How to Turn a Conversation to Christ

The good news of Jesus connects to all parts of our lives. Therefore, there is potential within any conversation to turn it to Christ. If this is true, why do we find it so hard to bring up Jesus in our everyday interactions with the people around us, even with the students to whom we are ministering? How do we begin to cultivate habits of obedience in telling people about Jesus and hearing their beliefs?

Getting in Position

So you find yourself in a conversation with someone who is not yet a believer. Good job getting that far! Starting this connection is half the battle.

Now that you are conversing with another human being, you want to direct the conversation toward Jesus and His gospel. In this Go to the Campus video, Kevin and Mark share that there is a touchpoint for the gospel in every conversation and that the gospel should be shared at the first good opportunity.

Every conversation can pivot to spiritual truth if we are creative, prayerful, and Spirit-led. Within the conversation, focus on discovering the felt needs of the person, and when you see that opportunity, do not hesitate or talk yourself out of it.

During a Casual Conversation

There will be many opportunities to share Jesus with students simply by having a conversation with them. As you talk to them, prayerfully look for some common ground or a need in their lives where you could bring up the importance of having a relationship with God.

I met Jaylen at a coffee shop. He and a few of his friends came to hear about what Cru offered at his school and I’m pretty sure he came just because he was interested in one of the girls. As I walked away, I prayed for Jaylen.

Over the next few weeks, I saw him a few more times at coffee shops and got his phone number. I said, “Hey, Jaylen, you know I work with Cru. Would you be interested in meeting with me for coffee and hearing what Cru is all about?” He agreed and we met.

As we sat in a coffee shop, I asked him about his spiritual background. He mentioned that he went to church as a child, but stopped after his parents split up. I asked if he had ever read the Bible and heard about what Jesus offers to us. He said that he had never owned a Bible, and that he had heard about Jesus but couldn’t explain what He means to us.

I shared a Cru tool called Connecting with God with him, and we read through Isaiah 53 in the Bible that I gave him. He indicated that he wanted to follow Jesus, but he still had a lot of questions. Because we have approached the subject once, we are able to easily revisit who Jesus is in our next conversation.

Once you identify where a person is experiencing the God-sized hole in their life, you can share how Jesus has helped you in that specific area.

After an Outreach Event

There are maybe two or three times a year that you can host a guest speaker to come to your school, or take a group of students to a Christian concert. This is prime time to dig into what the students are thinking about the message.

Whether the speaker shares the gospel or not, you can ask questions to gain some understanding of what the person is thinking about God and a relationship with Him.

Four questions:

What did you think of the message/concert?
Are there any questions you have about the event or message?
How do you think we can know God in a personal way?
Would you like to hear how you can begin a relationship with Him?

Obviously, there are other questions you can ask in between each of these questions to help bring more clarity. Check out our helpful tool called Navigating the Four Conversational Sound Barriers for more great question ideas. Memorize these questions so you have them “in your back pocket” to use easily.

If the student is interested, use a tool like Knowing God Personally or your personal three-minute testimony to share the gospel with the student.

After a Shooting, Loss, or Trial

In our broken world, tragedies, shootings, and natural disasters happen far too often. These are times when many people are seeking answers and justice. We believe that God offers both.

Take a risk and ask the student their thoughts on the tragedy and how they think God views what happened and how people are responding. Ask if they know about God’s perfect love and justice displayed through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Gen-Z’ers want to discuss what’s going on in our world and they have thoughts about how to fix it; but they likely don’t know how much the gospel of Jesus has to say about justice and restoration.

Using Evangelism Tools

Cru has many wonderful evangelism tools to help us in this process. While some, like Knowing God Personally or The Four Spiritual Laws, are focused on sharing the gospel in a brief manner, other tools are designed to simply begin a quality conversation that moves into spiritual territory.

Here are three tools that will be helpful as you begin Jesus conversations.

Soularium: a perfect tool for artistic or creative students. It uses 50 dynamic images to help people visually explain their thoughts on God and life. BONUS: it comes in a playing card edition to make it even more conversational.
QuEST Survey: a great way to initiate with anyone, or to start deeper conversations with someone you already know. It is five simple questions that start very shallow and fun, and progresses to more serious spiritual questions at the end.
Perspective Cards: perfect for the deep thinker, this helps students put words to understand their worldview, and gives you an open opportunity to share yours.
Exploration Questions: This is a great list of questions to help you transition a conversation toward Christ. Choose a few, memorize them, and try them out in your next conversation.

