Tips for Engaging Students with the Gospel
In my time serving in Student Ministries, I’ve come to that see that students hold a multitude of perspectives when it comes to the Gospel. Some see it as a dull story they have heard zero times or others may have heard it even hundreds of times! Students range all over the board when it comes down to their engagement with the gospel; some are indifferent, others comprehend it well, and have a positive response.
Over the course of my life and my own spiritual journey, I have been on both ends of the spectrum in terms of my own gospel engagement. Here are some helpful tips if you find yourself engaging students with the gospel. Whether the student is your child, a friend, or yourself, may these words help you in one way or another.
1. When presenting the Gospel, start with the basics.
At 7:24, which is Orchard Hill’s High School Ministry, we did a multiple-week teaching series on the “Basics” of faith and Christianity. We looked at the following questions and answers:
What is the BASIC message of the Bible? - To tell us what God is like.
What is the BASIC plan of Satan? - To distort our understanding of God so his way of rebellion appears attractive.
What is the BASIC result of following Satan's plan? - The motivations of our life become prideful and adulterous.
What is the BASIC plan of God? - To redeem man from the sinful ways of life and to restore him back in a relationship with God.
What is God's BASIC will for your life? - For you to comprehend and know God.
From my standpoint, when you explain and describe these “basic” questions to a student, the gospel can be presented in an appealing way for them to understand. When you add in the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, these questions can help you gauge where a student is at in understanding the gospel and the full effects of it.
After going through these questions with them, ask them, “So what is the gospel?”. It is helpful for them to think and process what they heard and maybe already know, and be able to reiterate it in their own words. Think of it also as the big picture of the Bible which is the following: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. The key to this is having them say it back in their own wording so that it comes from their heart and from the Lord, not just simply reciting and regurgitating information. Remember, there is no secret formula for the gospel. It does not have to be a scary or intimidating topic!
2. When presenting the Gospel, do not hold the power or authority of your knowledge over that person.
Guess what? Scripture and Jesus hold final authority, not you. One of my favorite quotes is by Craig Groeschel which says, “People would rather follow a leader who is always real than one who is always right.”
This is so prevalent in Student Ministry culture, and I pray this is said about myself as a worker with youths. I recognize that I do not always have the right answers, and I do not know everything about scripture. I have my own biblical training, education, and personal experiences, but I would never hold that over someone.
When presenting the gospel, you never want to come off with an “I’m right, and you’re wrong” mentality. You do not want students to want to walk away from a gospel message thinking, wow, this is a lot to do to please Jesus and get into heaven. They do not want to think; ‘this is what Allyson told me to do, I guess I should go and do it”.
They should walk away with awe and wonder at who the God of the universe is, and the grace and mercy He has shown us through His redemptive blood on the cross! They should know that Jesus has called us to a way of living that looks different than the world; and that it is a hard and uncomfortable calling when we give our lives over to Christ.
I continue learning and dive into scripture not so I can know it all, but to have a deeper understanding of my Savior and to increase my love for Him. We find this life-giving and powerful source of truth from scripture, not in of ourselves. We want students to really understand and realize that this is GOOD NEWS, and why this is such good news!
3. When presenting the gospel, use stories of personal experiences when you were engaged with the Gospel.
Having a conversation that is personal, real, and honest is always a huge win in my opinion! Also, people remember captivating and interesting stories! Think about when people share their testimonies; it is powerful in its own unique way because that person is describing their personal journey with God. And in 9 out of 10 cases, something that they shared will stick with you.
Now, I want you to think about your testimony. If you have never thought about this before, a testimony is your own special and personal story of how God saved and shaped you. Create spaces and opportunities with students to share experiences of how God changed your own life through the revealing of His Word, the work of His Spirit in you, and through other people. This specifically sticks out to me because I re-dedicated my life to the Lord by hearing a family member’s testimony of how God changed and impacted his life. Real stories capture an experience that is tangible for a student to grasp. Perhaps they can relate the story to their own life, and where they are at at the moment.
I love when people are sincere and real in sharing their stories. Remember, not one testimony is the same and no testimony is “better” than another! I have heard countless times from individuals saying that their story is boring and there is nothing to it. Hold up! Let me stop you right there. You are telling me that the redeeming and powerful work of Christ in giving you salvation is not “cool” enough?!
Do not fall into the lie that your personal story does not hold value. God did not create us all to be the same, but we have unique individual stories. And sometimes by sharing your story, someone can be encouraged by your heart and God’s work in your life, that it causes them to change and think twice perhaps.
4. When presenting the Gospel, walk WITH them, not ahead.
It is important to show students firsthand what it means to be a follower of Christ. If you are telling someone what the gospel is, you should be living in alignment with it, and what Jesus has done for us. I am not saying you must live a perfect life; we are all human and sinners, but model this for them.
Teach them how to live a life having Jesus at the center of it all. Share scripture with them and show them how to read their bibles and the importance of knowing Jesus. Encourage them to dive deeper. Show them how they can themselves apply this good news with their parents, peers, friends, at work, in school, what they spend their time doing, etc. Remind them of 1 Timothy 4:12 which says,
“Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.”
One of the most life-giving parts of my job is walking right next to students and getting a front-row seat on God’s work in their lives. God does not always harvest growth right in front of us, sometimes it takes time. But find significance in planting those gospel seeds and do not lose sight of the end goal which is leading that person to trust Jesus personally and spend eternity with Him.
I pray that as you are sharing, teaching, or exemplifying the gospel to whomever, that God would allow His gospel truth to sink deep into both your hearts and theirs.
