Twanna Handerson (02:34):
So I'm excited about having this conversation with you
today and I think it's gonna be great.
So I wanna go ahead and just diveright on in and I want you to just kind
of talk to us about your experiencewith becoming a Christ follower.
Delaney Dahl (02:54):
Absolutely.
So I grew up in a Christian home andmy father was a pastor at a church
in the local area, and I was first,like, I experienced it firsthand.
My parents really just investedin me and my faith, which
(03:14):
was something I really loved.
And so in the church that my dad wasa part of, there was a camp that came
and with a counselor there, they askedme if I wanted to accept Jesus as my
personal savior for the first time.
Twanna Handerson (03:30):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (03:30):
And that was the first time I really felt the Holy
Spirit just work within me andtell me to raise my hand that day.
And so I was able to pray withher and invite the spirit in.
And so from there, I'vejust been chasing Jesus.
And it has been a journey forsure, but just such a joy.
So my dad ended up switchingjobs, which, made my family move.
Twanna Handerson (03:56):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (03:57):
Which was kind of the hardest period of my life
because it was a lot of transitionthrough my teenage years.
Twanna Handerson (04:04):
Yeah.
Delaney Dahl (04:04):
And especially during, the COVID virus.
Twanna Handerson (04:07):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (04:08):
I, didn't have a lot of friends because we had just
moved and that transition was hard.
Twanna Handerson (04:13):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (04:14):
But looking back on that, it's just really cool
to see how the Lord developed myown faith and my reliance on him.
Twanna Handerson (04:23):
Yeah.
Delaney Dahl (04:24):
During that time, to be able to have that to go back to
with, before I was making friendsand before I was able to connect to
my community and grow myself, I wasable to grow my faith in him first.
Twanna Handerson (04:39):
Yeah.
That's And so,
Delaney Dahl (04:42):
yeah, absolutely.
So that was just kindof how that developed.
And so.
Now that I have that foundation, I'm ableto just grow other people and just have
those opportunities to live out my faith.
Twanna Handerson (04:55):
Yeah, that's pretty major.
I mean, 'cause think about it whenwe're talking about the pandemic.
So we're talking aboutfive years, you know, ago.
So how old were you?
Like 12, 13, you know?
Delaney Dahl (05:09):
Yeah, exactly.
Twanna Handerson (05:10):
Yeah.
So that's pretty young, youknow, when you think about that,
I mean, that's pretty major.
And I know I mentioned in your bioabout you having trainings through,
internships with Campus Faith Clubs.
Tell us about what Campus FaithClubs is and how it has impacted you.
Delaney Dahl (05:31):
Yeah, absolutely.
So Campus Faith Clubs is a localministry in the metro area of Minnesota
where I live, and they are just aministry that focuses on evangelism
in public high schools and allowspeople to just get experiences with
(05:52):
normalizing the faith in school.
So they have developed my faith a lot withallowing opportunities to just grow in my
faith and show me what it looks like tolive an evangelistic like life, I guess.
So,
with campus day clubs, they have abunch of clubs in the south metro
(06:14):
area, like I mentioned, so inmiddle schools and high schools.
And so at my high school, I joined myfaith club my freshman year, which was
in 2021 right after COVID happened.
That was definitely a God thing on whereI was able to see and find community
and just other Christian people in a newschool and get connected with them there.
(06:38):
And so after my freshman year,I was able to become a officer
and a leader for faith club.
And then my junior and senior year, I'vebeen the head or co head and co-leader.
For that club.
So that has just been such a joyto see how I was able to first be a
member and how it poured into me, andnow I can kind of pour back into it.
(07:02):
Now that I'm a senior.
Twanna Handerson (07:04):
Yeah, that's, that, that is absolutely amazing.
I mean, you can definitely see how Godhas used that organization to both impact
you and to provide you with influence.
Share some of the, the personalopportunities that you've
had to, to share your faith.
Delaney Dahl (07:27):
Yeah, absolutely.
So.
I have been able to, like you said, beable to lead Bible studies at Faith Club.
So what we do is we do worship, iswe do devotionals, bible studies,
small groups, and so within thatfaith club environment, I've been able
to just reach out to people there.
(07:48):
But there's also been so manyopportunities outside of Faith Club
and even outside of school thatI've been able to share my faith.
So, one specific example ofthat is summer faith clubs.
We started a program my sophomoreyear, the smer after it, and we're
able to gather people from teenagersall over the area who are just looking
(08:10):
to know who Jesus is more and havethat like benefit their life and
so they can learn more about that.
And so the past few years I've beenleading Bible studies there and being
able to pour into students one-on-onein a small group settings too, to
be able to lead them and show themwhat it looks like just to live
(08:30):
boldly and live freely for Jesus.
Twanna Handerson (08:34):
So what has that meant to you to be able to do that?
Delaney Dahl (08:39):
Yeah, it means a lot.
I have truly found so much joy inbeing able to pour into other people
and discipleship has been a reallypart of like a key part of my faith.
Twanna Handerson (08:52):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (08:52):
And just being able to have people that have poured into
my life and just like my parents andmentors and Campus Faith Clubs leaders
throughout the years, it's kind ofcontinued that way of fellowship in a way.
So then I can be poured intoby them, and then I can then
pour into other people too.
