Sometimes what was being served for dinner seemed strange and unusual to me; like egg plant Parmesan. Which, by the way, is my Dad’s favorite.  In the end I usually ended up eating dinner anyway because if I didn’t I knew I’d be really hungry later and by then it would be too late and time for bed.

Ezekiel 3:1-3 are some strange verses but let’s take a look at them together and then stay with me as I explain them and how they apply to you, your students and evangelism.

And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

Okay…now egg plant Parmesan, chocolate covered crickets, and sauteed eel are strange things to eat, but a scroll?! I wonder if for a moment while Ezekiel was having this vision from God he thought; “do I have to eat that?”

So what does God mean when he tells Ezekiel to “eat this scroll”? Well, He’s talking about his Word, the Bible. In Ezekiel’s time God’s message was written on scrolls, one page (up to 30 feet long). Ouch…I’m trying to imagine shoving a 30 foot long scroll in my mouth. Anyway…

God’s Word is our spiritual food that tastes sweet and our students need to feed themselves regularly just as they do physically. And when they really “digest” God’s Word, dive into it and read it, they will find that it makes them stronger in their faith and more equipped and confident to share the gospel.

But it means doing more than just reading a few verses when they have the time or taking casual glances at the-verse-a-day-calendar on the refrigerator as they bolt out the door to school. Imagine going through your day only eating small nibbles of a meal. In time your body is going to be screaming “FEED ME!” Going without spiritual food (God’s Word) will bring about the same results; our spirit starts to scream “FEED ME!”

To “digest” God’s Word means to allow it to sink in and penetrate our hearts. Ezekiel 3:10 says; And he said to me, “Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you. When God’s word sinks deep into the hearts of our students it will eventually show in their actions and life.

If we’re not careful, doing youth ministry can fall under the “life is too busy” excuse. If we’re going to feed our youth solid food that fattens their faith and equips them to share the gospel, we need to be getting fat ourselves so we’re equipped to pour into our students lives. It’s disciples making disciples.

Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to go eat, I’m feeling a little hungry. Let’s see….uuummm…I think I’ll have me a hungry mans portion of Ezekiel 5,6,7 tonight.

Is your life so busy you only have time to grab a small bite on the way out the door? Is your to-do list and event planning replacing sitting down with God to eat a huge meal that will fatten your faith?

As youth leaders what kind of spiritual diet do you have?  What creative ways do you feed your soul?

Sharing the Gospel is something that I am passionate about and I recognize that it needs to be a priority in our Student Ministry. I talk about it all the time. Whether presenting the Gospel in our large group setting or challenging students to share their faith, I keep it in front of my students every week.

What I am learning in the midst of all of this is that the students I lead respond overwhelmingly more positively when I give them something simple and practical to do in response to the call to evangelize. When I talk about it and share scripture about the call from God to share our faith my students will nod their heads in agreement, but very few of them will take the principles and put them into practice on their own. However, when I talk about evangelism and then give them a clear action point to do in response, the participation of students increases greatly.

Here are just a few ideas that we have implemented this past year that have seemed to work well with our students:

1. We consistently ask students to think of 1 friend or family member that doesn’t know Christ. This helps keep the need for evangelism personal in the lives of our students. We’ve had them write that persons name on the wall (on butcher paper), on their hand, in their Bibles, or on THE Cause Circle (a tool provided by Dare 2 Share). All of these are very visceral ways for students to be reminded of that 1 person.
2. We spend time in our large group and small group settings in prayer for those individuals.
3. Recently, we distributed a single copy of the Life Book to our students as a tool to start a spiritual conversation with a friend at school. We had them write a note to their friend or family member on the inside cover to add a personal, friendly touch. This was a practical way for our students to engage in evangelism before the end of the school year and preview into the campus saturation we are planning for in the fall.

Here are a few more ideas that we will be implementing in the next 6-12 months:

1. We are planning a campus initiative in the fall that will tie in the Life Book Movement campus saturation as well as See You at the Pole.
2. We are partnering more and more with 1st Priority as way to keep our students involved in evangelism on their campuses.
3. Next winter/spring we are taking all of our students to Dare 2 Share’s FOLLOW tour.

If you are looking to get started I would highly recommend you utilize THE Cause Circle provided by Dare 2 Share. CLICK HERE to download the PDF. This is a great way to help your students start a visual action plan to begin praying, pursuing, and persuading their friends toward the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

What are things you are doing to implement evangelism in a practical way in your student ministry? What ideas have you put into practice that your students have responded to? Share your thoughts below and let’s help each other fuel the priority of evangelism in our Student Ministries and on every High School and Middle School campus in the nation!

How many of us can relate to frustrations we had as teens when we heard our parents say those famous 4 words, “Because I said so!”? I would imagine most, if not all of us, could share at least 1 of those stories. Why wouldn’t we think that teenagers would get frustrated with us if they continued to hear us tell them to share their faith (because I said so) vs. seeing us do it ourselves.

When I call our students to share their faith I try to encourage them with a recent story from my own life in which I had the opportunity to do it myself. I was actually given a great opportunity on our winter retreat to allow some of them to see that I do it. We rented charter buses to make the 2 1/2 hour trip from Johnson City to Gatlinburg and I sat in the front seat of the bus (because only cool people get to sit in the back). One of the young men I’m discipling sat up front as well. He, along with a few others, were able to see and hear me engage our bus driver in a spiritual conversation. He shared his beliefs, I shared the Gospel, we agreed to disagree and he wasn’t all that interested in what I had to say. But the conversation took place, and my kids were able to observe it and not just hear about it.

Bottom line, we have to live it to lead it. Our teens need to hear stories of our evangelism adventures – good, bad and ugly. Better yet, when we are given the chance, they need to see us in action. They need to see us live it so they’ll know that it’s more than just because we told them so.

What are ways that you model an evangelistic lifestyle to your teenagers? How frequently do you share stories of proclaiming the Gospel to someone? What are other opportunities that we should look for as Youth Leaders (a.k.a. Leaders of Youth) to share our faith in their midst?

Taking the Hit for Us

This mom’s noble sacrifice serves as a modern day parable for us as we explore the next step of our GOSPEL Journey acrostic, the “P”:

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again.

The Bible says that God’s anger over sin was headed full speed at each of us. But out of His great love for us, Christ pushed us out of the way, sacrificing His life so we could have a restored relationship with God now and live forever with Him in heaven. Jesus died in our place!

The Centrality of the Atonement

Did you know there are some theologians in our day who find the theology of the atonement uncomfortable? The brutal, bloody, substitutionary nature of Christ’s death makes them uncomfortable – so uncomfortable that they’ve set off in search of extra-Biblical alternate explanations for this divine transaction.

And certainly in some respects, the bloody payment Jesus provided should make as all uncomfortable, for it was a horrendous price for God to pay for the forgiveness of our sins. But the stark, unsettling nature of this reality should never make us squeamish about the clear Biblical teaching of the atoning sacrifice of Christ’s death. It is a critically important theological truth which is central to the saving message of the gospel. And as such, it is vitally important that we communicate this truth to our students.

Why Blood?

Why did blood have to be shed to make us right with God…(read the rest of the Energize Article Here)

Now that we have shared and delegated to our students the ministry that Christ gave to all believers we now transition in our role as their Youth Leader to a less hands on approach, but never compromising the urgency of what is at stake.

Jesus made it a point to meet with his disciples following their tours of service to hear their reports and to share with them the blessedness of his ministry in doing the same thing. In this sense, one might say that his teaching rotated between instruction and assignment. (The Master Plan of Evangelism, p 81)

I find it all to easy to focus on teaching but not putting as much emphasis on assignments for my students. Probably because it’s messy and I tend to have less control in those situations. How much more effective would I be at making disciples out of my students if assignments in ministry came more frequently than a quarterly outreach or an annual mission trip? Imagine the depth of discipleship that could take place in our Student Ministries if we included regular assignments to do ministry and gave instruction based on their feedback and experiences.

When will we learn the lesson of Christ not to be satisfied merely with the first-fruits of those who are sent out to witness? Disciples must be brought to maturity. There can be no substitute for total victory, and our field is the world. We have not been called to hold the fort, but to storm the heights. (The Master Plan of Evangelism, p 87)

This line of thinking naturally brings us to the end goal of , “The Master Plan of Evangelism,” that of spiritual reproduction. The end game is not just raising up our select students to lead others to Christ on their own, free from our oversight. The end goal is that they can lead others to Christ and then replicate this whole model of discipleship that they have learned from us so that they are raising up a 2nd generation of disciples that will raise up the 3rd generation that will raise up the 4th generation…and on and on and on it keeps going.

His whole evangelistic strategy—indeed, the fulfillment of his very purpose in coming into the world, dying on the cross, and rising from the grave—depended on the faithfulness of his chosen disciples to this task. It did not matter how small the group was to start with so long as they reproduced and taught their disciples to reproduce. This was the way his church was to win–through the dedicated lives of those who knew the Savior so well that his Spirit and method constrained them to tell others. As simple as it may seem, this was the way the gospel would conquer. He had no other plan. (The Master Plan of Evangelism, p 91)

What do you think of a less hands on approach to discipleship with the intention of evengelism?  Have you done this in a way that is successful?  How?

Having gone through the series personally, I would consider several parts of the curriculum very valuable for teenagers to hear and wrestle through when it comes to sharing and living out their faith. But before I get to that, a quick point to consider: Bill Hybels is not young and hip. Nothing wrong with that:) however some of the things he mentions in the curriculum (i.e. developing 10-year friendships, hosting dinner parties, talking to his son’s soccer coach) might need a little discussing to help students realize how that relates to them.

Now, about the curriculum. Just Walk Across the Room does a great job of offering practical steps to sharing Jesus in the context of genuine friendships. Oftentimes, the people on our students’ hearts are the friends they care about deeply. In this case, the apologetics and faith-sharing methods they’ve learned might not seem to cut it, and students may shy away from approaching their friends with the gospel even though they care about them the most. This point is good for all of us to realize as we lead out and teach evangelism. Sharing our faith in the context of relationship is the most powerful thing we can do, and our students need to be equipped for this as well as for reaching out to strangers and acquaintances.

Hybels in Just Walk Across the Room also reminds us of the power and importance of testimony, our faith story. He stresses that it is just as important to listen to the other person’s story as it is to tell our own. And when it does come time to tell our own, there are ways to tell it wrong. This section of the curriculum is pretty funny as he goes over some of the “wrong” ways to share our faith story: the long-winded story, the fuzzy story, the religionese story, the superiority story, and the weird-God story. This helped my group to realize that intentionality is key when sharing a testimony. We must remember who we are speaking with; otherwise the words may just fall flat. A great exercise that came out of the curriculum was to write out our faith stories (life before Christ, how we found Christ, and life now) and practice sharing them with each other.

For all of the practical steps and activities in this curriculum, it still reminded me that ultimately sharing the gospel is not always formulaic, or even practical, but it is always intentional, just like a walk across the room.

What do you think of Bill Hybels’ thoughts on equipping the Church for evangelism? What are some other ways we can help our students share their faith with their friends? Respond below.

Once you have selected those few students that you are going to spend your time with it’s time to get intentional and strategic with the time that you give them. With this commitment of time from you comes a higher expectation from the teens that you have picked. They need to understand that you aren’t in it just to hang out and be better friends with them, but that you are in it to make disciples out of them and invest in their spiritual development. They have been called up from the JV squad to be your Varsity starters!

Jesus expected the men he was with to obey him…for in time obedient followers invariably take on the character of their leader. (The Master Plan of Evangelism, p 43)

There is no place in the Kingdom for a slacker, for such an attitude not only precludes any growth in grace and knowledge but also destroys any usefulness on the world battlefield of evangelism. (The Master Plan of Evangelism, p 51)

We need to place this higher expectation on our selected teens because what you are going to give them in return is invaluable to their faith journey: yourself. You are literally going to impart who you are, your experiences, your love…your very being into the maturation process of these kids, and by doing so you are prayerfully pouring God’s love into them as well. I think of Paul’s encouragement to the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” (NLT)

Jesus gave himself to those about him so that they might come to know through his life, a similar commitment to the mission for which he had come into the world. His whole evangelistic plan hinged on this dedication, and in turn, the faithfulness with which his disciples gave themselves in love to the world about them. (The Master Plan of Evangelism, pg 55-56)

Read part 3 of this review series: Demonstration and Delegation.

What have you done to raise the bar for the teens you are investing your life in? How have students responded to you when you’ve demanded more of them? How do you feel when you consider more is expected of you in order to effectively invest your life into your selected students?

One such story he told me fits perfectly with some of the things we’ve been talking about here on the Relational and Relentless Blog. Thankfully he was willing to share that story on camera with you all even though we only had about 10 minutes to get everything setup, shot, and torn down. This video may be the quickest video shoot I’ve ever done! So, check out the video below where Dave gives actual examples on how and what to post to build those relationships and stand out.

How does your ministry use social media to connect with people in your community?

Sometimes we get excited when public and popular figures express interest or belief in Jesus because we think that somehow it will bring more credence or popularity to the Christian faith. But in the same breath I think we speak about their faith with a skepticism that comes from watching public figures fall just like we would. That’s the tone I got from this Christian Post article. They even seemed to make fun of or question her belief in the end of the article by mentioning her tweet about a lingerie shoot days after church. Kim Kardashian’s attendance at church was news because she somehow seemed an unlikely person to be there. But how is that even remotely true? She is a person seeking peace in Jesus, a perfect candidate for grace.

I think I’ve sometimes fallen into that same trap in youth ministry when I revel at the fact that a very unlikely student (in my eyes) has made his or her way to our youth group. When I spend more time thinking about how much they stick out (by their hair, their clothes, their attitude) I miss what was going on in their life that might’ve drawn them to church in the first place. Have you ever caught yourself thinking this?

When I do, I need to remember that Jesus sought out the least likely people and the nobodies (fishermen, tax collectors and crazy guys in the desert) to be the forerunners for His Kingdom. So why should I be the least bit surprised that he’s drawing an unusual crowd at our Wednesday night youth group? That should be a cause for praise and a genuine interest in how Jesus can meet them where they’re at!

So… it’s great that Kim Kardashian went to church! Why? Because God can meet a need in her life that no one else can! Let’s be faithful with the “unlikely” people that God draws into our church doors and across our paths and not get caught up in what our culture says about whether or not they should be there.

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:10-13

I would love to hear your thoughts about the whole Celebrity going to church argument…is it something you think we should even highlight and why?  Just respond below

When someone really starts to get their mind around the personal, relational nature of the immense, all-powerful God of the universe, it should be a EUREKA moment!

So today I want to dig deeper into the theology behind this amazing truth that serves as the first letter of Dare 2 Share’s GOSPEL Journey acrostic.

God created us to be with Him.

Our GOSPEL Journey starts in Genesis when God creates all of the universe and everything in it (Genesis 1:1), including the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. I realize this is a familiar story to us, but let me highlight just a couple amazing truths about God’s original design for us that every teenager needs to know.

We humans are:

• Created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26)
• Created with purpose and mission (Genesis 1:28; 2:15; Psalm 8:4-6)
• Created for relationship (Genesis 3:8)

Profound, Deep, Beautiful Truth

The Bible tells us that humans are unique from the animals because we are created in the image of God. The purpose and mission He bequeathed to us was to “be fruitful and multiply” and to care for and rule over the earth.

But perhaps the MOST astounding of the three truths mentioned above is this: God created humans to connect with Him on the deepest, most intimate level. In fact, He created us to be in perfect relationship with Him, with each other and with His creation. His perfect plan was that there would be no sin or shame – nothing to come between us and Him (or between us and others).

This deep, beautiful truth of God’s relational intent with us is summarized in Psalm 100:3 with these words: “Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his.”

Our Relational God

Many teenagers don’t understand at the deepest part of their souls that God created them so that He could pour His love out on them. Yet this truth has profound implications for them physically, emotionally, spiritually and socially – both for the believers in our youth groups and for those who don’t yet know Jesus.

Stop and think about what most teenagers (and adults) are looking for in life. And then consider how God’s original plan for Adam and Eve provided it all: physical well-being, power and influence, emotional, vocational, relational and spiritual fulfillment. That’s why we humans have a crying need for fulfillment in each of these dimensions of our personal lives – and that’s why at the core, those needs can only be met through a personal, intimate, growing relationship with God through His Son Jesus.

Help for Hurting Teenagers

In fact, I believe that much of the hurt and struggle teenagers experience today revolve around these basic needs. Needs that God had perfectly provided for in the Garden, but that became twisted and distorted when sin came walking into the world through Adam and Eve’s disobedience (which we’ll be exploring in the next energize).

It’s critical your students understand the Biblical truth that they are not just mammals who happen to sit at the top of the food chain. They are uniquely imbued by God with a soul and made for relationship with Him!

So here’s an exercise for you to try this week. Communicate these foundational truths to your students. Then have each of them think about one friend who is hurting right now. Challenge them to consider these questions:

• How would knowing he/she was created in God’s image, with purpose and mission help their friend?
• How would knowing that he/she was designed for an intimate relationship with God help this friend?
• How would knowing about God’s deep longing to be in relationship with him/her help this friend?

Encourage your students to initiate some focused conversation with their hurting friend this week where they can share the profound, deep, beautiful message that “God created us to be with Him.”