August 21, 2025 • 33 mins
Kick off the school year the right way! Now is the time to grow a healthy, thriving youth ministry...if you'd like to work with us, check out GrowYourYouthMinistry.com *** Are your youth ministry students confident in sharing their testimony to their friends, neighbors, classmates or teammates?? The pressure to "share your faith" looms large for many Christian youth, often creating anxiety instead of confidence. But what if evangelism looked less like memorized scripts and more like authentic relationships?
Today we will be discussing three powerful strategies for equipping your youth group students to share their faith naturally and with confidence. Let's transform how your students approach faith-sharing...
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(#160) YOUTH PASTORS: Are You Challenging Your Youth Group?
(#016) How Do You Help Your Youth Group Fall In LOVE With Jesus?
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Today we're talking about three ways to help your
youth group student share theirfaith with confidence.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Hey, welcome to another episode of the Ministry
Coach Podcast, where we give youweekly tips and tactics to help
you fast track the growth andhealth of your youth ministry.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
If this is the first time we're meeting, my name is
Jeff Laskola and this is KristenLaskola, and today we're
talking about how to empoweryour youth ministry students to
share their faith withconfidence.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Say that sentence with confidence.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
I didn't realize what I was getting into when I
started this sentence, so I justkept going.
How to empower your Let meshorten it Three, two one go how
to help your students sharetheir testimony with confidence.
I think, growing up I grew up ina Christian school, I grew up
in the church and I feel likethere was always this narrative
(01:03):
and pressure kind of like shareyour faith, share your faith,
share your faith.
And I feel like there wasalways this narrative and
pressure kind of like share yourfaith, share your faith, share
your faith.
And I never knew how to sharemy faith.
Like, is it just like, do youwant to talk about our Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ?
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Yes, it can be just as simple as that.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
It probably could be, but at my school it didn't.
Well, we were all Christians atmy Christian school.
But to my neighborhood kids andpeople I knew, you know those
public school kids that I livenext door to it was just like
our kids are public school kids.
So I'm just saying like, how doI just bring this up in
conversation?
And then I feel like I sort ofcarried around this guilt with
(01:40):
me for most of my life, of likeif I were really brave for Jesus
, I would just not even care,and I think there's something to
be said about that.
That is truth.
But I feel like what I'verealized growing up in the
church and being an adultChristian now is that sharing
your faith is a little morenuanced sometimes and there can
(02:04):
be a little bit more finesse init than just like walking up to
someone like a Christian robotand saying let's talk about
Jesus, and it's like well, it'susually done within the context
of a relationship and it'susually over multiple
conversations and multipleinteractions and life like
meeting life, and where do weintersect?
(02:27):
And are you watching my life andwhat are the things I'm saying
and doing?
And it's usually over a periodof time, and so that's kind of
what I want to talk about todayis how can we give students
maybe a bigger perspective onwhat it means to share your
faith so that they don't likemaybe some of you are resonating
with what I'm saying that theyjust don't feel like they're
(02:49):
supposed to be some streetevangelist, or like they're just
supposed to be holding up signsor knocking on people's doors
which, like I'm sure, peoplehave come to know Jesus that way
.
I don't know, but nobody I knowhas.
When I ask people, how did youcome to know Jesus, it's usually
through a relationship withsomebody over a long period of
(03:09):
time and I would say, when welook biblically like that's how
it happens as well.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Like.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
I see Jesus, I've experienced Jesus, and now I
tell my brother, and now I tellmy friend.
And you know, it's just thisthing of like it, like when you
look at Andrew in the newTestament.
Every single time he's broughtup in the book of John, he's
always bringing someone to Jesus, every single time, and it's
people he knew, like you know,and I was also the added aspect
(03:39):
of you're still continuing to dolife with them.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
It's not like like you got saved, not like you got
saved, moving on, you got saved,moving on.
