welcome
to the Gospel Advancing movement
You’ve taken the 5 Stages Assessment, and now you’re ready to dive into building your ministry on the power of the Gospel and the potential of teens. Read on to find out more about your starting point.
it’s a journey
Building a dynamic, energetic youth ministry with real Kingdom impact doesn’t happen overnight. We’ve found it’s a journey that typically goes through five distinct stages, as a leader integrates the values of Gospel Advancement into their life and ministry:
- Commit: Decide to be a Gospel Advancing leader, paving the way for your students.
- Align: Cast this ministry vision to your leaders and help them become Gospel Advancing leaders themselves.
- Prioritize:Integrate the 7 Values of Gospel Advancing into your ministry programs, training, and events.
- Accelerate: Experience growing excitement among your students and momentum within your ministry, as the Gospel goes deeply into and widely out through your students.
- Multiply: Take Gospel Advancing ministry to other leaders within your network and circle of influence.
As with any journey, it will take time to reach your final destination. But don’t get discouraged! God will honor your efforts to Gospelize your ministry.
your starting point
Below is the road map for your Gospel Advancing journey. You’ll find insights, action steps, and tools that will help you along the way.
In addition, you can tap into more encouragement and ideas by joining this group of youth leaders who are also on the Gospel Advancing journey.
your roadmap - ACCELERATE
At this stage in your ministry, you and your team are leading by example and you’ve programmed the values of a Gospel Advancing ministry into your weekly meetings and annual calendar. You’ve set the stage for extraordinary things to happen in your ministry. Now, it’s time to do everything you can to make sure all of your students are living on mission and leading alongside you.
Your students are the key to reaching the lost teens in your community.
Greg Stier talks with a panel of youth leaders about the practical side of integrating Gospel Advancing ministry and what it’s done within their students and ministry:
Ministry becomes exciting, as you give your students opportunities to engage with unbelievers, mentor new believers, and begin to “own” the ministry and its impact on your community.
If you want your students to grow, you’ve got to get them to go! The best way to jump-start spiritual growth in the life of your teens is by having them share their faith regularly. Be sure to establish these opportunities in your ministry.
Action steps
- Commit to participating in #GoShareDay on the last Saturday of every month. Check out goshareday.org for more information and outreach ideas.
- Take your students on prayer walks around the middle schools and high schools represented in your ministry, perhaps after church on Sundays.
You and your team have established the biblical outcomes for your ministry and your students. As you mobilize your students to share the Gospel, it’s also time to start holding them accountable to the things that matter the most.
Action Steps
- Communicate to students and their parents the biblical outcomes you’re measuring in your ministry.
- Provide resources like prayer guides, memory verse cards, and Bible reading plans to your students.
It’s time to allow your students to lead the ministry with you. Keep your leadership team in place, but start calling all of your students to lead out in your Gospel Advancing ministry. Encourage them to lead at your church, on their campuses, and in your community.
Action step
- Assign students leadership roles within your weekly program, such as praying, reading Scripture, organizing testimony time, leading small groups for younger students, and even teaching the lesson.
moving to the next stage
Multiply
Now that your students are leading the movement in your ministry, it’s time to connect with and recruit other youth leaders in your area to join the Gospel Advancing movement, so that together you can reach all the teens in your community with the Gospel.
