Two Keys to Meeting and Relating to Students

Every flourishing student ministry has one thing in common…students! While that may be obvious, how to begin meeting and relating to students isn’t always quite so clear.

So how can we begin to meet and interact with students, in hopes of introducing them to Christ? Let’s explore the biblical basis for taking the initiative in engaging students, as well as the appropriate posture, and a helpful plan to begin building relationships with students on your campus.

The gospel has always traveled through relational channels. Jesus Himself left heaven, “became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood” to pursue lost sinners here on Earth (John 1:14, The Message). Whether it was with Nicodemus, the woman at the well, the blind man, or countless others, Jesus went to where the people were and met them on their turf.

Then He commanded His disciples to do the same (see Luke 10:1-20 and Matthew 28:18-20). For thousands of years, Jesus’ followers have been obeying this command and teaching trustworthy people who can pass the message along to others (2 Timothy 2:2). Incredibly, somewhere in this chain of events, someone helped you come to know and follow Jesus!

And now, Lord willing, you may have the opportunity to help others come to know and follow Christ as you take steps of faith to meet and relate to students on your local campus. To do this, it is important that you consider your posture and develop a plan.

Consider Your Posture

The way that we carry ourselves and interact with others, our relational posture, is critically important as we seek to develop Christ-centered relationships with students. Here are a few things to consider.

Know Your Purpose

Your purpose is to share the gospel broadly and disciple those who respond in faith. A high school campus is a highly relational ecosystem, in which students are connected in a variety of ways (classes, clubs, sports, interests, etc.). You will gain credibility and have opportunities to share Jesus as you relate well to students in this world. Seek to meet as many students as possible. The more students you meet, the more opportunities you will have to share Jesus! As students respond in faith, you will also be able to spread the gospel more broadly through their relational connections.

Be Yourself

Don’t try to be someone you aren’t. God can use a wide variety of people to reach students. Students respond best when you are authentic, sincere, and humbly confident in whom God has made you to be. The most important thing for students is to know that they can trust you and that you genuinely care about them.

Become an Insider

An insider is someone who adjusts their conversations to the students’ interests rather than just your own, meeting them on their turf, not asking them to meet you on yours. Don’t worry; you don’t need to know every latest fad or pop culture reference, but take time to learn the students’ world by asking good questions, listening, and observing. Good questions, genuine curiosity, and loving listening can go a long way toward building trusting relationships and beginning to understand the world of teens on your campus.

Be Casual, but Intentional

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 intentional means that you remember your objective: to help the student learn more about a relationship with Jesus, so that they can know and grow in Him. As you relate to students, be prayerful, asking God to help you know how and when to turn your conversation to the student’s spiritual need. You are not there just to be a buddy, but a spiritual leader and mentor. For more perspective on this, check out this great video about relating to students.

Soularium can be a great way to engage students in casual conversation while also seeking to move the conversation toward spiritual truth. Or check out this great article for additional tips for How to Turn a Conversation to Christ.

Good questions, genuine curiosity, and loving listening can go a long way toward building trusting relationships and beginning to understand the world of teens on your campus.

2 Develop a Plan

Now that you have the right posture, it’s equally important that you have a good plan to reach as many students as possible on the campus. To start, here are a few helpful tips to begin the process.

Go to Where Students Are

As we mentioned earlier, when meeting and relating to students, it is important to engage them on their turf. While students have a unique cultural “turf,” they also have a physical turf- the places where they naturally live, learn, and play. School activities, athletic events, and restaurants near the school are all great places to find and interact with students. You may also consider volunteering at the school as a coach or tutor. Wherever students naturally gather, is where you want to be!

Meet Students With Breadth in Mind

The more students you meet, the greater opportunity you have for outreach. One way to meet more students more quickly is to strategically pursue the many natural groups that exist on campus. Mapping Your Campus can be a great strategy to begin to think through these groups and develop a plan for reaching as many students as possible.

Rely on Students You Already Know to Help You Meet Others

Ask students you know to help you meet some of their friends. It may be helpful to make a list of students you already know or who are key leaders in your movement. Challenge them to connect you to their friends over lunch, after school, or in some other setting that feels natural to them. As you attend school activities, ask students to introduce you to their friends or casually take the initiative to introduce yourself.

