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.

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: