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MOBILIZE A STUDENT MOVEMENT

 

Can you envision one student on a campus deciding to follow Jesus and that leading to a high percentage of that school deciding to follow Jesus? Is it possible that a small number of Jesus followers at a school can become a campus-wide “Jesus movement” . . . where conversations about Jesus take place every day . . . where there is a buzz about Jesus . . . and where significant numbers of students are deciding to follow Him?

 

That kind of “Jesus Movement” actually happened in the city of Sychar. The entire population were Samaritans who hated Jews. You know the story: A Samaritan women had a life-changing encounter with Jesus when she was drawing water from a well and Jesus asked her for a drink. That conversation with Jesus changed her life on the spot! Immediately she went from the “well-encounter” into the city. Encountering Jesus made such an impression on her that she left her water jar at the well, apparently forgetting why she had come to the well in the first place. And then she hurried into the town to tell everyone about Him (John 4:28-30).

 

This disrespected and despised woman with five husbands told about her encounter with Jesus . . . and her declaration started a city-wide movement of Jesus’ followers. “Many who came out to see Him believed right away, and as Jesus remained in the town to teach for two days, many more believed His words. As they told the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world’” (John 4:42).

 

An encounter with Jesus changed her life. And because of her encounter with Jesus, the lives of many in Sychar encountered Jesus as well! I believe that is what Jesus wants to do on campuses across the country! Can that really happen?

 

When you lead one student to faith in Christ, you do what Jesus did in talking with the Samaritan woman. When you equip many Christian students to share their faith with their friends, you teach them to do what the Samaritan woman did after she believed.

 

Sparking a Movement

But what if it doesn’t end there? What if you can spark a movement to reach an entire campus, just as the Samaritan woman sparked a movement in her town?

 

That can happen if students and their leaders ask the Lord for the courage and boldness that the Samaritan woman had—the same kind that Paul, who had killed Christians, had after his encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road.

 

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes. (Romans 1:16)

 

When students on one campus, and then on campuses across the country, begin to encounter Jesus and become bold witnesses like the woman at the well—and like the Apostle Paul, then the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes will fuel a spiritual awakening on any campus where that happens.

 

Can we grab hold of that vision as youth leaders? Can we pray for and encourage our students to “not be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ?” Can we desire that they experience so much of the power of God in their lives that it will cause them to “not be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ”—and that our students will be so consumed with Jesus that they boldly proclaim Him to their friends and to their school . . . and that many of them will decide to trust and follow Jesus for the rest of their lives.

 

It can happen as evidenced by many students who have experienced this on their campuses.

 

Watch and listen to Audrey’s story at barrystclair.com: Audrey’s Campus Ministry Story

 

Now check out what Steve said about what he and his fired-up friends did at their school:  

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“Once one person raises his/her flag for Jesus, a whole bunch of others will raise their flags. . . If you will take your stand for Christ, and radically love your friends and fellow students, then Jesus will use you to significantly influence your campus for Christ. I decided to make a “10 Most Wanted” list. I wrote the names of my ten best friends who I wanted to know Jesus. Within two months, 9 of the 10 had accepted Christ. . . Then we all began to roam the halls sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ! And, Roy, the tenth student, gave his life to Jesus two years later! By the end of the school year, you could not walk down the hall of our school without seeing about every third student carrying a Bible on top of his/her books.”

 

These two examples of “God movements” on a campus have 3 essential characteristics in common.

 

Joyful Boldness and Enthusiasm

The Samaritan woman could not contain herself after she encountered Jesus. Nor could the Apostle Paul. And nor could Audrey and Steve. They boldly, joyfully, enthusiastically told everyone what had happened to them.

 

Prayer-Inspired Witnessing and Disciple-Making

Jesus, prayerfully listening to and led by His Father, went out of his way to go through enemy territory to meet this Samaritan woman, and was led to stay two extra days to invest in a disciple-making relationship with her. And Saul became Paul the apostle because God led Barnabas to prayerfully and courageously invest in a discipling relationship with a man who previously wanted to kill him and all Jesus-followers.

 

Courageous witnessing emboldened by students’ prayers will change their campuses. The Matthew 18:18-20 Jesus’ strategy of ‘Prayer Triplets’—

 

“3 Christians/praying

3 times a week for

           3 non-Christian friends”

 

—will empower and mobilize them to reach their campuses. [See An Awesome Way to Pray in the Resources below.]

 

Boldly Communicating the Gospel

Even before Jesus went into the Samaritan woman’s town, she boldly left her water jar, went back into the town where she was a very unpopular person and said to all of the people: “Come see the man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”  Then they came out of the town and made their way toward Jesus!  Then Jesus stayed there so ALL could meet Him and be transformed by Him.  

 

And think of the daring bravery of Barnabas when he stepped into the life of a known murderer to make Jesus known.

 

One of our great challenges as youth leaders is to embolden our students to share Jesus. Three excellent tools will encourage them:

 

• A “10 Most Wanted” List. Create, print, and hand out a one-page sheet titled "10 Most Wanted" numbered 1-10. Have the students list 10 of their friends who need to know Jesus. And then challenge your students to lovingly but courageously talk about Jesus to those 10 friends—one at a time.

 

• "3 Circles." Go to www.namb.net/evangelism/3circles/ to download free

 

• The "Student-Led Free to Speak Campaign." To help you and your students, Gateways to Better Education launched the free "Student-Led Free to Speak Campaign." (Student groups receive the box of materials at no cost when an adult leader—or youth pastor—fills out the online form at www.GoGateways.org/studentled-fts.) Do this simple activity in only a few minutes to introduce it to your students. It can have a lasting impact in their schools in four significant ways:

 

– It softens the soil for students sharing their faith in class.

 

– It activates students to be bolder in expressing their faith.

 

– It dips their toes in the evangelism water with a pre-evangelism activity.

 

– It will help grow the group's attendance as students speak more boldly about their faith with classmates.

 

God wants to use your students beyond their wildest imagination to change their generation! And you can serve as the bold and courageous catalyst for that to happen!

 

Your Next Steps

We encourage keeping a notebook or journal of ideas, action steps, and resources that will help you advance your youth ministry. You can use the following questions and suggestions for brainstorming and developing your goals and plans.

 

• Prayerfully consider how you boldly and courageously share your own faith as described above. Make your own “10 Most Wanted” List and begin to tell each person on that list about Jesus.

 

• Begin to boldly yet sensitively communicate to your students to make their own “10 Most Wanted” List, and then equip them to lovingly and boldly share the gospel with each one on their list.

 

Resources

• Go to www.barrystclair.com to download free:

– Taking Your Campus for Christ

– An Awesome Way to Pray—Student’s Guide

– An Awesome Way to Pray—Leader’s Guide

– Giving Away Your Faith

 

• Go to Gateways for Better Education to access the "Student-Led Free to Speak Campaign."

 

• Go to www.namb.net/evangelism/3circles/ to download "3 Circles" free.

 

• Go to Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry Online for a biblical, practical strategy for your entire ministry.