When hosting ministry events, be sure to consistently encourage students to invite friends and classmates who are not currently involved with your ministry. Introduce yourself to every new student who attends, and see if you can set up a time to meet with them to get to know them better in the coming days.

Be Creative

While we hope this article has provided some guiding principles, we have only begun to scratch the surface on how you can meet students on your campus. Every campus is different, and what works in one place won’t necessarily work in another. Feel free to put your own creativity to work or invite students to come up with a creative idea to connect with their peers. With the right posture and a good plan, who knows what the Lord might do?

So, get out there! There are likely hundreds of students on a campus in your community in desperate need of the gospel. Many of them are primed and ready to begin a relationship with Jesus, if only someone would take the initiative to meet them and share the good news. Take a step of faith and begin meeting them today!

Next Step

Let's practice! A great first step - choose a campus event in the next week, then go and start a conversation with three new students. Pray and ask God to lead you to students in whom He is at work creating spiritual interest. If you uncover spiritual interest, Preparing Yourself for Spiritual Conversations can help you move towards the gospel.

start a conversation

Conversations

This article is part of the Conversation Collection. Read the rest of these articles to get an even better understanding of how to have great conversations with students.

1. Do Your Own Thing

If you’d like to gather some friends, share your faith, and build something without any formal ties, just start with the playbook. The Reach Your School Playbook gives you everything you need to get started today.

2. Call Yourself Cru

If you’d like to use the Cru name and logos, and be part of a wider movement beyond just your campus, here’s what that looks like:

	Doing Your Own Thing	Being Called Cru
Use the Cru name and logos	No	Yes
Need a coach to get started	No	Yes
Part of the wider Cru movement	No	Yes
Get ongoing support from Cru staff	No	Yes
Can start today, no waiting	Yes	Still fast — just a call first

"Whichever path you choose, you don’t have to figure it out alone."

How to Get Started

If you want to call yourself Cru, the way to get started is to connect with a coach, that’s how you register your movement. This is separate from anything your own school requires; if your campus has its own club registration process, you’ll still want to check with your school on that too.

A coach is a Cru staff member whose job is to walk alongside you as you get started. Here’s what working with a coach actually looks like from there:

It’s free. No cost involved, no catch.
No pressure. You reach out, someone gets back to you with information and answers your questions, and there’s no commitment required just to ask.
Go at your own pace. You and your coach agree on a rhythm together, whether that’s weekly, every other week, or monthly, usually in calls of about 20 to 30 minutes.
The calls are practical. Your coach checks in on how things are going, helps you work through whatever challenges you’re facing, brainstorms ideas with you, and prays for you.
Real experience backs it up. Coaches have spent years working directly with students, teachers, and other volunteers on campuses like yours.
You get resources. Training and tools to help you lead with confidence, even if this is your first time.
It fits around your life. Coaches build their availability around your schedule.

Through it all, you’re helping students hear about Jesus, grow in their faith, and go on to reach others too. And whether you’re the student or the adult in this story, you stay the one leading it. Your coach walks alongside you; the coach doesn’t take it over.

Check Out the Playbook

Whichever path you choose, the Reach Your School Playbook is worth having in hand. It walks you through four simple steps — DREAM, PRAY, GO, GROW — for building something that reaches your school.

Download the Reach Your School Playbook

Whichever path you choose, don’t wait until everything feels figured out. Gather a few friends, open the Playbook, or send that first email to a coach. The important thing is that you start. Somewhere out there, a student at your school is waiting for someone to notice them, and that someone could be you.

Next Step

Ready to call yourself Cru? Reach out to the Coaching Center today: Email coachingcenter@cru.org and say, “I’d like to have a coach please!” Or call 1-877-GO-CAMPUS

Campus Ministry Toolkit: Skills and Tools to Reach your School

As you learn to reach your school, there are some key ministry skills that will make a big difference. These are things every Christian student can grow in and you don’t have to be perfect to get started. We also have some great tools to help you take your next step. With a little courage and the right resources, you’ll be amazed how God can use you in your school.

Starting Spiritual Conversations

Bringing up spiritual topics can be hard, but it’s one of the most important steps in reaching your friends. If no one starts the conversation, most students will never talk about their faith.

Preparing Yourself for Spiritual Conversations (article): A short guide to help you get ready to talk about your faith with friends.
Solarium: A deck of picture cards to help you start conversations about life and God.