And it's like, whatever happensto them Now it's turning into
discipleship.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Yeah, I find all that very interesting.
And so how can we kind of hone,help our students hone that
skill so it becomes a lot lessguilt-ridden, a lot less
intimidating, a lot lessunfeasible.
Is it infeasible or unfeasible?
Speaker 2 (04:08):
I'll look it up and not edit it out and other
riveting conversations withKristen and Jeff.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
I am a communication major.
I wish I would have known that,but maybe that's more of an
English major business.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
They probably know If you're an English major is it
in or unfeasible?
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Anyways, infeasible, I'm going to go with final
answer.
I'm going to go with unfeasible.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Should I look it up right now, incomprehensible,
while you're talking, I'm goingto look it up.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Yeah, any excuse to not listen to what they're
saying.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Put in the comments section below Before you hear
the answer.
Is it infeasible or unfeasible?
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Okay, so number one, I would say we really challenge
students with the question dothey even know their own story
with Jesus?
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Both are fine to use.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Well, that's why I didn't know, because I knew both
were okay and we're both right.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
And if you guys put in the comments section below
either one, you're both right,you're right.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
So do they know their own story.
So here's like what I think is,and we're going to talk about
three today.
There's more.
I always say that we are nevergiving you this is it.
There's no other ways toencourage students.
There's maybe three and a half,but I don't know who's to say.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
How many is it Put in the comments?
Google it, google it.
How many are there?
Speaker 1 (05:33):
And these are just the three we happen to be
talking about today.
One tool that has beeneffective for me is encouraging
students that their besttestimony, their best talking
(05:54):
points, are it's usuallypersonal experience.
So when we talk about theirstory, it's not necessarily, you
know, and we've talked aboutthis before like this testimony.
Isn't this like big black andwhite, before and after, like
home makeover edition of yourspirituality?
But it is just tell me aboutyour experience with Jesus and
that is the most relatable,that's the most easy to tell,
(06:16):
that's the most irrefutable andit's the most natural and
disarming, you know, because Ithink when we and I'm all for
apologetics, like I thrive onthat stuff and that is really
what saved my own faith as ahigh school student, but at the
same time I don't think that'sthe only method like let's put
(06:37):
this ammunition in their pocketLike well, did you know that
Darwin said this?
You know, and again, I lovethat stuff and I have whole
conference sessions I do on thatstuff.
However, I feel like in thenormal cadence of relationships
and life, that isn't actuallythe only talking points we need
(06:57):
students to understand.
Is, you know, creationism oryoung earth, old earth, or we
need them to know about, likethe reliability of the authors
of scripture and all of thesethings that you know once you
are a Christian, are veryinteresting and maybe that does
bring some people to faith.
But I'm just saying it's notthe only thing we need to equip
(07:18):
them with.
Of like well, just have youever stopped to just think about
your own story and experiencewith Jesus?
Because that's very NewTestament the disciples you know
, andrew bringing his brotherand his friends and like hey, I
met the Messiah.
The woman at the well, hey, Imet this guy who told me
everything I've ever done.
Like you've got to hear him ordid you know?
(07:38):
And it's all this likeexperiential word of mouth.
It wasn't like scientificevidence that's bringing the
masses to Jesus.
Of like well, what are youtalking about?
Like well, I know you, and thenyou are sharing your known
experience with me.
So it's like, by extension, I'ma part of this experience.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Like whoa, tell me more, and it's also something
that you can't refute.
This happened to me.
This is my experience, this ismy testimony.
Someone's not like no, that'snot true, because darwin's no,
it's like.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
This is what happened and I'm expressing to you my
testimony yeah, and I thinkthat's a powerful skill for
students to have.
So some practical questionsthat you can ask students to
help them start thinking aboutit, because they might be very
unaware is how did you come toknow Jesus?
You know, like.
Tell me like, was there a timeyou were a nonbeliever?
(08:35):
Now you are?
Well, what was that jump like?
