Next Step
Take the time to prepare your story and share it with one person. Get some feedback, make some changes, and share it again. Look for an opportunity to share it in a small group.
Learn to share your StoryTake the time to prepare your story and share it with one person. Get some feedback, make some changes, and share it again. Look for an opportunity to share it in a small group.
Learn to share your Story
You want to make a difference at your school. You care about your friends. You see the need. You’ve probably even thought, “Someone should do something.”
What if that someone is you?
The Reach Your School Playbook was created to help students take that step, and to give adults a simple way to support them along the way.
This Playbook is designed first for students. It helps you take ownership, lead your friends, and build something that actually reaches your school.
At the same time, if you’re an adult, youth leader, parent, or volunteer, this gives you a clear way to come alongside students without taking over.
A lot of students never take the first step. Not because they don’t care, but because they feel stuck.
Uncertainty can keep people from moving. This Playbook breaks that barrier. It gives you a clear path so you can stop overthinking and start doing.
This isn’t just ideas sitting on a page. It’s a practical guide you can actually use right now.
With the Playbook, you can:
You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just need a place to start.
“Start where you are, use what you have, take the first step.”
The Playbook walks you through five clear steps. Each one is simple, practical, and designed to help you take action.
You don’t have to guess what to do next. It’s right there in front of you.
This isn’t a long manual you’ll never finish. It’s short. It’s simple. It’s designed to move you forward.
You can go through it on your own, or walk through it with a couple of friends. Adults can use it to guide conversations and help students take ownership.
Starting something can feel intimidating. But you’re not on your own. The Playbook connects you to tools, coaching, and a bigger movement of people who are doing the same thing. Take one step, and you’ll find support along the way.
You don’t need a perfect plan. You just need a first step.
The most important thing you do in ministry isn’t running events, it’s building relationships. Big gatherings are great, but they aren’t personal. Comment cards help you bridge that gap. They give students a simple way to raise their hand and say:
A comment card is more than a form. It’s a filter. The event gathers the crowd, but the comment cards reveal the ones who are ready. Instead of guessing who’s interested, students tell you. And that’s what allows you to follow up personally and meaningfully.
Tip: Start simple. You can always customize later.
You can collect information digitally, but physical cards still win.
Physical Cards
Digital Options
Digital can work, but many ministries find they get about half the responses compared to physical cards. Even in a digital world, physical cards often get better results. If you want the most responses, go physical first.
“The card isn’t the win, the conversation is.”
1. Pass Them Out at the Right Moment
Usually at the end of a meeting or outreach, when interest is highest.
2. Give Everyone a Pen or Pencil
Don’t assume students have one. They won’t.
3. Walk Through the Card Together
This is huge. Once everyone has a card, read each section out loud and guide them:
If you don’t do this, students rush through and check random boxes.
4. Give Them Time to Complete It
Pause. Let them actually fill it out.
5. Collect Them Immediately
Don’t leave it optional or vague.
Want more cards turned in? Use prizes.
Tell them:
“Turn in your card, we’ll draw for prizes.”
It works. A simple prize can double your response rate.
Use cardstock
Regular paper tears or gets ruined. Cardstock holds up better.
Keep it simple
Too many options overwhelm students.
Look through cards immediately
Scan for:
If possible, connect with them before they leave the meeting. The best practice is to follow up within 24–48 hours. After that, interest fades fast. So if. you can talk with them before they leave and set up a time to connect again in the next day or so, you will get your best results.
A comment card is just the beginning. The goal isn’t collecting information. The goal is connection. Use what they checked to guide your follow-up:
Comment cards can feel like a small detail, but they might be one of the most important things you do at an event. They help you move from a crowd, to a conversation, to a changed life.
Strong student leadership doesn’t happen by accident.
Whether you’re a student leading your peers or an adult supporting a movement, clarity around leadership can make a huge difference. These simple documents are designed to help you communicate expectations, invite the right students in, and build a healthy leadership culture.
They’re optional tools for any campus movement, not requirements, but many teams find them incredibly helpful.
This application is a simple way for students to express interest in leadership and for you to get to know them better. It creates space for students to share their story, their faith, and why they want to lead. It also helps ensure they understand the purpose and message of your ministry before stepping into a leadership role.
Leaders often use this as a starting point for conversations, discernment, and development, not just as a form to collect.
Student Leadership (Editable Document)
Student Leadership Application (PDF)
“Great leadership starts with clarity, not assumptions.”
This covenant helps define what it means to be a student leader in your group. It clearly communicates expectations, both in character and commitment, and gives students a chance to step in with understanding and ownership. Because it’s customizable, you can adapt it to fit your local context, adding practical expectations that make sense for your team.
Many leaders use this as part of training or onboarding, helping students not just say “yes” to leadership, but understand what they’re saying yes to.