(09:13):
And so I've also heard the peoplethat I've been having bible studies
with after school, and in that summerfaith club setting, they have also
been able to develop their faithenough with the Lord that they can
then go disciple other people andnew friends and that kind of thing.
So it's just really, really cool to seehow that just pattern follows and how the
(09:35):
Lord keeps working through so many people.
Twanna Handerson (09:38):
Yeah.
What have been some of the challengesthough, in that I'm sure that, I mean,
that sounds wonderful, but I'm surethat there's had to be challenges.
I'm sure there's had to be resistance too.
Delaney Dahl (09:51):
Definitely.
There's not always people that aresuper open to having Bible studies or
wanting to learn more about the faith.
Even though I'm super passionateabout it, it's not always accepted.
And so a challenge can definitely bebeing bold in your environment, even
when it's not always accepted or youdon't know what the response is gonna be.
Twanna Handerson (10:12):
Yeah.
Delaney Dahl (10:12):
And so you almost have to live in a way of knowing that the
Lord is gonna prepare their hearts in away to just be accepting to it or hear
it and maybe even just plant a seed.
Twanna Handerson (10:23):
Yeah.
Delaney Dahl (10:24):
Before , you know what's gonna happen with their faith
and how you're gonna impact them.
So I think you have to be ableto just lead and know that the
Lord is going to lead your steps.
And I think a lot of what I do a lotbefore I go into those like one-on-one
conversations or small groups.
(10:44):
I usually pray for the Lord to leadand like open those hearts because you
never know what they're dealing with.
You never know how close they areto the Lord, and so just be able
to have the spirit work in a waythat I can impact them more than
I even know or will ever know.
It's just really cool.
Twanna Handerson (11:01):
Yeah.
Yeah.
That is really great.
What are, what about your faith habits?
What are your faith habitsand how have they changed as
you've gone through high school?
Delaney Dahl (11:17):
Yes.
It's definitely been ajourney through high school.
Like I was saying, like at theend of my middle school years,
I was really struggling with
community and finding people aroundme that I'd be able to be pour into,
but that would also pour back into me.
Twanna Handerson (11:31):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (11:31):
And so I've been able to just find my quiet time with the Lord to
be able to be filled up in that way beforeI go be filled up with other people.
Twanna Handerson (11:41):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (11:41):
But I've also learned that it looks different
in different seasons of life.
I think I'm definitely a perfectionisticperson, and so if I don't read my Bible
every single day or don't go to churchevery single week, I can feel guilty about
that or maybe just struggle with that.
And so I've been able to learn what itlooks like to have grace for myself.
Twanna Handerson (12:00):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (12:00):
And know that like the main spiritual disciplines that I work on is,
being in the word, praying with theLord and praying for other people.
That fellowship aspect, like Imentioned, and then also witnessing
of witnessing what it looks like tolive like Jesus on a daily basis.
So those like four spiritual disciplinesthat I learned like through Campus
(12:21):
Faith Clubs and that they've beendeveloping in me have just really
impacted my personal faith and how I
just seek the Lord on a daily basisbecause if I seek him first, then
he's also gonna be in my life, in themundane, in the big and the small.
Twanna Handerson (12:38):
Yeah, that is so true.
Everybody needs to kindof get that, you know?
Delaney Dahl (12:44):
Exactly.
Twanna Handerson (12:44):
For adults who don't get that.
So that is so important.
We just kind of recognize that he'swith us every day, and that we bring
Delaney Dahl (12:53):
absolutely
Twanna Handerson (12:54):
into our situation and into our lives and in our, to our
decisions and every aspect of who we are.
Delaney Dahl (13:01):
Mm-hmm.
Twanna Handerson (13:01):
What about evangelistic outreaches?
Have you had any uniqueopportunities in that area?
Delaney Dahl (13:11):
Definitely I've had multiple, so Campus Faith Clubs
works with another ministry in thearea called Breakthrough Ministries.
Twanna Handerson (13:18):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (13:18):
And they're located in downtown Minneapolis.
Twanna Handerson (13:22):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (13:22):
And they have
like a very unique location where they'rein a lower income area and where there's
a lot of like homelessness in the area.
Twanna Handerson (13:33):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (13:33):
And so I've been able to volunteer and help with the construction
of their building and help them likeinfluence the people around them.
But then we've also gone out on thestreets and just small groups and
praying for people who may be strugglingin their life or may not have know
where their next meal is coming from.
And so just helping them know thatthe Lord is their sustainer and their
(13:58):
provider and knowing that he is aboveeverything else despite our situations.
Twanna Handerson (14:05):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (14:05):
And so also that opportunity is cool for me to see as a more privileged
student who has things, knows where myfood is coming from for the next meal.
And so it helps humble myself aswell and just know that the Lord,
see how good the Lord has been andjust blessed me in my life too.
And another opportunity is a CampusFaith Clubs event that we do each year.
(14:31):
There is a fields of faith in the falland a flood the field in the spring.
And so what that looks like is in ahigh school football field, we all
gather on the field and there's worship.
It's basically a hugeevangelistic outreach night.
And so the Lord put this event on my heartto happen at my school as a freshman.
(14:55):
I vividly remember theLord speaking to me.
I was just walking through the hallway.
And the Lord's like, Hey, Ireally want this to happen.
And as a freshman Ididn't really understand.
I wasn't really asconnected as I am right now.
And so it's just been cool to be ableto see like how the Lord has worked in
my life to be able to build this up.
(15:15):
And now looking forward, in afew months from now, we have this
happening at our football stadiumand just having this event to look
forward to, to be able to know thatI'm able to speak at it and share my
testimony and share how the Lord has
just been working in me.
And so to know that that outreach isgonna be a revival in my school, but
(15:37):
also just in the surrounding communityat the schools that I'm not involved in.
To be able to just reach thosehearts and reach those people to
get them connected with Jesus.
Twanna Handerson (15:46):
That is absolutely amazing.
I think that is absolutely amazing.
Delaney Dahl (15:51):
Thank you.
Twanna Handerson (15:52):
I know that, you know, as you prepare to go off to college and
study sports management and marketing, howdo you see all of that playing into how
you continue to, to walk out your faithand, and be an ambassador for Christ?
Delaney Dahl (16:10):
Absolutely.
So Taylor is a Christian college,like you mentioned, and so I had like,
I definitely wanted ministry or theLord to be part of what I go into.
Twanna Handerson (16:20):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (16:21):
And so having that Christian education for what I go
into was really important to me.
And so I'm excited to be able to besurrounded by a community again to
just develop my faith and developwhat it looks like to be a young
adult on fire for Jesus, and evenin the sports marketing realm.
(16:41):
Like I don't really know whatI'm gonna do with that yet, but
the Lord does and that's okay.
So just trusting in his plan to know thathe is going to develop me like he has
through my high school years and justlooking at his past faithfulness there to
be able to know, to look into my futureand know that he's also gonna provide
there and develop me, and develop mewith the people that are already there.
Twanna Handerson (17:02):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (17:03):
To just speak into me and be able to help me figure out what's next for
me and what the great Lord has in store.
Twanna Handerson (17:10):
Yeah, I, see that and I, I'm excited for you.
And
Delaney Dahl (17:14):
thank you.
Yes.
Twanna Handerson (17:16):
Unfold all of that.
, how would you encourage others who arestruggling to be bold in their faith to
start living for Jesus more externally?
Delaney Dahl (17:29):
Absolutely.
That's a great question.
So I feel like we have to start withour own personal faith in order to
go out and be bold about it, becauseif we're not connecting with the
Lord on a personal basis, we're notgonna know how he's talking with us
or how he's leading us, or where he'sleading us and what he has in store.
(17:51):
And so we have to be able to havethat foundation of those disciplines
of like I was talking about earlier,with the word and the prayer and the
fellowship, witnessing all those things.
And there's gonna be somesthat are more natural.
In different seasons of life.
So maybe you're reading your Biblemore than you're praying, or maybe
you're praying more often than you'regoing out and witnessing the people,
(18:13):
and so you don't have to be perfectat all those at the same time.
But I think just figuring out what theLord is wanting you to work on in this
season of life and how he wants to bespeaking to you and bringing conviction
into your life and how you're gonnamove forward in your faith and just
continue, that is how you can be bold.
And so another key aspect of what I hadto learn over my high school years I've
(18:39):
to be able to be more bold, is just notcaring what other people think of you as
a teenager, that's super hard and you'reconstantly surrounded by people that
are looking at you, or maybe they're notlooking at you as much as you think, but.
I think it's just important to know thatthe Lord has created me and his image for
such a divine purpose, and that is alsoso true of whoever's listening right now.
(19:05):
And so I just wanna encourage you toknow that the Lord has such great plans
in store for you and you're creatingas image and so you don't have to
worry about what someone may say on theother side of a conversation or what
might be scary of like bringing up yourfaith like he is in that with you and
he's able to go before you and evenif you ask someone to pray for or like
(19:28):
if you're going to pray for someone
and they say like, no, not right now.
Something I've learned isa no is not a rejection.
Twanna Handerson (19:35):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (19:35):
But only a redirection.
Twanna Handerson (19:37):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (19:38):
To someone new, another place that you can plant a
seed or just bring the Lord into,because you never know how that
interaction could impact them later on.
And so I think learning thatrejection is not always a bad thing,
but it's just how the Lord works
to just open and close different doorshas just been a key aspect of learning.
(19:58):
That it's okay to be bold evenif there is rejection there.
And so also going into like evangelismand being bold in your faith, you also
have to have a personal relationship withthe Lord where you can listen to him,
because I think that's something I've beenworking on recently too, is being able to
(20:19):
pray to the Lord and ask him forthings and know he's going to respond.
I think I do know he's gonna respondwell, he obviously will, but being
able to listen to what he's actuallygonna say instead of deciding what he's
gonna say before he answers in a way.
And so listening to how he is at workin your life and how he is at work
(20:39):
in other lives and people around you
I think that can just bring so much joyto see how he's actually impacting you
and impacting so many people around you.
So I think if I could share a personalstory of this too, there was a time
where we had an assignment throughCampus Faith Clubs, through an internship
(21:01):
I was a part of, and we were gonnago pray for people in our school.
Twanna Handerson (21:05):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (21:07):
I think this was my sophomore year and I
hadn't really done this before.
I hadn't gone out and prayedover a stranger I didn't
know, which was super scary.
