{"id":1907,"date":"2025-09-25T04:46:36","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T04:46:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/campus.cru.org\/high-school-old\/resources\/answers-to-top-five-questions-students-would-ask-god-2\/"},"modified":"2025-09-25T04:46:36","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T04:46:36","slug":"how-to-follow-up-new-christians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/campus.cru.org\/high-school-old\/resources\/how-to-follow-up-new-christians\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Follow Up New Christians"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Unbelievable! Several students just received Christ at an outreach. So now what? How do you respond to help a person who has just received Christ? \u201cFollow-Up\u201d is the answer!<\/p>

What is Follow Up?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>

Imagine bringing your newborn baby home from the hospital. Suppose you set her in the crib and say, \u201cOkay, Sweetie, milk is in the fridge, the bathroom is over there, and here\u2019s the stereo if you want to hear some tunes.\u201d Absurd! So why should we do the same to a brand new Christian, who is referred to as a \u201cbaby\u201d in the Bible? No, it\u2019s our responsibility to help cultivate the faith of that newborn believer.Follow-up is making sure a new Christian understands their new relationship with God.\u00a0 They need to know the first steps in how to grow in their relationship with Christ and multiply their faith to others.\u00a0 It is important to help them establish a habit of meeting with Christ daily and to help them live a new life of faith.<\/p>

How to Start<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>

So where do you start?<\/p>

  1. Pray. <\/em><\/strong>Begin by praying for them (1 Thessalonians 1:2,3). \u00a0Remember that God is sovereign, which means that He has total authority in the making of His disciples (followers of Christ).<\/li>
  2. Remember that God is in charge. <\/em><\/strong>Only God can produce growth, and He does that in many ways. The Bible talks about four ways of responding to God\u2019s Word in Matthew 13:3-9, 14-20. Check it out! In the book of Acts, Paul spent special time with new believers, teaching and encouraging them (Acts 17-20). As a result they eventually influenced their entire region. We can help guide and encourage believers to grow, but the bottom line is that God\u2019s the one in charge. What a relief.In 1 Corinthians 3:5-9, the Bible says,\u00a0\u201cWhat then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through<\/em>\u00a0whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, causing the growth. So then neither the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth\u2026For we<\/em>\u00a0are God\u2019s fellow workers; you are God\u2019s field, God\u2019s building.\u201d<\/em><\/li>
  3. Don\u2019t Delay Follow-up! <\/em><\/strong>It is very important to begin follow-up ASAP! Beware: Satan will be attempting to discourage a student after he has received Christ. The student may have questions or doubts, so it\u2019s good to be available to talk. Give him a call\u00a0within 24-48 hours<\/strong>\u00a0after he has received Christ and invite him to meet to talk about how his new faith is a part of everyday life. The Holy Spirit needs your availability to help lead this new believer. You will want to affirm his new relationship with Christ; set up a time to meet to talk further. You may be thinking, \u201cBut how do I start meeting with him.\u201d? Suggest a time and place to meet (like Taco Bell, Burger King, in the school courtyard \u2026 wherever!) and let the student respond.Be flexible! Explain that you would like to share some things that will help him in his new relationship with Christ. Encourage him to bring several friends along. Meeting with a group of students who know each other is often the best method of follow-up. The students may feel more open to talk and share, and will make up a potential discipleship group for later.\u00a0 Invite other students who have received Christ (through an outreach or one on one ) to join together as a group, especially if they know each other. If something happens and you can\u2019t get together at the scheduled time, reschedule your appointment within 48 hours. Whatever you do, don\u2019t leave that \u201cbaby\u201d unattended!<\/li><\/ol>

    The First Follow-Up Meeting<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>

    What do you talk about at your first follow-up meeting? The purpose of your first meeting is to build your relationship, to help these new Christians to understand the assurance of their salvation, and to help them begin to grasp God\u2019s love for them.<\/p>

    1. Personalize your time. <\/strong>When you get together to talk personalize your time by asking good questions. \u00a0In other words, don\u2019t talk as much about yourself! Talk about things the students are interested in and things you may have in common, and be sure to listen!\u00a0(See\u00a0<\/strong>Turning the Conversation to Christ<\/a>)<\/li>
    2. Explain spiritual growth. <\/em><\/strong>Use your time together to explain spiritual growth (see below for topics). Show the students that there is much to learn and offer the opportunity to get together weekly, at least for the next four weeks. Asking for a short-term commitment won\u2019t be as overwhelming to a new Christian as an open-ended \u201clet\u2019s meet\u201d might be. After the first four weeks, challenge them to continue to meet for further growth together.<\/li>
    3. Ask questions to gain understanding. <\/em><\/strong>If you are meeting with someone whom you\u2019re not sure is a Christian, ask questions which will help you understand better where they are at spiritually, and be prepared to share the gospel with him if the student is open and willing to listen! For instance, \u201cIf you were to die tonight and see God, and he asked you, \u2018Why should I let you into heaven?\u2019 What would you answer?\u201d If the person is not 100% sure they are going to heaven, take the time to share the gospel with them to clarify things with them. (Here is an example of a gospel presentation called Knowing God Personally<\/a> – also found on the God Tools app<\/a>).<\/li>
    4. Remember that follow-up is a process. <\/em><\/strong>A couple of things to remember \u2026 every young Christian will need to continue to learn from the Scriptures. We need to start at the beginning and build. Don\u2019t try to teach everything all at once! Follow-up is a process.<\/li><\/ol>

      Important Truths for New Christians<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>

      Here are some of the most important truths a new Christian needs to know:<\/p>