Back-to-school pressures spark ‘Unashamed’ tour urging students to speak up about faith
Thu, August 6, 2026 at 9:00 AM
LOUISVILLE, KY – JANUARY 11: A teacher interacts with students virtually while sitting in an empty classroom during a period of Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI) at Hazelwood Elementary School on January 11, 2022 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images, Florida Department of Education)
As students prepare to return to classrooms across the country, one Christian ministry says the beginning of the school year presents a unique opportunity for young people to openly share their faith despite growing social pressures on many campuses
Decision Point Ministries has launched its nationwide “Unashamed” tour, designed to equip middle and high school students to live out their Christian beliefs and engage classmates in conversations about faith
One student who attended the tour said the experience gave them new confidence to speak openly about their beliefs
“I had a fear of being judged,” the student said. “Now, after this whole week, I’m ready to spread the gospel. It’s good to be unashamed because that’s exactly what Jesus was for us.”
Speaking with The National News Desk, Decision Point CEO Mark Hopson said today’s students face increasing cultural pressures while also demonstrating what he described as a growing spiritual openness
“We’re seeing all the pressures that you’re talking about,” Hopson said. “We’re seeing all of the different identities at play. We’re seeing a growing hostility in a lot of ways toward young people of faith.”
At the same time, Hopson said his organization has witnessed increasing interest in Christianity among students
“We are seeing just an incredible hunger for the Lord like we haven’t seen in 20 years working in this mission field,” he said
According to Hopson, Decision Point reported more than 2,500 students professed faith in Jesus Christ through peer outreach on public middle and high school campuses during the past year
“Our students were giving out over 100,000 pieces of God’s Word on campus,” Hopson said. “No matter how many Bibles our students brought to their school to give out to their peers, they always ran out.”
Hopson said those experiences have convinced him that many students remain interested in conversations about faith
“God is not done with this generation,” he said. “There’s hope for this generation, but we as the body of Christ need to equip them to stand bold and unashamed.”
Hopson acknowledged that students who openly express their Christian beliefs may face criticism from classmates, educators or others on campus
“The pressures are as numerous as you and I could list all day,” he said. “They’re facing all of them.”
He said Decision Point encourages students to approach those conversations respectfully rather than confrontationally
“We tell them you have to be willing to lose friends. You have to be willing to lose popularity,” Hopson said. “Not for picking a fight for your faith or picking a fight on anybody else for theirs. But if you just tell people today that you believe the Bible… you will face backlash.”
Hopson said the organization’s message centers on sharing the Christian gospel rather than engaging in cultural or political debates
“The gospel is the power of God for salvation,” he said. “When we share the gospel, we share the power of God’s Word.”
Decision Point views the first weeks of the school year as especially important because students establish relationships and routines that often continue throughout the academic year
“Back to school is huge because it’s how you launch the year,” Hopson said
The ministry encourages students to develop what it calls a “battle plan” for sharing their faith throughout the year, to ensure every student on campus has an opportunity to hear the Christian message
“We’re going to be able to look back… and say every student on campus had the chance to hear the gospel because of what you did,” Hopson said
Among the outreach efforts promoted by the organization are Bible distribution, one-on-one conversations about faith and campus events centered on Christianity
Hopson highlighted one initiative called “Jesus Changes Everything,” in which Christian students wear matching shirts featuring the phrase on the front and John 3:16 on the back while inviting classmates to campus gatherings
“These are a couple of things people can find at DecisionPoint.org to learn how they can really make a huge impact at their school this year,” Hopson said.
As students return to classrooms this fall, Decision Point says its goal is not only to help Christian students navigate today’s culture, but also to encourage them to share their faith confidently while engaging classmates with respect
