Ep. 218 - Authentic Evangelism

Katy Reed Hodges sits down with two of First Baptist Arlington's youngest and newest staff members for an all-women episode of Tell Me More. Tatum Scully is a UTA senior and our new college associate. Jaylin Harris is the first resident in the church's new Global Residency. Jaylin grew up in a tiny village in the Oklahoma Panhandle, where her graduating class of 18 was the biggest in school. A DNOW weekend with the ministry Glowing Heart pointed her toward UTA and eventually to First Baptist Arlington. Tatum is from San Antonio, where a full scholarship settled her college choice and a mission trip to Denver sparked a calling toward church planting. Both describe following God one step at a time without seeing the whole map. Katy notes that the whole church is learning to walk that way in a changing ministry landscape. The conversation turns to the friendship between Tatum and Jaylin, who went from fellow freshmen to roommates. They talk about making room for honest conflict and carrying each other through seasons of discernment and support raising. From there, they talk candidly about their generation: scared and lonely, longing to be known but afraid of it, quick to spot anything inauthentic, and all in once they see the heart behind something. Drawing on Oza's sermon from John 4, where Jesus offered "connection before correction," they make the case for letting people belong before they believe. Their advice for reaching Gen Z is simple. Open your home, set the table, don't worry about the dishes in the sink, and invite someone to dinner.