Using the THRIVE Start Series to Follow up a Student

Nothing is more thrilling than seeing a student make a decision to follow Jesus. When a teenager in your local ministry or in your small group accepts Christ for the first time, that is always worth celebrating.

However, we do not want to just stop at the celebration. As passionate as we are about giving people an opportunity to say yes to Jesus, we are equally as passionate about seeing people grow in their faith and share their faith with others.

We want to journey with them on a path of growth and multiplication by following up with them and teaching them the basics of their new spiritual life.

Planting Seeds

We can never be certain what will happen when we first share the gospel with someone. Jesus talks about this when He shares the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:18-23.

Jesus says there are four types of people (soils):

The hard-packed soil of the road – The seed (the gospel) cannot grow, so it is snatched away by birds (the evil one).
The soil with rocks – The seed starts to grow, but when its roots hit the rock (difficulties), the plant withers in the sun.
The soil with weeds – The seed grows, but the weeds (cares of the world) grow faster, and it cannot get enough sunlight, so it does not produce anything.
The good soil – The seed grows and thrives. It produces an abundance at the harvest.

The campus is filled with students who have hearts like the soils Jesus mentions. They may look like good soil. There may even be immediate results. However, we do not always see what is beneath the surface.

Following up with those who say yes is the only way we will know which type of soil we have found. It could be that investing extra time may help cultivate the soil of their heart and create some good soil conditions for that seed to thrive.

Following up with those who say yes is the only way we will know which type of soil we have found.

A Tool for Follow Up

In Cru, our go-to tool for follow up is our Thrive Study Series: Start. We designed it to provide simple and transferable studies to follow up with new believers in Jesus. The goal of this series is to teach the basics for someone just starting out in their faith:

Confidence – Knowing that our relationship with God is secure because of Jesus
Reconnect – What to do when we have sinned
Power – The Holy Spirit gives us the power to live like Christ
Growth – The ways we continue to grow in our faith

Go through the Start series with new Christians or anyone who wants to know the basics of being a follower of Jesus. Not only does it teach fundamental truths about what it means to be a Christian, it also invites believers to start sharing their faith with others right away.

Creating a Movement

Broadly sowing the seeds of the gospel while faithfully following up those who say yes, has produced multiple generations of disciples. This is the heartbeat of every spiritual movement.

If you are struggling to know where to start, follow our simple path through the Start series. It is designed to allow even new believers to pass on fundamental truths to their friends and family.

So as you faithfully follow up students, keep in mind that the results are up to God. It is not uncommon that He will use these follow-up connection times to turn hearts into good soil.

Next Step

Visit the Start series and review all four studies. If you know a new believer, invite them to a weekly time to continue learning about their relationship with Christ. Grounding a New Believer and How to Follow Up New Christians provide help as well.

START SERIES

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.

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.

“You don’t have to be perfect to start reaching your school.”

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.

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

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.

Ask a Coach – Tips from an Expert

Starting a ministry on your campus is an exciting step, but it can also raise a lot of questions. What should you do first? How do you find students who are interested? What if your group is small or things do not go the way you expected?

This is where a coach can help. A campus ministry coach is someone who has experience helping students and leaders start and grow ministries on high school campuses. They listen to what you are facing, help you think through wise next steps, and connect you with helpful tools and resources along the way.

Throughout the Reach Your School Playbook, you will see short insights from coaches who have spent years helping students reach their campuses. This page gathers more of those tips in one place so you can learn from their experience and keep moving forward.

Below are practical coaching tips from leaders who have walked this road before. As you read, look for what applies to your situation right now and take your next step. You can get your own coach by emailing us at coachingcenter@cru.org. We’d love to help.

Starting a ministry on your campus can feel overwhelming, but you do not have to figure it out alone.

Coaching Tips

Ask a few non-Christian friends how they would respond to your ideas, then process those same questions with Christian friends to sharpen your thinking.

Evangelism is the engine of your ministry, and helping students influence others is how you build future leaders.

You don’t have to figure this out alone, there are people with experience who would love to help you gather students and get the word out.

You have rights on campus, learn them, then live them out with confidence.

Many people are looking for something bigger than themselves, so give them a vision worth joining.

You may be walking past someone God is preparing, start a conversation and see what He does.

Pray Scripture, if God says it, you can pray it, and keep prayers short so more people can participate.

Invite a coach to join your team early, it will help you move faster and avoid common mistakes.

Use the tools available to you, there are helpful resources for sponsors, leaders, and teams if you ask.

When meeting with school leaders, bring others with you so it’s clear you’re building something together.

Be curious, kind, helpful, and bold, those four traits open doors.

Work with your school, not against it, staff can often help you more than you expect.

Teams help you reach more people, save time, and build momentum.

If your school allows non-curricular clubs, they must allow a Christian club too.

Use tools and visuals that help people remember and apply what they learn.

Create environments people actually want to be part of, whether on campus or off.

Use social media, simple graphics, and personal invites, everyone plays a role in getting the word out.

Have a clear process for identifying and developing student leaders.

Work within school expectations for roles, but organize your team in a way that actually helps you function.

Start outreach where you already have relationships, teams, clubs, and shared interests.

Use response cards or forms to follow up, gather feedback, and invite people into next steps.

If God is nudging you to take a step, go for it, but bring others with you.

Parents can be powerful allies, don’t be afraid to involve them.

Always have a next step ready so you can invite people while they’re still engaged.

Next Step

Do you have any questions for our coaches? If so, ask your question here, or request a coach for your ministry by emailing us at coachingcenter@cru.org!