It's definitely hard to do at thebeginning when you don't have a lot
of experience and so I was definitelyhad a lot of anxiety around it and I
could see, I was in the hallway beforethe school started, before class.
(21:30):
There was someone across the hall.
And Lord was like, Hey, go pray for them.
And I think that's in that place ifyou don't develop your faith, you
have to be able to hear of like whothe Lord wants to highlight to you.
Twanna Handerson (21:42):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (21:42):
And so that person was definitely highlighted to me and I went
over to them and is like, Hey, is theresomething I could pray for you for?
Super random question to them.
They're not expecting it.
It's a random like Mondaymorning, but that's okay.
And they were like, Hey,like, I don't think so.
I was like, Hey, is it okayif I pray for you anyway?
(22:04):
And they were like, oh, sure, absolutely.
So then I just said like asmall short, general prayer.
And was just able to bring the Lordin that conversation, and I haven't
really talked to that person since then.
I've seen them in thehallways and everything.
I still kind of pray for them on my ownto see if that seed will be watered.
(22:24):
And after it was planted.
But just the joy that I wanna share.
The thing I wanna share is the joythat I felt after that happened.
Yes, that seed was planted, but a seedwas also planted in my faith because
I was able to feel what it lookslike to be obedient to the Lord and
just actually see where he's leadingyou and like answering like those.
(22:50):
How he's leading.
And so being able to pray to him,but then also obeying for what he
answers with is two separate things.
Because we can be listening and we canbe hearers of the word, but we also be
doers of the word like it says in James.
And so being a doer of the wordrequires boldness and requires a lot
(23:11):
of obedience, but it's so worth itbecause then I just walked through the
hall on my way to first hour class andI'm like, oh my goodness, Lord, thank
you so much for leading me to that.
And I was just, songs came upwithin me like I was just full
of joy, full of happiness.
And I think that is just what happens whenwe experience what the Lord's plans are
(23:32):
that he has for us because we are able tojust see how he is at work in our lives.
Twanna Handerson (23:40):
Yeah, I I think that is so true.
And that can be kind ofscary even for anybody.
I mean, you know
Delaney Dahl (23:46):
Exactly
Twanna Handerson (23:47):
when you're praying for people that you don't know because
you never know how they're gonna react.
But when we are, like you said, whenwe're obedient to God, he just, you know,
strengthens us to be able to do it andto just trust him in the midst of it.
Delaney, there are listenersof this podcast who have been
fearful of sharing their faith.
(24:08):
Some feel like they are ill-equipped.
I think that you'vereally encouraged them.
Can you just take a moment as we prepareto close, and this has been really, really
good, but to just pray for our listenersthat, that they will trust the Lord when
put in situations to share their faithand that he will give them boldness.
Delaney Dahl (24:32):
Oh, for sure.
Absolutely.
I would love to.
Thank you.
Lord, I just want to pray over all thelisteners right now that may be in a place
that want to grow their faith, wanna growtheir boldness in you, and just what it
looks like to have a strengthened faith.
I pray that you wouldjust work through them.
I pray that you would just providepeace where there may be anxiety.
(24:52):
I pray that you would just help yourvoice be more evident in their life
and just how you're working in them.
I just pray that you remind them ofyour past faithfulness of where you
have provided for them in the past andjust how good you have been to them in
their lives, even when it's hard to see.
And so I just pray that that would fuelus into how we can then pour into other
(25:15):
people and pour into what it lookslike to be doers of the word instead of
simply hearers because that's how you'regonna transform others' lives around
us after you've already transformed us.
So, Lord, I just thank you forthe person on the other side of
this that is listening to this.
I just pray that you would bless them.
I pray that you would be with themand just pray that you would go
(25:36):
before them and what you have in storefor them, and help them know that
you have plans for plans to prosperand just a great future for them.
In Jesus name, amen.
Twanna Handerson (25:46):
Amen.
Amen.
Delaney, thank you somuch for joining us today.
This has been really great.
I mean, you're just a remarkableyoung woman and so I'm just excited
about what the Lord is goingto continue to do in your life.
I'll have to have you back again.
Delaney Dahl (26:04):
Absolutely.
I would love to.
It was such a joy to be on here today.
Thank you so much.
Twanna Handerson (26:08):
Absolutely.
Well, to all of our listeners,thank you for joining us.
I'm Twanna Henderson,and until the next time.
Be blessed of the Lord.
Well, welcome to T Time Spiritual Conversations:
For, With and About Women.
I'm your host, Twanna Henderson, andtoday is a very special day because
we are culminating our T Time series.
When we started this podcast, a littleover five years ago, and in the middle of
a pandemic, we had no idea that five yearslater and over 60 episodes later that we
(00:27):
would have the opportunity to meet andto glean from so many incredible people.
I started this year with the themeof building and rebuilding a culture
of evangelism, and as we look to thefuture, it's gonna be important that we
support and cheer on the next generation.
(00:48):
So this final episode is withsomeone from the next generation
and the person of Delaney Dahl.
I hope that this episode is a blessing toyou and that it encourages you about what
the Lord is doing in the next generation.
It's been a pleasure to connectwith you over the past five years.
(01:10):
Join me now in this phenomenaldialogue with Delaney Dahl.
Well, welcome to T Time SpiritualConversations: For, With and About Women.