Sharing Your Testimony

Your story matters. Sharing what God has done in your life can open hearts and help others realize that faith is personal and real.

How to Share Your Story (article): A step-by-step guide to help you talk about how Jesus has changed your life.

Sharing Your Faith

The gospel is powerful and your friends need to hear it. Learning how to clearly explain the message of Jesus is a huge step in making your faith your own and helping others follow Him.

How to Share the Gospel (article): a step-by-step guide to help you share the gospel with a friend.
Connecting with God Booklet: A short, simple booklet you can read through with a friend to explain how they can know Christ.
The Four Wristband: A wearable tool with four simple symbols to help you talk about God’s love and how to receive Christ.
GodTools App: A free app with interactive ways to share your faith in different languages and styles.

“Your story could be the reason someone takes a step toward Jesus.”

Following Up a New Believer

When someone accepts Christ, they need help knowing what to do next. Helping a new believer grow in their faith is one of the most rewarding things you can do.

How to Follow up a New Christian (article): Simple steps to help you know what to say and do after someone decides to follow Jesus.
Thrive Studies App: Includes the START series—four Bible studies for new believers.

Leading a Small Group

Small groups are a powerful way to build community and help students grow. If you can lead a good conversation, you can lead a small group.

Thrive Studies App: Includes dozens of studies on real-life topics and built-in leader training.

Campus Ministry Training

Reaching students on your campus is one of the most strategic ways to share your faith. Learning a few simple principles can help you start conversations, gather students, and take steps toward building a movement at your school.

Campus Training Videos – Short, practical videos to help you learn how to reach students on your high school campus. These eight trainings cover key topics like meeting students, starting conversations, sharing your faith, and taking simple steps to build a movement.

Other Helpful Tools

Comment Cards
- PDF
- Editable Version
Meeting Schedule Planner
- PDF
- Editable Version
Who’s In Your World?
- PDF
- Editable Version
Outreach Resources
- Team Outreach Sample Schedule
- Other Outreach tools
Cru Logos, fonts, and Colors

Some Great Websites You Don't Want To Miss

Everystudent.com: articles to help students learn about faith
Gotothecampus.com: ministry training and tools to help you grow your ministry

Next Step

Pick one tool and take a step this week to start a conversation or gather a few friends.

The Reach Your School Playbook

You can reach your school. We can help.

You’ve probably looked around your campus and thought, someone should do something. What if that someone is you?

The Reach Your School Playbook is a simple, practical guide that helps you make the first move. It’s short, clear, and built to move you forward, not a long manual you’ll never finish. Whether you’re a student ready to lead or an adult wanting to come alongside one, this is your starting point.

Download the Playbook PDF for free
Playbook Appendix Content (our toolkit)

You can actually do this

Most people never start, not because they don’t care, but because they feel stuck. Where do I even begin? What if no one shows up?

The Playbook clears that away. It gives you a path so you can stop overthinking and start doing. You don’t need a perfect plan or all the answers. You don’t have to be the popular kid or have it all together. You just need a first step, and a little courage.

And the friends you’re thinking about right now matter. You might be the one who helps them find Jesus.

Start where you are. Use what you have. Take the first step.

A simple path to follow

The Playbook walks you through four clear steps, each one designed to help you take action:

Dream — Start with a vision for your school and what God could do there.
Pray — Learn to pray for your campus in real, meaningful ways.
Go — Take action, gather a team, and begin reaching people.
Grow — Build a group that develops leaders and multiplies.

It might start with a single conversation at lunch, or a few friends praying before class. You don’t have to guess what comes next. It’s right there in front of you.

Made for students, helpful for adults

The Playbook is written first for students, because we believe teenagers can lead and make a real impact at their school. But if you’re a parent, teacher, youth leader, or volunteer, you’re not on the sidelines. There’s a whole section just for you, whether you’re supporting a student who’s leading or stepping out to start something yourself.

Students lead. Adults support. Everyone moves forward together.

"Students lead. Adults support. Everyone moves forward together."

You’re not on your own

Starting something can feel intimidating. But you don’t have to figure it out alone. The Playbook connects you to tools, coaching, and a bigger movement of people doing the same thing. Take one step, and you’ll find support along the way.