The massive data collected for the DC/LA '97 research project has been only summarized in this report. Even though findings were often condensed to ease the clarity of communication, the sheer volume of material may obscure the most significant conclusions. It may be useful to revisit the research question that drove all of this effort: When measured four months and nine months after the events, what differences in evangelism-related behaviors can be found among high-school students who attended DC/LA '97?

After stepping back from the denseness of the particulars, there are a few statements that can be made which may prove most helpful to those who are interested in some bottom line conclusions. In some cases statements that were recorded in the midst of the report have been lifted and repeated below.

The more sophisticated the communication and initiative-taking skills, the more likely it is that older students be more effective than younger students.

Females are significantly more likely then males to use journaling in their quiet times.

Students tend to see evangelism as a task--or series of tasks--to do, rather than as a natural outgrowth of their relationships with non-Christians.

It is fair to observe that students who attended DC/LA '97 continue to grow in crucial areas related to evangelism effectiveness since the summer of 1997. They display Bible study patterns that give evidence that they increasingly depend on Jesus, intentionally build more relational bridges with non-Christians, engage in strategic evangelistic prayer, employ more aggressive inviting behaviors, share the gospel, and meet with adults and peers for the kind of encouragement and accountability that helps them to be faithful to God's call. While it may be that some or all of this growth is the result of natural maturation processes, these students give significant credit to DC/LA '97 for their progress.

While the value of depending on Jesus should never be understressed, the DC/LA crowd came to the conference somewhat tuned in to this emphasis. The greatest contribution to this value was likely made in students' quiet time commitments and strategies.

Better than one third of those attending DC/LA '97 (39%) had never committed themselves to the value of being honest and open with their friends. The training conference--with its clear emphasis on being real --helped 82% of these students own this value in their lives.

Choosing to challenge students to perform gutsy acts was clearly a creative and effective vehicle in the DC/LA '97 training. This tangible activity is an excellent predictor of other evangelism-related behaviors and a fair indicator that students caught both the love others and have courage emphases in the teaching.

It's accurate to say that a majority of DC/LA '97 students learned how to share the gospel such that their evangelism practices have been increased significantly.

Three out of four students attending DC/LA '97 made a commitment to share their faith more often; as a result their evangelism practices have increased significantly.

Future conferences would do well to continue to strengthen the concrete and immediate bridges between what students learn, the commitments they make, and their evangelism-related behaviors.

The more frequently an adult meets with a student for encouragement and accountability (individually or in a small group), the greater the increase in that student's evangelistic activity and effectiveness.

What cautions should we consider giving to students who may think that their on-line connections are relationally adequate?

Over 1000 new school-based outreach clubs have likely been started since DC/LA '97 to help Christian kids reach their friends for Jesus Christ.

The strongest contribution DC/LA '97 has made to the process of equipping students for evangelism effectiveness is its articulation of a clear and practical vision for peer evangelism that elicits commitments from students to share their faith more often. They subsequently engage in the Student Leader Three-Step (derived from Link Institute National Student Leader Research Project (1998)) where they 1) pray aggressively and creatively for non-Christians, 2) invite non-Christians to activities and dialogue where Jesus can be encountered, and 3) tell non-Christians about Jesus.