How to Share the Gospel

One of the greatest privileges any believer has is introducing someone to life-changing faith in Jesus Christ. This is what we call “the gospel,” which simply means good news! The good news is that the kingdom of God is here and God is inviting His people into His mission to bless the world and welcome them into His family. Jesus said that His purpose on earth was to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). When we share our faith, we are joining Him in His mission to seek and save the lost people in our world.

The idea of sharing our faith can sometimes feel overwhelming. Just to take some pressure off, remember the definition of successful witnessing is

“Taking the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit, leaving the results to God.”

So do not worry about how they will respond, that is God’s business. Your job is simply to take the initiative and trust God. He will take care of the rest.

Why Reach Students?

Just like an athlete trains for their sport in the off-season, we need to hone our skills in sharing our faith. We prepare to share our faith to be ready for the challenge, to gain confidence and skill, and to be able to speak from the heart when the time comes. We also prepare to share our faith in Christ with high school students because of the following:

80% of all Christ-followers begin a relationship with Jesus before the age of 18.
92% of all teenagers are on the public high school campus.
We want to see people experience the same love and forgiveness we have.
There is still room in heaven for one more.
We want to share the message plainly and accurately.
We want to honor God and be obedient to Him.

In His classic article, “Let the Nations Be Glad!,” Pastor John Piper shares this advice for why we should want to share our faith:

“Don’t wait for a feeling of love to share Christ with a stranger. You already love your heavenly Father, and you know that this stranger is created by Him, but separated from Him, so take those first steps in evangelism because you love God. It is not primarily out of compassion for humanity that we share our faith or pray for the lost; it is, first of all, love for God. The Bible says in Ephesians 6:7-8: “Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.”

Tools Help Share the Gospel

Cru became famous for its wide use of “The Four Spiritual Laws” gospel tract, which lays out the essence of the gospel in four simple points that are easily communicated and backed with scripture. This simple tool has changed millions of lives over the last 70 years. There is no way, and no need, to share everything you know about the totality of the gospel in one conversation, but you can share God’s message of salvation using one of these tools:

The Connecting with God booklet – is made specifically for High School students!
The Knowing God Personally (KGP) booklet
The FOUR – easy to draw or explain quickly. Available on wristbands, stickers, etc.
The God Tools app – a free app with many evangelism tools

They are all very similar. For this training, we will use the KGP Booklet. While an outline is not the only way to communicate the gospel, we like it because it is simple, transferable, and brings the person to a point of decision.

Each of the different tools has four main points, just worded slightly differently. It goes like this:

God loves you and created you to know him personally.
We are separated from God by our sin, so we cannot know Him or experience His love.
Jesus is God’s only solution for our sin. Only through Him can we know God and receive His love and forgiveness.
We must each respond to Jesus by placing our trust in Him as our Savior and Lord. Only then can we know God personally.

The gospel of Jesus is a message of love and acceptance for drowning people who need a life raft, and it can only be accepted by people who want to hear it.

Become an Expert with One Tool

Select the best evangelism tool for your setting. You need to become comfortable with the outline of the gospel presentation and aware of its contents and the Bible verses each one uses to make each point. Pay close attention to the transitional phrases at the bottom of the page, which are good points to pause and make sure the person is tracking with you. While it is possible to present the gospel by just reading through the booklet, most conversations are much more fruitful if you go about it in a more casual, conversational way.

For example, take some time to talk about what sin is during point #2, and ask them to think about how they have sinned in their life. To be more conversational, know the booklet well. At the very least, pause often to ask them to restate a point in their own words, such as asking them to explain what Ephesians 2:8-9 says in their own words during point #4. If they can explain this, they are likely grasping the essence of the gospel. Try alternating who reads each page, so that you are not talking the whole time. You want to make sure that you take time to listen to them and hear them out on whatever questions or comments they have as you go through the presentation.

Lead to a Decision

Just after the fourth point, the presentation has two circles with chairs in them, symbolizing “the throne of your life.” These circles are an excellent way to help the student wrestle with and clearly communicate where they are in their relationship with God. It also gives them a clear next step–to ask you a question, bring up a doubt or fear they have, or turn to Christ in faith. While we always want to share the gospel at the first good opportunity and bring the person to a point of decision about Jesus, we never force the gospel. We simply invite people to respond to God’s radical love for them.

Once you are done with the gospel presentation, ask them if they would like to pray and accept the sacrifice of Jesus on their behalf and follow Him as Lord of their life. We simply bring them to a crossroads and invite them to respond. Whether they want to right then or not, make sure you get their phone number or social media and set up a follow-up appointment to help them take the next best step in their spiritual journey. Check out Thrive Studies for awesome follow-up material!

No Matter What, Show Them Love and Care

The gospel of Jesus is a message of love and acceptance for drowning people who need a life raft, and it can only be accepted by people who want to hear it. We are not in the business of pressuring people to pray a prayer or treating them in an unloving way if they are not interested. If someone is far from God and wants to stay there, the best thing you can do is pray for them and treat them lovingly. In the words of Jesus, “do to others as you would like them to do to you” (Luke 6:31 NLT).

Next Step

Take your next step in sharing your faith. If you're new at this, practice a gospel presentation with a friend. If you're ready for the real thing, text someone right now to see if you can meet with them. For help in turning the conversation to the gospel, Bridges to Gospel Conversations will help.

Bridges to Gospel Conversations

Evangelism

This article is part of the Evangelism Collection. Read the rest of these articles to get an even better understanding of how to share your faith 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!”

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.