Danny has been volunteering at his local high school campus mentoring students and launching a Cru movement. One of his student leaders, Peter, is excited about Jesus and is quickly growing in his faith. He wants to talk to his non-Christian friends about Jesus, but he doesn’t know where to start.
Help Your Student Know the "Why"
We share our faith because the Lord’s desire is for all to come to know Him. 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow about His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but for all to come to repentance.” God loves the world so much that He gave His only Son to die in our place. Jesus felt compassion for people because they were like sheep without a shepherd. When we see the world through Jesus’s eyes and feel God’s heart for people, we become more bold in sharing His love with others.
Help Your Student Prepare
Spirit led evangelism focuses on three elements centered on knowing God’s heart for those who don’t know Christ.
1) Have a personal walk with Christ.
Motivation for evangelism is built on an ever growing relationship with Jesus and His overflowing love. Without spending daily time in prayer, reading scripture, and experiencing Jesus’s personal love in our lives, Spirit led evangelism is much harder to do. An important part of walking with Jesus is listening to His voice and following His plan for our lives. Jesus told His disciples, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). Paul also encouraged Christ’s followers, “But you, be sober in all things. Endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5). If we only follow these commands, without knowing God’s heart for people or experiencing an ever growing relationship with Christ, we miss out on the joy of evangelism.
2) Rely on the power of the Holy Spirit.
Our Christian life is fueled by the power of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 encourages us to be continually filled with the Spirit, asking Him to guide us in all areas and aspects of our lives. We don’t want to rely too much on our own abilities. Successful evangelism is sharing Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.
3) Prepare to share Christ with others.
Remember that when we share the Gospel, we are not just telling someone about Jesus, we are entering into a dialogue. As we rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us, we ask questions and listen intently to their answers. Conversations may vary, but we always want to keep the focus on Jesus and building a relationship.
"Sharing our faith is not about whether a student comes to Christ in that single interaction. It's about building meaningful relationships in the process."
Help Your Student Take Action
1) Make a list.
You can start by having your interested student make a list of 5-10 people with whom they would like to share Christ. Pray through each name together, asking God to prepare their hearts to hear the gospel and for God to provide an opportunity to share with them.
2) Practice using tools.
Help your students become familiar with the tools they can use to share their faith. For example, a booklet that presents the gospel or the God Tools App would be appropriate to share.
3) Prepare their testimony.
You can also help them prepare by having them write out the story of how Jesus has changed their lives. Make sure they are clear about how they entered into a relationship with Jesus when they share with you. Then have them practice sharing it with other students in the Cru movement. This will help them gain experience and become more comfortable.
4) Set up a meeting.
Once they are ready to share, help your students set up a meeting or a follow up appointment with those with whom they want to have spiritual conversations.
5) Take them with you.
A great way to help them see how an appointment should go is to take them with you. As they see you interact with people, how you listen after asking questions, and how you speak about Jesus, their confidence will grow! They will see through you that sharing our faith is not about whether a student comes to Christ in that single interaction. It’s about building meaningful relationships in the process.
Through this process, Danny sees Peter commit to know God’s heart for those who don’t know Him, grow in his relationship with Christ, rely on the power of the Holy Spirit, and take the steps to prepare to share Christ with others, becoming more bold in sharing Jesus on the campus.
Who is your Peter? As you step out onto the high school campus, we can only begin to imagine what great spiritual conversations will take place.