I'm your host, Twanna Henderson,and as always, I want to remind
(01:32):
you to like this broadcast and toshare it with someone in your life.
Well, you know, we have been goingthrough this year, , focusing on the
theme of evangelism and today wehave a very special guest with us.
Our guest today is Delaney Dahl.
Delaney is a current senior inhigh school in Prior Lake Minnesota
(01:57):
and will be graduating very soon.
She has been involved in leading herpublic schools faith club for the past
three years, and has unique evangelistictraining and experiences through her
internships with Campus Faith Clubs.
In the fall of this year, she plansto attend Taylor University, a
(02:17):
Christian liberal arts college tostudy sports management and marketing.
Delaney, welcome to T Time.
Delaney Dahl (02:26):
Thank you.
Thank you so much for having me today.
Twanna Handerson (02:28):
It's good to have you.
You are my first teen guest.
Delaney Dahl (02:33):
Love to hear it.
Twanna Handerson (02:34):
So I'm excited about having this conversation with you
today and I think it's gonna be great.
So I wanna go ahead and just diveright on in and I want you to just kind
of talk to us about your experiencewith becoming a Christ follower.
Delaney Dahl (02:54):
Absolutely.
So I grew up in a Christian home andmy father was a pastor at a church
in the local area, and I was first,like, I experienced it firsthand.
My parents really just investedin me and my faith, which
(03:14):
was something I really loved.
And so in the church that my dad wasa part of, there was a camp that came
and with a counselor there, they askedme if I wanted to accept Jesus as my
personal savior for the first time.
Twanna Handerson (03:30):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (03:30):
And that was the first time I really felt the Holy
Spirit just work within me andtell me to raise my hand that day.
And so I was able to pray withher and invite the spirit in.
And so from there, I'vejust been chasing Jesus.
And it has been a journey forsure, but just such a joy.
So my dad ended up switchingjobs, which, made my family move.
Twanna Handerson (03:56):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (03:57):
Which was kind of the hardest period of my life
because it was a lot of transitionthrough my teenage years.
Twanna Handerson (04:04):
Yeah.
Delaney Dahl (04:04):
And especially during, the COVID virus.
Twanna Handerson (04:07):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (04:08):
I, didn't have a lot of friends because we had just
moved and that transition was hard.
Twanna Handerson (04:13):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (04:14):
But looking back on that, it's just really cool
to see how the Lord developed myown faith and my reliance on him.
Twanna Handerson (04:23):
Yeah.
Delaney Dahl (04:24):
During that time, to be able to have that to go back to
with, before I was making friendsand before I was able to connect to
my community and grow myself, I wasable to grow my faith in him first.
Twanna Handerson (04:39):
Yeah.
That's And so,
Delaney Dahl (04:42):
yeah, absolutely.
So that was just kindof how that developed.
And so.
Now that I have that foundation, I'm ableto just grow other people and just have
those opportunities to live out my faith.
Twanna Handerson (04:55):
Yeah, that's pretty major.
I mean, 'cause think about it whenwe're talking about the pandemic.
So we're talking aboutfive years, you know, ago.
So how old were you?
Like 12, 13, you know?
Delaney Dahl (05:09):
Yeah, exactly.
Twanna Handerson (05:10):
Yeah.
So that's pretty young, youknow, when you think about that,
I mean, that's pretty major.
And I know I mentioned in your bioabout you having trainings through,
internships with Campus Faith Clubs.
Tell us about what Campus FaithClubs is and how it has impacted you.
Delaney Dahl (05:31):
Yeah, absolutely.
So Campus Faith Clubs is a localministry in the metro area of Minnesota
where I live, and they are just aministry that focuses on evangelism
in public high schools and allowspeople to just get experiences with
(05:52):
normalizing the faith in school.
So they have developed my faith a lot withallowing opportunities to just grow in my
faith and show me what it looks like tolive an evangelistic like life, I guess.
So,
with campus day clubs, they have abunch of clubs in the south metro
(06:14):
area, like I mentioned, so inmiddle schools and high schools.
And so at my high school, I joined myfaith club my freshman year, which was
in 2021 right after COVID happened.
That was definitely a God thing on whereI was able to see and find community
and just other Christian people in a newschool and get connected with them there.
(06:38):
And so after my freshman year,I was able to become a officer
and a leader for faith club.
And then my junior and senior year, I'vebeen the head or co head and co-leader.
For that club.
So that has just been such a joyto see how I was able to first be a
member and how it poured into me, andnow I can kind of pour back into it.
(07:02):
Now that I'm a senior.
Twanna Handerson (07:04):
Yeah, that's, that, that is absolutely amazing.
I mean, you can definitely see how Godhas used that organization to both impact
you and to provide you with influence.
Share some of the, the personalopportunities that you've
had to, to share your faith.
Delaney Dahl (07:27):
Yeah, absolutely.
So.
I have been able to, like you said, beable to lead Bible studies at Faith Club.
So what we do is we do worship, iswe do devotionals, bible studies,
small groups, and so within thatfaith club environment, I've been able
to just reach out to people there.
(07:48):
But there's also been so manyopportunities outside of Faith Club
and even outside of school thatI've been able to share my faith.
So, one specific example ofthat is summer faith clubs.
We started a program my sophomoreyear, the smer after it, and we're
able to gather people from teenagersall over the area who are just looking
(08:10):
to know who Jesus is more and havethat like benefit their life and
so they can learn more about that.
And so the past few years I've beenleading Bible studies there and being
able to pour into students one-on-onein a small group settings too, to
be able to lead them and show themwhat it looks like just to live
(08:30):
boldly and live freely for Jesus.
Twanna Handerson (08:34):
So what has that meant to you to be able to do that?
Delaney Dahl (08:39):
Yeah, it means a lot.
I have truly found so much joy inbeing able to pour into other people
and discipleship has been a reallypart of like a key part of my faith.
Twanna Handerson (08:52):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (08:52):
And just being able to have people that have poured into
my life and just like my parents andmentors and Campus Faith Clubs leaders
throughout the years, it's kind ofcontinued that way of fellowship in a way.
So then I can be poured intoby them, and then I can then
pour into other people too.
(09:13):
And so I've also heard the peoplethat I've been having bible studies
with after school, and in that summerfaith club setting, they have also
been able to develop their faithenough with the Lord that they can
then go disciple other people andnew friends and that kind of thing.
So it's just really, really cool to seehow that just pattern follows and how the
(09:35):
Lord keeps working through so many people.
Twanna Handerson (09:38):
Yeah.
What have been some of the challengesthough, in that I'm sure that, I mean,
that sounds wonderful, but I'm surethat there's had to be challenges.
I'm sure there's had to be resistance too.
Delaney Dahl (09:51):
Definitely.
There's not always people that aresuper open to having Bible studies or
wanting to learn more about the faith.
Even though I'm super passionateabout it, it's not always accepted.
And so a challenge can definitely bebeing bold in your environment, even
when it's not always accepted or youdon't know what the response is gonna be.
Twanna Handerson (10:12):
Yeah.
Delaney Dahl (10:12):
And so you almost have to live in a way of knowing that the
Lord is gonna prepare their hearts in away to just be accepting to it or hear
it and maybe even just plant a seed.
Twanna Handerson (10:23):
Yeah.
Delaney Dahl (10:24):
Before , you know what's gonna happen with their faith
and how you're gonna impact them.
So I think you have to be ableto just lead and know that the
Lord is going to lead your steps.
And I think a lot of what I do a lotbefore I go into those like one-on-one
conversations or small groups.
(10:44):
I usually pray for the Lord to leadand like open those hearts because you
never know what they're dealing with.
You never know how close they areto the Lord, and so just be able
to have the spirit work in a waythat I can impact them more than
I even know or will ever know.
It's just really cool.
Twanna Handerson (11:01):
Yeah.
Yeah.
That is really great.
What are, what about your faith habits?
What are your faith habitsand how have they changed as
you've gone through high school?
Delaney Dahl (11:17):
Yes.
It's definitely been ajourney through high school.
Like I was saying, like at theend of my middle school years,
I was really struggling with
community and finding people aroundme that I'd be able to be pour into,
but that would also pour back into me.
Twanna Handerson (11:31):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (11:31):
And so I've been able to just find my quiet time with the Lord to
be able to be filled up in that way beforeI go be filled up with other people.
Twanna Handerson (11:41):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (11:41):
But I've also learned that it looks different
in different seasons of life.
I think I'm definitely a perfectionisticperson, and so if I don't read my Bible
every single day or don't go to churchevery single week, I can feel guilty about
that or maybe just struggle with that.
And so I've been able to learn what itlooks like to have grace for myself.
Twanna Handerson (12:00):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (12:00):
And know that like the main spiritual disciplines that I work on is,
being in the word, praying with theLord and praying for other people.
That fellowship aspect, like Imentioned, and then also witnessing
of witnessing what it looks like tolive like Jesus on a daily basis.
So those like four spiritual disciplinesthat I learned like through Campus
(12:21):
Faith Clubs and that they've beendeveloping in me have just really
impacted my personal faith and how I
just seek the Lord on a daily basisbecause if I seek him first, then
he's also gonna be in my life, in themundane, in the big and the small.
Twanna Handerson (12:38):
Yeah, that is so true.
Everybody needs to kindof get that, you know?
Delaney Dahl (12:44):
Exactly.
Twanna Handerson (12:44):
For adults who don't get that.
So that is so important.
We just kind of recognize that he'swith us every day, and that we bring
Delaney Dahl (12:53):
absolutely
Twanna Handerson (12:54):
into our situation and into our lives and in our, to our
decisions and every aspect of who we are.
Delaney Dahl (13:01):
Mm-hmm.
Twanna Handerson (13:01):
What about evangelistic outreaches?
Have you had any uniqueopportunities in that area?
Delaney Dahl (13:11):
Definitely I've had multiple, so Campus Faith Clubs
works with another ministry in thearea called Breakthrough Ministries.
Twanna Handerson (13:18):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (13:18):
And they're located in downtown Minneapolis.
Twanna Handerson (13:22):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (13:22):
And they have
like a very unique location where they'rein a lower income area and where there's
a lot of like homelessness in the area.
Twanna Handerson (13:33):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (13:33):
And so I've been able to volunteer and help with the construction
of their building and help them likeinfluence the people around them.
But then we've also gone out on thestreets and just small groups and
praying for people who may be strugglingin their life or may not have know
where their next meal is coming from.
And so just helping them know thatthe Lord is their sustainer and their
(13:58):
provider and knowing that he is aboveeverything else despite our situations.
Twanna Handerson (14:05):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (14:05):
And so also that opportunity is cool for me to see as a more privileged
student who has things, knows where myfood is coming from for the next meal.
And so it helps humble myself aswell and just know that the Lord,
see how good the Lord has been andjust blessed me in my life too.
And another opportunity is a CampusFaith Clubs event that we do each year.
(14:31):
There is a fields of faith in the falland a flood the field in the spring.
And so what that looks like is in ahigh school football field, we all
gather on the field and there's worship.
It's basically a hugeevangelistic outreach night.
And so the Lord put this event on my heartto happen at my school as a freshman.
(14:55):
I vividly remember theLord speaking to me.
I was just walking through the hallway.
And the Lord's like, Hey, Ireally want this to happen.
And as a freshman Ididn't really understand.
I wasn't really asconnected as I am right now.
And so it's just been cool to be ableto see like how the Lord has worked in
my life to be able to build this up.
(15:15):
And now looking forward, in afew months from now, we have this
happening at our football stadiumand just having this event to look
forward to, to be able to know thatI'm able to speak at it and share my
testimony and share how the Lord has
just been working in me.
And so to know that that outreach isgonna be a revival in my school, but
(15:37):
also just in the surrounding communityat the schools that I'm not involved in.
To be able to just reach thosehearts and reach those people to
get them connected with Jesus.
Twanna Handerson (15:46):
That is absolutely amazing.
I think that is absolutely amazing.
Delaney Dahl (15:51):
Thank you.
Twanna Handerson (15:52):
I know that, you know, as you prepare to go off to college and
study sports management and marketing, howdo you see all of that playing into how
you continue to, to walk out your faithand, and be an ambassador for Christ?
Delaney Dahl (16:10):
Absolutely.
So Taylor is a Christian college,like you mentioned, and so I had like,
I definitely wanted ministry or theLord to be part of what I go into.
Twanna Handerson (16:20):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (16:21):
And so having that Christian education for what I go
into was really important to me.
And so I'm excited to be able to besurrounded by a community again to
just develop my faith and developwhat it looks like to be a young
adult on fire for Jesus, and evenin the sports marketing realm.
(16:41):
Like I don't really know whatI'm gonna do with that yet, but
the Lord does and that's okay.
So just trusting in his plan to know thathe is going to develop me like he has
through my high school years and justlooking at his past faithfulness there to
be able to know, to look into my futureand know that he's also gonna provide
there and develop me, and develop mewith the people that are already there.
Twanna Handerson (17:02):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (17:03):
To just speak into me and be able to help me figure out what's next for
me and what the great Lord has in store.
Twanna Handerson (17:10):
Yeah, I, see that and I, I'm excited for you.
And
Delaney Dahl (17:14):
thank you.
Yes.
Twanna Handerson (17:16):
Unfold all of that.
, how would you encourage others who arestruggling to be bold in their faith to
start living for Jesus more externally?
Delaney Dahl (17:29):
Absolutely.
That's a great question.
So I feel like we have to start withour own personal faith in order to
go out and be bold about it, becauseif we're not connecting with the
Lord on a personal basis, we're notgonna know how he's talking with us
or how he's leading us, or where he'sleading us and what he has in store.
(17:51):
And so we have to be able to havethat foundation of those disciplines
of like I was talking about earlier,with the word and the prayer and the
fellowship, witnessing all those things.
And there's gonna be somesthat are more natural.
In different seasons of life.
So maybe you're reading your Biblemore than you're praying, or maybe
you're praying more often than you'regoing out and witnessing the people,
(18:13):
and so you don't have to be perfectat all those at the same time.
But I think just figuring out what theLord is wanting you to work on in this
season of life and how he wants to bespeaking to you and bringing conviction
into your life and how you're gonnamove forward in your faith and just
continue, that is how you can be bold.
And so another key aspect of what I hadto learn over my high school years I've
(18:39):
to be able to be more bold, is just notcaring what other people think of you as
a teenager, that's super hard and you'reconstantly surrounded by people that
are looking at you, or maybe they're notlooking at you as much as you think, but.
I think it's just important to know thatthe Lord has created me and his image for
such a divine purpose, and that is alsoso true of whoever's listening right now.
(19:05):
And so I just wanna encourage you toknow that the Lord has such great plans
in store for you and you're creatingas image and so you don't have to
worry about what someone may say on theother side of a conversation or what
might be scary of like bringing up yourfaith like he is in that with you and
he's able to go before you and evenif you ask someone to pray for or like
(19:28):
if you're going to pray for someone
and they say like, no, not right now.
Something I've learned isa no is not a rejection.
Twanna Handerson (19:35):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (19:35):
But only a redirection.
Twanna Handerson (19:37):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (19:38):
To someone new, another place that you can plant a
seed or just bring the Lord into,because you never know how that
interaction could impact them later on.
And so I think learning thatrejection is not always a bad thing,
but it's just how the Lord works
to just open and close different doorshas just been a key aspect of learning.
(19:58):
That it's okay to be bold evenif there is rejection there.
And so also going into like evangelismand being bold in your faith, you also
have to have a personal relationship withthe Lord where you can listen to him,
because I think that's something I've beenworking on recently too, is being able to
(20:19):
pray to the Lord and ask him forthings and know he's going to respond.
I think I do know he's gonna respondwell, he obviously will, but being
able to listen to what he's actuallygonna say instead of deciding what he's
gonna say before he answers in a way.
And so listening to how he is at workin your life and how he is at work
(20:39):
in other lives and people around you
I think that can just bring so much joyto see how he's actually impacting you
and impacting so many people around you.
So I think if I could share a personalstory of this too, there was a time
where we had an assignment throughCampus Faith Clubs, through an internship
(21:01):
I was a part of, and we were gonnago pray for people in our school.
Twanna Handerson (21:05):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (21:07):
I think this was my sophomore year and I
hadn't really done this before.
I hadn't gone out and prayedover a stranger I didn't
know, which was super scary.
It's definitely hard to do at thebeginning when you don't have a lot
of experience and so I was definitelyhad a lot of anxiety around it and I
could see, I was in the hallway beforethe school started, before class.
(21:30):
There was someone across the hall.
And Lord was like, Hey, go pray for them.
And I think that's in that place ifyou don't develop your faith, you
have to be able to hear of like whothe Lord wants to highlight to you.
Twanna Handerson (21:42):
Mm-hmm.
Delaney Dahl (21:42):
And so that person was definitely highlighted to me and I went
over to them and is like, Hey, is theresomething I could pray for you for?
Super random question to them.
They're not expecting it.
It's a random like Mondaymorning, but that's okay.
And they were like, Hey,like, I don't think so.
I was like, Hey, is it okayif I pray for you anyway?
(22:04):
And they were like, oh, sure, absolutely.
So then I just said like asmall short, general prayer.
And was just able to bring the Lordin that conversation, and I haven't
really talked to that person since then.
I've seen them in thehallways and everything.
I still kind of pray for them on my ownto see if that seed will be watered.
(22:24):
And after it was planted.
But just the joy that I wanna share.
The thing I wanna share is the joythat I felt after that happened.
Yes, that seed was planted, but a seedwas also planted in my faith because
I was able to feel what it lookslike to be obedient to the Lord and
just actually see where he's leadingyou and like answering like those.
(22:50):
How he's leading.
And so being able to pray to him,but then also obeying for what he
answers with is two separate things.
Because we can be listening and we canbe hearers of the word, but we also be
doers of the word like it says in James.
And so being a doer of the wordrequires boldness and requires a lot
(23:11):
of obedience, but it's so worth itbecause then I just walked through the
hall on my way to first hour class andI'm like, oh my goodness, Lord, thank
you so much for leading me to that.
And I was just, songs came upwithin me like I was just full
of joy, full of happiness.
And I think that is just what happens whenwe experience what the Lord's plans are
(23:32):
that he has for us because we are able tojust see how he is at work in our lives.
Twanna Handerson (23:40):
Yeah, I I think that is so true.
And that can be kind ofscary even for anybody.
I mean, you know
Delaney Dahl (23:46):
Exactly
Twanna Handerson (23:47):
when you're praying for people that you don't know because
you never know how they're gonna react.
But when we are, like you said, whenwe're obedient to God, he just, you know,
strengthens us to be able to do it andto just trust him in the midst of it.
Delaney, there are listenersof this podcast who have been
fearful of sharing their faith.
(24:08):
Some feel like they are ill-equipped.
I think that you'vereally encouraged them.
Can you just take a moment as we prepareto close, and this has been really, really
good, but to just pray for our listenersthat, that they will trust the Lord when
put in situations to share their faithand that he will give them boldness.
Delaney Dahl (24:32):
Oh, for sure.
Absolutely.
I would love to.
Thank you.
Lord, I just want to pray over all thelisteners right now that may be in a place
that want to grow their faith, wanna growtheir boldness in you, and just what it
looks like to have a strengthened faith.
I pray that you wouldjust work through them.
I pray that you would just providepeace where there may be anxiety.
(24:52):
I pray that you would just help yourvoice be more evident in their life
and just how you're working in them.
I just pray that you remind them ofyour past faithfulness of where you
have provided for them in the past andjust how good you have been to them in
their lives, even when it's hard to see.
And so I just pray that that would fuelus into how we can then pour into other
(25:15):
people and pour into what it lookslike to be doers of the word instead of
simply hearers because that's how you'regonna transform others' lives around
us after you've already transformed us.
So, Lord, I just thank you forthe person on the other side of
this that is listening to this.
I just pray that you would bless them.
I pray that you would be with themand just pray that you would go
(25:36):
before them and what you have in storefor them, and help them know that
you have plans for plans to prosperand just a great future for them.
In Jesus name, amen.
Twanna Handerson (25:46):
Amen.
Amen.
Delaney, thank you somuch for joining us today.
This has been really great.
I mean, you're just a remarkableyoung woman and so I'm just excited
about what the Lord is goingto continue to do in your life.
I'll have to have you back again.
Delaney Dahl (26:04):
Absolutely.
I would love to.
It was such a joy to be on here today.
Thank you so much.
Twanna Handerson (26:08):
Absolutely.
Well, to all of our listeners,thank you for joining us.
I'm Twanna Henderson,and until the next time.
Be blessed of the Lord.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.