Local StoriesNovember 4, 2021

Inspiring Conversations with Victoria Holloway of Dare You To Love

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Holloway.

Hi Victoria, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
When I was 18, I dedicated my life to Christ and decided to attend Bible college instead of community college or a University. I wanted to learn more about this God I just discovered and I have never regretted dedicating my first few years as an adult solely to Him.

A few years later, I graduated from Bible college and was working at an extension campus as an administrator for almost two years. After experiencing some church hurt, I quit my job as an administrator for this church and while I had some relief, I couldn’t help but feel like a complete failure. I would lie awake at night and wonder how in the world could God use a washed up, broken soul like me ever again.

I had several years of training in public speaking, experience in serving with the children in youth departments, knowledge of His scripture through theology classes and biblical teaching, and hands-on training with administration work – and it felt like it was all for nothing now that I stepped away from my position in vocational ministry. As I am experiencing these emotions of shame and anxiety about my future, I had this gut feeling like I was meant to start something of my own.

At the time, I wasn’t set on the idea of a podcast, but I knew that I wanted to create a place for open and honest conversation. My own experience within the church carried a lot of fraud. People pretending to be something they are not, pretending to have it all together, pretending to be holy, pretending to be your friend, pretending to love Jesus… I was sick and tired of the pretend lifestyle, so when creating The Dare You To Love Podcast, I knew it needed to be raw, unfiltered and genuine.

About a year after I quit my job, I began the process of starting a podcast. It took some time but eventually all the pieces fell into place and I can now confidently say that I am walking in my calling as the owner of Dare You To Love and host of The Dare You To Love Podcast.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I would say the reward is worth all the trials I have faced and will face in the future. Knowing that I am doing work in order to shine light on dark situations and share the love of Jesus with people will always out way any negativity that comes my way.

Now, that doesn’t by any means mean that I don’t let it get to me. I have thought about quitting more times than I would like to admit, but at the end of the day, I know that God will use the work of Dare You To Love to reach the lost.

I would say if you are thinking about starting a podcast or ministry of your own, you should know that it is hard work. You will spend many nights and weekends dedicated to your ministry and you may not reap the benefit of the seeds you are planting but if you know that God has called you to serve in this capacity then He will equip you to fulfill your calling. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Dare You To Love is a nonprofit brand established to help lead people into a relationship with Jesus. Our core foundation comes from John 13:34-35. At the last supper, Jesus tells his disciples repeatedly to love one another and says “everyone will know that you are my disciple if you love…” We believe love is one of the most important things in the world and we are determined to spread as much of it as we can.

We believe in mentorship, participating in community and global outreach programs, and spreading the gospel through public speaking, writing, podcasting, and everyday conversation. We hope to inspire and challenge our audience to act with love, think a little differently, and break Christian stereotypes and the spirit of offense caused by church hurt.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
I have learned two very important lessons since I started my podcast in October of 2020.

1. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I knew nothing about podcasting or video editing or graphic design before I started Dare You To Love. You can call me the product of YouTube University because that is the place I frequent most when trying to learn how to do something new for the podcast. I know that The Lord has equipped me with the ability to learn and grow in knowledge so while it would be so much easier to naturally be good, something I know it is through Him that I am able to continue with the podcast.

2. The details matter but who you are talking to is the most important thing.

I am a perfectionist. I am a type two on the enneagram and a Virgo so the odds are stacked against me in the control department. I have a plan and vision for how I want things to look and when it doesn’t go according to plan, I can get disappointed and frustrated. As I was working on the second season of the podcast titled Beauty From Ashes, I decided that I wanted to film each interview and post to YouTube. Well, adding this climate defiantly added a layer of stress on my plate and my perfectionist brain could not shut off no matter what we did.

One night as my family and I were watching TV, I felt The Lord drop into my spirit “The details matter but who you are talking to is the most important thing.” And it really set things into perspective for me. Yes, the details matter and I always want to strive for excellence in all I do but who I am actually talking to is the most important thing in the world.

Who cares if the Instagram aesthetic is off or if my editor used the right font when typing the name of my guest on each video. What really matters is are people experiencing the love of Jesus when they visit Dare You To Love? Are people getting set free? Are souls being saved? Nothing matters more to God than the souls of all His children and when I can keep that in mind, it helps calm my type 2, virgo, perfectionist brain.

Contact Info:

Image Credits:
Victory Media, LLC.

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