The gospel is the one antidote to a million different ailments, and Jesus is the great physician who came “to seek and to save the lost.”

Revisiting the Conversation

Once you have talked about Jesus one time, you can always begin a new spiritual conversation by saying, “remember that talk we had about Jesus?” Down the road, it is easier to resume the conversation once the ice is broken.

High school students are dynamic; they are always adapting, changing their minds about many things daily. Just because a student has no interest in following Jesus today does not mean they will never be interested. Be lovingly persistent—their eternity may be at stake!

Jesus Is Vital to All—Some Just Don’t Know It Yet

The gospel is the one antidote to a million different ailments, and Jesus is the great physician who came “to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10) Pastor Tim Keller said that “the gospel is not the ABCs of Christianity. It is the A-to-Z.”

It’s not something that you learn at the beginning of your walk with God, and then move on from. We each need the gospel daily. If we model daily dependence on God for all of our needs, people will be drawn to the beauty and freedom of this new life in Christ.

The Gospel provides:

Healing for the Brokenhearted. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)
Peace for the Anxious. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
Security for the Insecure. “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)
Purpose and Meaning for the Academic.“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)
Satisfaction for the Searching.“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35)
Freedom for the Oppressed. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)

Once you identify where a person is experiencing the God-sized hole in their life, you can share how Jesus has helped you in that specific area. “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.” (John 3:17) God invites us into this saving work! Share “the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15)

The next time you find yourself in a conversation with a student, remember that God is on your side, and that the gospel is relevant to every single person on earth.

Next Step

Consider a student you have met but have yet to bring up the spiritual side of life. Choose an appropriate question or tool from this article, and use it the next time you see that student.

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.

Made for Students, Helpful for Adults

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.

Students lead
Adults support
Everyone moves forward together

Why Most People Don’t Start

A lot of students never take the first step. Not because they don’t care, but because they feel stuck.

“Where do I even begin?”
“What if no one shows up?”
“How do I get others involved?”

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.

What This Helps You Do

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:

Start something meaningful, even if you’re on your own
Gather a few friends and build momentum
Share your faith in natural, real ways
Lead with confidence, even if you’ve never led before
Build something that lasts beyond you

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.”

A Simple Path to Follow

The Playbook walks you through five clear steps. Each one is simple, practical, and designed to help you take action.

DREAM: Start with a vision for your school and what God could do there
PRAY: Learn how 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
SEND: Help others step out and reach their friends too

You don’t have to guess what to do next. It’s right there in front of you.

Built to Be Used, Not Just Read

This isn’t a long manual you’ll never finish. It’s short. It’s simple. It’s designed to move you forward.

Easy to read
Clear next steps
Real examples
Space to think and act

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.

You Don’t Have to Do This Alone

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.

Start Today

You don’t need a perfect plan. You just need a first step.

Next Step

Download the Playbook with the button above and walk through the first section this week with a friend!

Comment Cards 101: Capture Interest, Build Relationships

Why Comment Cards Matter

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:

“I’m interested”
“I want to get involved”
“I want to talk”
“I made a decision”

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.

Download Comment Cards

Tip: Start simple. You can always customize later.

Physical vs. Digital Comment Cards

You can collect information digitally, but physical cards still win.

Physical Cards

Higher response rate
Easier to complete in the moment
No distractions
Feels more intentional

Digital Options

Students are less likely to fill them out
Distractions
Technical glitches

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.”

How to Use Comment Cards

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:

“Write your name here”
“Check this if you want to get involved”
“Check this if you prayed to receive Christ”

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.

Use Incentives to Increase Response

Want more cards turned in? Use prizes.

Gift cards
Snacks
Fast food coupons
Free merch

Tell them:
“Turn in your card, we’ll draw for prizes.”

It works. A simple prize can double your response rate.

Best Practices That Make a Big Difference

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:

Students who want to get involved
Spiritual decisions
Urgent needs

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.

Turning Cards Into Conversations

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:

Grab lunch
Meet after school
Start a Bible study
Have a gospel conversation

Final Thought

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.

Next Step

Download a comment card and use it at your next meeting.

Student Leader Application and Covenant

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.

Student Leadership Application

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.”

Model Student Covenant

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.

Model Student Covenant (Editable Document)

Next Step

Review these documents and choose one to use with your leadership team this semester: