But something interesting happened to the struggling guy as he laid his title, something that has significant implications for evangelism, both in our personal lives and for the students and families we work with. I share that story and what happened in the video below.

Who’s your “tile master” for evangelism? What have you learned from them?

Let’s take this a step further, though. Too often when we share Christ with unbelievers the gospel message becomes distorted because we forget that what we win them with is what we win them to.

Have you ever heard any of these kind of statements wrapped up in gospel messages?

“Jesus will take your pain away.”

“He will give you joy unlike you’ve ever known!”

“He gives you a reason to live.”

“He can help you with your problems.”

“Place your faith in Jesus so you can go to heaven when you die.”

What’s the problem with all these statements? It’s not that they’re necessarily unbiblical, but within the context of sharing the gospel with an unbeliever, they make the message out to be very self-centered! They’re about how Jesus makes your life easier, more comfortable, or solves a problem you have.

If this is the kind of message we use to win kids to Christ, what happens after they give Jesus a try and later ditch Him because they still felt pain and their problems didn’t go away?

Articulating clearly the message we use to win kids to Christ has eternal ramifications!

What if we instead won kids to Christ with a message that communicated sacrifice, possible disruption in relationships, and trials? Are we afraid they might not sign up for that? And more to the point, are the ones who “sign up” for the “other” gospel really signing up for what’s true?

Jesus said in Matthew that the path to eternal life is narrow and the path to destruction is wide. Someday I think we’ll stand before the Lord and realize that the path to Jesus is probably a lot narrower than we originally thought. (Matthew 7:13)

The message we win them with is what we win them to.

How do you communicate a gospel message that wins teenagers to a gospel which accurately portrays what it will cost them?

We have to continue to be extremely intentional with the teens that we have chosen, spend time with, have raised the bar for, and are pouring ourselves in to. We now need to demonstrate very critical spiritual disciplines that Christ demonstrated for his disciples (prayer, scripture reading & application, EVANGELISM, and teaching). The level of discipline we instill in our teenagers directly correlates to their spiritual effectiveness down the road…and the end goal is always that of EVANGELISM?

Practically everything that Jesus said and did had some relevance to their work of evangelism, either by explaining a spiritual truth or revealing to them how they should deal with people. He did not have to work up teaching situations, but merely took advantage of those about him, and thus his teaching seemed perfectly realistic. In fact, for the most part, the disciples were absorbing it without even knowing that they were being trained to win people under like conditions for God. (The Master Plan of Evangelism, p 66)

What’s extremely critical to remember in this process is that class is always in session. When we are with our teens they are absorbing whatever it is we are putting out there. This is why it is so important to carve out time to draw away and refuel our spirits with prayer, scripture reading, time with mentors, and certainly with our family. Because in a very real sense, when we are with our teens we need to be “on.”

…judging from the printed text, he spent three times the amount of time explaining this story to the disciples than he did in giving the initial lesson to the crow (Matt 13:10-23; Mark 4:20-25; Luke 8:9-18). (The Master Plan of Evangelism, p 67)

The next step in this 8-step process, as outlined by Robert Coleman, is the one I find both critical and difficult for me: delegation. It was Jesus’ intent from the outset of his ministry when he promised the disciples, “I will make you fishers of men,” (Matt 4:19) and then solidified that strategy when he said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” (Matthew 28:18-20). His intentions all along were to hand the reigns to the disciples.

Christian disciples are sent men and women—sent out in the same work of world evangelism to which the Lord was sent, and for which he gave his life. Evangelism is not an optional accessory of our life. It is the heartbeat of all that we are called to be and do. It is the commission of the church which gives meaning to all else that is undertaken in the name of Christ. (The Master Plan of Evangelism, p 79)

How have you been successful at delegation for your students?  Do you have a story you could share that would help another youth leader delegate well?

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

Today I still share my faith, but it doesn’t come quite as easy nor as naturally as it did when I was in high school and college. Why is that? Did I lose my gift? Did I ever really have it in the first place?

I think evangelism is like many other spiritual disciplines, such as prayer, serving, tithing, hospitality, and even like exercise and sports: the more you do it, the easier it gets. Just like the more time you spend in prayer the more you learn to hear and recognize God’s voice, the more time you spend sharing your faith the easier it becomes. The hard part is just forcing yourself to get started, to push yourself over the edge of fear, intimidation, and insecurity and go for it.

For some, that can be a pretty steep ledge. Jumping off feels like sky diving for the first time without knowing if your parachute is going to open. But if you do it regularly and see that the parachute does indeed open every time, it eventually not only becomes easier, but it actually becomes fun! And before long, you find yourself training others to do it just because you want them to experience the same satisfaction and fulfillment that you experience when someone prays with you to place their trust in Christ.

For me, it was an adult in a campus ministry who took me out to share Christ with strangers. At first I didn’t say a word — just stood there and soaked in the awkwardness I felt in those moments (awkwardness that the adult youth leader apparently did not share). After watching him talk with about 50 different people about Christ over the course of several weeks, he then started including me in those conversations with the “pre-Christian” and then, before I knew it, we had passed from him starting the conversation and me sharing the gospel to me doing all the talking by myself. By that point I had been eased into the experience and felt more comfortable doing it than ever before.

However, the first time I shared Christ on my own was definitely nerve wracking. In fact, the guy I was talking to at the mall made me go all the way to the point where I asked him, “Does this prayer express the desire of your heart?” and he said, “Yes, it does.” Pretending not to be too shocked, I said, “Really?” He said, “Yes! In fact, I’m the pastor at the Baptist church down the road.” I wanted to strangle the guy! I was so stinkin’ nervous! But the more I shared Christ the more the nervousness went away and soon I found myself taking guys out with me to share their faith, too, where I followed a similar model to what I had experienced.

So why does evangelism not come as naturally for me today as it did back in high school and college? Because I don’t do it as often anymore. I’m still obedient when the Lord impresses it on my heart, but I don’t feel that impression as much when I’m not listening for it nor regularly engaging in gospel conversations with unbelievers like I used to.

If you want to make evangelism easier, just do it! Sharing your faith is one of those things that all believers are called to do whether you think you have the gift of evangelism or not.

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.”

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with inviting people to an event, but I think there’s something to Jesus’ example that’s worth noting.

What would it look like for us to focus more on inviting people into a relationship with us or even with Jesus more than inviting them to visit a program? It seems that Jesus’ model was to invite people into community first and then naturally through that relationship people would join Him in what He was doing and what he was a part of.

Could the same work for us today? If so, what would that look like? These are the kind of thoughts I explore in today’s video post.

Is the event what we should invite people to or the relationship?  What does that look like in practice?  I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

But moving past evangelism a bit, what would your ministry look like in 2012 if you were intentional about everything? And not just evangelism, but every event, every lesson, every meeting, and everything else we do in ministry was intentional?

What would your ministry look like in 2012 if you were intentional about everything? And not just evangelism, but every event, every lesson, every meeting, and everything else we do in ministry was intentional?

As I read through the pages I literally found myself getting emotionally involved in the tension that both authors communicated as they balance being relational and relentless in their own lives and ministries. It’s not just a tag line! I find that I struggle in my own mind finding an appropriate balance of being relational in sharing my faith, while not mission opportunities to share with strangers, as well as being relentless in my pursuit of the lost, while note being overly obnoxious in my approach.  Being relational and relentless feels like a battle in my soul of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Here’s a short excerpt from the beginning of the chapter and Kurt and Tim set the stage for how they approach the subject:

For the sake of clarity, let’s state some assumptions that will influence the rest of this chapter: Evangelism means “sharing the gospel.” The “gospel” is the “good news.” The “good news” is the truth that the Kingdom of God is made available to all through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. Regardless of how you articulate the good news, fostering a sense of evangelistic urgency means building into students a clear understanding of the gospel and a driving, burning passion to share it with a broken world in need of some good news. (Johnston, Kurt; Tim Levert, 2010. The 9 Best Practices of Youth Ministry. Simply Youth Ministry. p. 68.)

Well said boys! Throughout the rest of the chapter the book advocates and encourages some best practices when it comes to communicating the gospel and instilling urgency within the hearts and minds of your students.  Here are the take-aways:

• Take a few minutes in every lesson to show how the story of God fits into whatever you are teaching
• Personally share the gospel and equip your students to do so as well
• Help students understand to love on people in the midst of sharing the good news
• GOING is a part of the gospel, not so much BRINGING
• Balance “urgency” with patience

In the midst of all the good I found in this chapter there were two areas I found myself differing from the authors, primarily Kurt since he identified himself as the author of the section. He shares that he trained his kids to memorize a “canned gospel presentation” and then took them out to share with strangers with results that he found to be “borderline horrific” (p 79).

1. “canned gospel presentation” – While I don’t want my students reciting an outline or script of the gospel for fear of them sounding like a robot Christian I do want them to memorize as a basic outline to follow along in their minds to help them communicate the whole story of the good news. That’s why I find Dare 2 Share’s GOSPEL Journey so effective.  It’s not a script to present, but an outline to keep them on point when they share their faith.
2. sharing with strangers – I agree enough with Kurt that it’s not the best way to share the gospel and just like Jesus was with the woman at the well in John 4, we need to seek ways in a conversation with strangers to bridge the relational gap. However people have come to faith through this approach and I’ve personally seen teens grow in their own faith and gain confidence by sharing the good news of Jesus with strangers. I wouldn’t call it the best, but it is infinitely better than what many Christians do when it comes to evangelism…NOTHING.

I’m so glad that I came across this book as a Youth Pastor. Kurt and Tim do an amazing job sharing their passions through personal and Youth Ministry experiences.  It’s so nice to hear of other Youth Pastors who are passionate about evangelism and who are equipping students both with the heart and head to reach the world for Christ!

You should add The 9 Best Practices for Youth Ministry to your 2012 reading list.  CLICK HERE to purchase the book!

Do you struggle with being too relational when it comes to sharing your faith? Or are you like my good friend Greg Stier who guards himself from being too relentless in sharing the Gospel?  What end of the spectrum do you find your self shifting toward? How does this impact the way you do Youth Ministry?

In this week’s video blog post, I share three things I learned the hard way to avoid when doing outreach events in our youth group.

I’d love to hear from you guys in the comments below about what things you’ve learned to avoid in your outreach events.