Meeting and Relating to Students

In order to meet students, you need to go where students hang out and take the initiative to get to know them.

BIBLICAL BASIS

“We loved you so much we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well because you had become so dear to us.” 1 Thessalonians 2:8 Consider the woman at the well. Jesus meets and befriends a Samaritan woman, addresses her need, and explains salvation to her. She is so changed by Jesus that she brings the whole town out to meet Him. As you think back over your life, who has had the most influence on you for the good? Think through how you met this person and write down how this person influenced you. Reflecting on this relationship can help you think through how you can have a positive influence on the teens you meet.

THE PROCESS

1. Know your purpose.

Your purpose is to share Christ and disciple those who respond. At the same time, your audience is made up of very relational people who live in a relational world. You will gain credibility and opportunities to share Jesus as you relate well in the student world. It requires that you meet as many students as you can. You will have the opportunity to share the gospel with most of those acquaintances as time goes on.

2. Be yourself.

Don’t try to be someone you aren’t. Students will relate to a variety of people. The most important thing is that they know that you care about them and that you are comfortable with who God has made you to be. Reflect on Biblical truths of who Christ says you are so that you have greater confidence in relating to students. (See Ephesians 1-3 for some of these truths).

3. Be an insider – someone who gets to know the student culture and world.

An insider is someone who adjusts their conversations to the student’s interests rather than just their own; fitting in with them, not asking them to fit in with you.

4. Be casual but definite.

To be casual means that it is important to be relaxed and be yourself as you work among students. Enjoy yourself and enjoy them. To be definite means that you remember your objective: to help the student learn more about a relationship with Jesus so they have the opportunity to receive Him as their Savior and Lord. As you relate to them be prayerful, asking God to help you know when and how to turn your conversations to his spiritual need. You are not there just to be a buddy, but a spiritual leader and mentor.

5. Prepare to Meet Students

Prepare to meet students by looking in the high school yearbook, getting activities calendars, sports schedules, school newspapers, etc. Become a student of the school.
Identify the various relational groups, clubs, or cliques of students.
Rely on students you know to help meet others.
Pray daily for students, even though you don’t know them because this can lead to opportunities to share the gospel with them or God working through a student to reach them.
Learn the cultural norms of the school -i.e. what’s in, what’s not, how students think, etc.
Ask God to provide you with opportunities to meet students, and expect Him to lead you to students He has prepared.

A key to effectively reaching high school students is to be aware of their group orientation. When you meet a student, it’s important not only to get to know him but to find out what social, athletic, academic, or another type of group he’s in. Movement develops more naturally when we reach and mobilize natural groups of students.

PLAN AND BEGIN YOUR STRATEGY

1. Meet students with breadth in mind.

The more students you meet, the greater opportunity you have for outreach. Look at your Mapping the Campus Worksheet to help you determine where you want to start meeting students. Ask your ministry coach for help in developing your plan.

2. Go where students are.

Here are some typical places to meet students:

School activities
Athletic and school events
Church
On the street where they are hanging out in the community
Other students’ homes
Assisting at school: coaching, school clubs
Shopping malls
Eating establishments

3. While talking with students it is important to:

Be a good listener.
Show an attitude of acceptance.
Don’t be the one doing most of the talking.
Ask perceptive questions about them.
Look for areas of common interest.

As you prepare to meet students think through some questions you could ask students. Have these questions in your mind to help communicate that you care about the students and to help you feel more relaxed as you meet them. Here are some ideas:

So where are you from? Where did you grow up?
What do you enjoy doing?
Who are your closest friends? What do you do for fun?
What are your favorite movies, songs, video games, etc… (Barna research says this is what teenagers spend their time doing vastly beyond anything else in life).
What’s your family like? Who do you live with? Do you have
brothers and sisters? Do you like them?

The success of these questions will depend on how you ask them, and the follow-up questions you use based on their responses. Brainstorm some of your own questions you’d like to ask. For questions to help you transition to the gospel see “Turning the Conversation to Christ.”

As you find opportunities to talk to teens, remember to:

Try to talk with them concerning what is important to them whether it be music, basketball, philosophy on life. Ask them questions about life.
As you talk to them figure out what they are interested in and explore those topics more deeply. Be genuinely interested.
Let them know they can trust you. Then you will get to know them. As they open up to you, you will find openings into their lives where you can share Jesus with them, like Jesus did with the woman at the well in John 4.

4. Rely on students you know to help you meet others.

Ask students you know to help you meet some of their friends. As you attend school or social events, ask students to introduce you to their friends, or just casually take the initiative to meet them. Challenge students in your small groups to reach out to a group of friends with you. Ask them to host or invite students to a pizza party, ice cream, etc.

5. Make prayer a priority.

Ask God to help you meet the students He wants you to meet.

6. Meet students who attend ministry events.

Talk with every new student you can at Cru High School Meetings and school meetings and events.

7. Be creative.

Team meetings, classroom speaking, creative outreaches, pick up ball games, hanging out at kid’s homes, coaching, helping with music and drama productions, etc. – all are ways you can meet students. Much of your ministry depends upon your willingness to be available, friendly, and the take the initiative. This way you will always be meeting new students.

8. Aim to take someone with you.

Whether it is a student you know, a friend or community member who is a partner with your ministry.

APPLICATION

List the students you know.
List some places and ways you can get to know more students, particularly through students you already know
With your ministry coach, develop a plan to meet and reach out to some students you want to get to know, like the football team, cheerleaders, drama students, kids in choir, etc…

Answers to Top Five Questions Students Would Ask God

Developing Prayer Partners

Gap Year

Cru: Start Here!

Planning and Conducting an Outreach

What they’re saying about Cru

PLEASE NOTE

If you are a student, do yourself a favor and get an adult to take on this responsibility! In most cases, they will enjoy it and have more success. But even if you are able to delegate this aspect of your ministry you need to read this and understand how valuable adults are to reaching your school.
If you are an adult, prayerfully proceed!

PARENTS

It is important to understand that in every community a group of adults exists who care enough about their young people to get involved in the solutions to their greatest needs. In most communities, parents are your greatest allies and potential resources. For just a moment, imagine what parents are facing when their sons and daughters are approaching adulthood. They are doing the best they can in raising their children. They are looking for significant others to take an interest in their kids. Most parents of students today feel disconnected with how their son or daughter is really doing. When meeting parents you need to let them know, without apology, what you and your ministry are all about. The most important principle in working with parents is being confident. Remember names of other involved parents and community people as you meet new parents. One name dropped at the right time is worth a thousand attempts at describing what you do. When a parent has shown an interest in getting involved, give them something to do as soon as possible. And remember to pray for the parents!

TEACHERS AND OTHER FACULTY

Christian teachers, coaches and administrators can be a tremendous resource in trying to reach a campus with the gospel,especially if they are well liked and respected among the students and faculty. Many entered the field of teaching because they wanted to make an impact on the lives of young people. So, with the “perceived”legal limitations, what can they do?

They can be involved in prayer,individual and
They can be “salt and light” in the classroom. They are within their legal rights by having and defending a biblical worldview. They can be an official advisor for your outreach if you decide to make it an officially recognized school club. They can open their classroom up for students to have prayer meetings.

Here are some ideas for mobilizing teachers to be part of ministry to teenagers.

Participate In Education Sunday
This commissioning service for students and school staff would be a great way to help the teachers and students see that they are Christ’s ambassadors to their campus, to help them realize they are on the same team, and to help the church to see how critical the public schools are in God’s plan.
School Staff Prayer Breakfasts
Organizing prayer breakfasts for school staff is another way to encourage the churches, students, and mom’s prayer groups to support the teachers in the school and to also encourage them to become involved in helping to reach the school for Christ.
See You At The Pole
Encourage them to take part in it. It typically happens the third Wednesday in September.
Encourage Christian Faculty To Join CEAI
Christian Educators Association International (CEAI) is an organization which provides a subscription to Teachers In Focus magazine, encouraging literature on being a witness in your school, and insurance comparable to NEA, with a philosophy that supports their Christian stand. (www.ceai.org; phone 1-888-798-1124)
Utilize Key Times for Students To Encourage Teachers
Great opportunities for showing appreciation to teachers include:
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
- Valentine’s Day
- Easter
- National Teacher Day (usually about May 7)Graduation (invite teachers to Baccalaureate)
Encourage Seniors to Witness To Their Teachers Before They Graduate
The greatest need among educators is for appreciation, so encouraging cards sent to teachers (Christian and non-Christian) will go a long way in opening them up to Christ.
Help Inform Teachers and School Staff of Their Legal Rights
Many school faculty have been intimidated into believing that they have no rights at all as Christians. Let them know that they do NOT have to check their faith at the schoolhouse door. A good resource for them is “Bible Clubs and Student Religious Meetings in Public Schools,” available in the Resource section of the 1x1x56k magazine.