And it doesn't have to beglamorous, it's just what was it
like.
And whatever it is is the goodenough answer.
You know, or if you've beenwalking with Jesus your whole
life, tell me maybe, like whenthat faith felt, like it became
real to you or personal to you,right, how has God shown up in
(08:56):
your life?
How have you seen him workWhether that is a life change
externally or internally, andhow have you seen God shown up,
maybe in the lives of the peoplearound you as well?
So, just like, where's been theaction?
How do you know?
It's true, like if someone wereto ask you like, yeah, I wish
(09:18):
there was a God, but I don'tknow, that seems like far
fetched what would you say?
Or how deep down, and that'skind of where we could move
maybe a little bit more to theapologetic side.
And as a high schooler, Iremember thinking through some
of that stuff of like I don'tknow, but I know that
scientifically andmathematically everything cannot
(09:41):
come from nothing.
So we're all stuck at the samesquare one.
It's just a matter of how didwe go from square one to square
two?
There was nothing and now thereis something.
So there's two differentexplanations for that, which one
, to me, makes more sense thatzero plus zero equals everything
, or some one plus outside ofspace.
(10:02):
Time and matter is the forcebehind it.
And I'm like it's got to bethat one, because otherwise I
just had to break everymathematical and scientific rule
that you're hinging this thingon, and so that that does come
into play.
But what?
How would a student answer that?
Like, how do you know it's true?
What was that like clutch foryou?
(10:23):
That was like is it true?
And then you had this thoughtof like but this you know, and
that's really helpful for them,and just remind them that a
testimony is just your reallived experience.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
That all.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
That's all it is, and I think we're headed in a good
direction in this day and age oflike defining testimony a
little more casually, but Iremember growing up there used
to be testimony nights and comemeet the mob boss who's now a
Jesus follower.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
And there I was and you know I had my leather gloves
on and they were around thisguy's throat and all of a sudden
you know it was just like whoa,that's a testimony, but it's
like what is just your livedexperience, and the encouraging
part about that is there'salways going to be that either
camp speaker, conference speaker, whatever of the testimony like
(11:16):
you're talking about, like theywere woke up in the gutter
after doing drugs for you know,72 hours straight, or whatever
like this oh my gosh experienceand then they came to know jesus
, which is legitimate.
And not only that, that speaksreally closely to some people
yeah but there's also the personthat's like you know what I
don't?
That's not the lifestyle I liveand that really doesn't
(11:37):
resonate.
It's a cool story.
It doesn't resonate with me andeveryone's individual stories
resonate with another person,right, grand or small, like you
know, the person that has thathuge, grandiose one, it may
resonate with someone that'sjust like, totally like, live in
the suburbs of suburbia andthat totally speaks to me.
And vice versa, the person whohas the very what we would call
(11:59):
vanilla or like maybe boringtestimony, it's like that could
speak to the guy who is facedown in the gutter, like you
never know how god's gonna workin those things and and I would
also encourage your studentseven the boring is not when you
think my eternity just gotchanged yeah, good point, and I
think sometimes if we only tellthese like big flashy, you don't
(12:23):
want to tell your story.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
No, I was gonna say if it's meant for a movie script
, then I think sometimes thejust regular joe who's kind of
curious about christianitythinks it's for people who
really needed it.
You know what I mean, yeah,because I've been like
witnessing to people throughoutmy life and sometimes like we'll
(12:46):
go to church and I'll get themthere.
And then all of a sudden,they're just sharing all these
like wild testimonies and I canonly imagine they're sitting
there thinking like this is notfor me.
I don't need someone like I'mnot rock bottom person, I'm not
drug addict person, I'm justkind of regular drug addict
(13:09):
person.
I'm just kind of regularsuccessful thriving person.
Why in the world would I needJesus?
I wasn't like broken.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Three bedroom, two bath.
White picket fence yeah,Boringville, United States.
And they.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
But if all you're hearing is a wild testimony,
you're like, well, good for you,brother, like you needed it,
but I'm good, you know, and soit doesn't communicate much of a
need.
But if you watch, just theregular person say, yeah, I was
just kind of living life, buthere's, you know what Jesus said
.
I think both, like you said,both have their place.
So let's just encouragestudents.
(13:40):
It all testimony means is thisis my lived experience with
Jesus over a period of time.
That's it, you know, and itwill be relatable to somebody.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
So in the same way, I also think there's a place for
street witnessing and those whoare gifted and love doing that.
I, I tried it, I did it acouple of times.
I just felt like it was not mystrong suit, not my gifting, but
I feel for those who do it anddo it well and do it the right
way, that it's awesome thatthere's people out there doing
right.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
you know, and yeah, I just think for me and for
probably a lot of other people,that may not be exactly the
natural gifting to sharing their, their testimony so I did it a
couple of times as well and itwas very and it was effective,
but it was very opportunitydriven, like I wasn't like
seeking people out.
And it was very and it waseffective, but it was very
opportunity driven, like Iwasn't like seeking people out
(14:30):
but it was almost like our pathscrossed in a way that felt kind
of supernatural, and then theystarted asking questions or we
started a conversation there,like I'm going to the boardwalk
today to do you know like, likethat necessarily.
I mean, I've just felt like theHoly Spirit just draw me to
people or like, yeah, like andpeople I didn't know, but these
(14:52):
conversations would start and Ijust was like here we go, this
is happening.
So it almost felt like I wasready anytime the Holy Spirit
wanted to prompt or push.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
I guess you could argue, you should always be.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Yeah, and those were amazing, amazing conversations,
whether it was on the street.
One was like on the streetliterally in san diego, in a
really sketch area, and it wentreally well.
And one was like in a doctor'soffice with one of the techs,
because we were alone in a roomfor a long time.
I was getting like a proceduredone and it was like this it's
go time.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
You know I'm talking more about like I'm heading down
.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
This is the goal and I'm going to talk to 700 people
today.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Yeah, okay.
So number two.
Now this hinges on the youthpastor, youth leader, whatever a
little bit more.
But are you presenting thegospel clearly and often enough
to where the students, theythemselves, have a grasp,
because they can't share agospel that they can't fully
grasp?
And here's what I worry aboutsometimes is that we are
(15:55):
teaching.
We've talked about before.
Rick Lawrence has a book aboutyouth ministry and teaching and
he says every time you teach,you should make a beeline to the
gospel.
Every story goes back to thegospel, every story relates to
the gospel because the gospel isthe narrative of the Bible.
We're not telling a bunch ofdifferent isolated stories.
(16:18):
And what's the moral of thestory?
We've talked about that on thepodcast many times and here's
why I bring it up again, becauseif we aren't making the gospel
clear of actually what it is,students can often easily
mistake this for a moralitygospel of like, yeah, just
(16:40):
that's kind of like.
I mean, I always knew Jesus diedon the cross for my sins, yes,
but I always focused more on soyou better be good, you know.
And here's how to be good.
And we're going to go to churchto learn how to be good and
while I can't say that'scompletely, we're trying to
(17:00):
introduce them to the one who isgood, you know, not like, let
me teach you every weekend howto be a better person.
And we've talked about why thatcreates a very short sprint of
a faith because you realize Ican't.
I can't be good, you're like Inever will make it.
And so are we making the gospelvery clear and concise every
(17:23):
week for our students, so thatthey understand it so well that
when their friends do ask themlike what, what does it matter?
Who, jesus?
is it's like, oh, here we go.
Or yeah, jesus may or may nothave existed, what does it
matter?
Or if they get thoseopportunities that they won't
just lump him into like yeah, hewas, like taught us how to do
(17:45):
some good things, you know.
But that you realize who Jesusis changes everything, because
of Jesus is God, which he is.
We can't now just beunresponsive to that.
It requires a response and noresponse is a response, and you
know.
So I would just challenge us asyouth pastors, as we teach this
(18:06):
and we want students to be ableto reiterate, well, whatever
they're learning from us, thatbecomes their script for when
somebody does ask them aquestion.
So if we aren't being clearabout it, if we aren't doing the
justice of what the gospelactually is, if we are teaching
in a sense more, I'm not opposedto topical teaching.
(18:30):
I think topical teaching isfine as long as you're always
drawing a line back to thegospel of like who jesus is, so
that every single week thatthey're getting that ingrained
in and them and that they canarticulate it simply I think one
thing that I've seen be kind ofhelpful is like the spoken word
(18:54):
things you know, like that oneguy does the gospel and the
letters all stand for somethingdifferent and it's just like a
easy way to remember it.
It's god, our sins paid everyonewhat's it called?
Speaker 2 (19:08):
uh, mnemonic, is that what the?
Is that what that is?
I?
Speaker 1 (19:10):
guess.
So yeah, like a mnemonic device, but it's yeah like spoken word
, things like.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
So if if I don't think I've seen what you're
talking about you can look it upon youtube.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
I've had a guest speaker come in and he played
the video and then he wentthrough each letter.
So it's like, if you can'tremember, what does the gospel
mean, it's God, our sins paidand the result is everyone life,
like there's life for everyone.
So it's a little likegrammatically weird, but he does
this whole spoken word on itand it's this like ah yeah,
(19:44):
that's like it in a nutshell.
So can our students clearlyarticulate?
I mean, everyone knows John 3,16, but can students do they
have?
What I'm getting at is do theyhave a clear enough
understanding in themselves thatthey can recite that, to share
it, to show it in a way thatmakes sense to people their age
(20:07):
especially, because if theydon't understand the gospel,
really nothing we do every weekmatters Be a good friend.
Well, if you don't know Jesus,who cares?
We've got to figure that outand make sure that they
understand that we're notaccidentally teaching morality,
but attaching them to Jesusthrough relationships.
(20:30):
We're not just teaching them aset of belief.
A relationship with Jesus, notjust, you know, believe the
right thing, because now we'retreading into some pharisaical
waters there.
You know which we have to bereally?
Because they believed all theright things and they even did a
lot of the right things, yetthere was no relationship with
(20:53):
God.
Their hearts were so far fromhim, and I think that is
probably one of the mosthaunting concepts to me as a
youth pastor and a Christianthat you could maybe go through
your whole life and miss it.
Like what a shock that would be.
And so we have to be verycareful with that one that we're
(21:14):
make, that students get thegospel and have a firm, firm,
firm grasp on who Jesus is, whatgrace is, what faith means, and
you have to talk about it everysingle week.
You have to talk about it inevery single message.
It has at some point.
You know I'm not talking aboutjust an altar call at the end of
every message, but that you'redripping in these concepts of
(21:38):
actually what the theology ofJesus is Like what is this?
Hey friend, I just wanted tointerrupt this episode for a
second to let you know about anawesome opportunity for you and
your youth ministry.
So last year we launched ourcourse and coaching program
called Youth Ministry GrowthAccelerator and the response has
been amazing.
(21:58):
So we've helped tons of youthpastors grow the size and health
of their youth ministry and wewant to invite you to be a part
of that as well, because maybeyou're just sort of feeling
stuck in a rut.
Maybe you don't know what to donext.
Maybe you just have a vagueplan in your mind of what you're
doing and you want some realhelp to get you from where you
(22:18):
are to where you want to go.
So if that sounds likesomething you've been looking
for, go to growyouryouthministrycom and check it out for
more details.
All right, let's get back tothe episode.
And then, lastly three, givethem an easy win.
This is one of those thingsthat like to jump back to the
beginning of the episode.
It's like are we really asking12 year olds to go make cold
(22:43):
calls about?
Speaker 2 (22:44):
you know the gospel.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
Well, who'd you share the gospel with like?
Speaker 2 (22:49):
I don't know.
And is your car's warranty upand needs to be renewed?
Speaker 1 (22:53):
it's like I bet you.
They're sitting there thinkinglike I, I don't know, like I'm
looking for an opportunity.
So what I love to do is justgive them an easy opportunity,
give them an easy win of likehere you here.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
We're gonna bring somebody in, somebody.
One brave volunteer, come on,stand up here in front of all of
us, have at it.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
But like creating an environment where so I always
tell them this you have accessto people I don't have access to
.
So your part in this for thisstage of your life might be you
just invite.
You invite Because I'm notgoing, like I'm not like on your
soccer team, like hey, buddy,you want to come to youth group
(23:37):
with me?
Speaker 2 (23:37):
Yeah, and you do it in that voice.
It's really a turnoff.
Trying to be relatable very,very creepy totally relatable.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
But I try to create an environment at our youth
group that is definitelybeliever focused, but sinker,
sinker, seeker sensitive, andthat's like the whole mission of
our church believer focus Causeit's not like, oh, water
everything down, but it's like,no, be believer focused so that
believers are believers arecontinuing to grow, but be
(24:08):
seeker sensitive that you havean environment that is so easy
for somebody to bring theirfriend, and so that's what we're
trying to.
That's what I mean by an easywin.
Is your youth group set up forthe visitor as well, that your
students know intuitively, I canbring a friend here.
I rarely have to ask mystudents to invite their friends
(24:32):
.
We do a big push in Octoberduring this competition series
called the Battle.
Other than that, I don't reallytell them to bring their friends
.
However, they do all the timebecause I know that they know
this is a place that will clickwith someone who's never been to
church before.
They're not going to be weirdedout, they're not going to be
(24:54):
embarrassed.
They're going to feel loved,accepted, they're going to be
that whole like belonging beforethey believe kind of thing.
They're going to have a reallygood time.
They're going to be treatedwell and I'm not going to have
to like yeah to a new person.
I'm sure worship is a littlelike what's going on.
Well, we're still going toworship, but the way we design
(25:17):
it, it's like you can come andbe curious and not be isolated
or like totally boxed out oflike.
Well, you know, this is for usinsiders and somehow the
students intuitively know that,because they keep bringing these
people who are unchurched, whodon't know Jesus, who don't have
parents that go to church, andthey come all the time new kids
(25:40):
on Tuesday night.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
So an analogy I always love to use is your youth
ministry should be more of anon-ramp than an intersection,
where it's like you cangradually come into it and into
your faith, as opposed to likejust this stop sign where you go
, I have no idea and I don'tknow what you guys are doing.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
This is so confusing, soconfusing.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
Yeah, and like, just like anything in life, like, if
you love it, you're inevitablygoing to tell others about it.
You know if, like whenever yougo to a new restaurant, or you
know, Right, you want to shareit with people.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
Yeah, you're like Because.
Yeah, you're like, you'reexcited about it.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
Oh, you have to go it's so good and get this and
whatever.
And so if our students leaveevery youth group night going,
oh that was so good, I can'twait to come back, they'll
inevitably bring the people withthem, you know, and so have I.
Again, that's like anotherquestion for the youth pastor
have we created an environment?
(26:36):
That's an easy win for them tobring them?
Because sometimes that is theirlevel of evangelism is maybe I
can't take you through theRoman's road, but I can
definitely invite you to churchand sit by your side, include
you, get you assimilated, answerany questions that might come
up.
But students, some of theirevangelism too is they are the
(27:00):
gateway to get them there.
You have access.
Where I don't, I maybe canpreach a message.
You can't, but you couldprobably answer some questions.
So it's like this partnership,you know, and I think that's
really empowering to say like,yeah, maybe you didn't like
quote all these Bible verses,that you understand them, but
(27:22):
you couldn't quote them at thisstage of your walk with Jesus,
that's okay.
Well, where you're at right now, you're the bringer.
That's huge.
That's New Testament, like Isaid, like they were bringing
their brothers, they werebringing their friends, they
were like, just you got to see.
Come and see come and see, likethat's like the mantra pretty
much of the New Testament churchwhen they were bringing people,
(27:45):
come and see, come and see, andso that is an evangelistic tool
, is like literally bringingpeople, you know, and so I think
empowering them and puttingthat tool in their hand is like
maybe you're not ready to likeall these words we've been
talking about.
Share all this stuff, say allthis stuff, but could you say,
(28:06):
hey, I love.
I remember in fifth grade thisgirl at my school said I love my
church, I'm like you do Becausemine's so boring.
And she's like I love my church,you should come.
I'm like, okay, like, and I wasalready a Christian, but I was
done with church already infifth grade.
I'm like this place is a snoozefest, you know, and I was like
(28:28):
what You've been gatekeepingthis?
Like this church is amazing.
It's the church where I work atnow.
You know, it was so cool, likeI loved it Fifth grade, never
looked back.
I'm still here, you know, and Ijust remember her saying that
at school.
I love my church.
And it's like what a greattestimony.
Like a kid who loves going tochurch, tell me more, Because I
(28:52):
remember going on Easter oneyear and I felt like I was, you
know, like a kid could bethinking like I've had an
experience with church, but whyare you 12 and in my PE class
and you're talking about youryouth group?
Tell me more you know.
So putting those tools in theirhands as well, I mean, I think
that goes a really long way andit's just that shared experience
kind of getting them to talk,be excited about it, know a
(29:14):
little bit about their own story, being able to grasp the gospel
for themselves, little bitabout their own story being able
to grasp the gospel forthemselves.
I think, developmentally isenough for them to make a real
impact in the kingdom,absolutely.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Yeah, that's how I came to know Jesus is.
A couple of kids in my artclass in high school were brave
enough to just start talking tome about God and from there like
I mean it was a while of timeto have to go through and get
through my thick skull, buteventually they did.
And I always look back and it'slike I'm really thankful they
had the guts to do it, because Iwasn't like an easy sell and
(29:49):
they easily could have just beenlike well, tried it, forget it,
you know.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
So anyways, and your story is like you were that
person who you like never diddrugs, you weren't like
boringville, but it was like soit wasn't like, oh no, let's
save this lost cause.
Like you weren't visibly on theoutside like this hooligan or
something, and it was like whydon't you just come to our
(30:13):
church?
I remember you started.
You said that's where you it.
Speaker 2 (30:15):
It was the Christian club on campus and ironically I
had a friend begging me to notgo A Christian he was.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Wow, why?
Speaker 2 (30:26):
That was a whole other issue, all right, but yeah
, I remember just like no, I'mgoing to go check it out and
stuff and honestly, I just lovedtheir willingness to be open,
to try their best to answerquestions.
They didn't have all theanswers and a lot of times it
would be like I'll have to getback to you on that or I just
don't know that answer, but Irespected that because it was
like, hey, you're being honestand it was the journey that they
(30:47):
were on and they were wantingme to come along too.
I don't know.
It was really cool, coolexperience and I'm very
obviously very grateful thatthey had the uh, the guts to do
that where they are.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
so they are now.
So, caleb, amanda, appreciateyou.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
I haven't talked to them in a really long time, but
I did reach out because,honestly, they didn't know that
I ended up getting saved.
What?
Because it happened so likemaybe six months after school
had ended.
And so I got in contact withthem later and I remember he was
just like Caleb was the onlyone I got a hold of, but he was
just like amazed, like oh my,like I was praying for you for
so long.
He's like I got to the pointwhere I thought like well, maybe
(31:19):
it's just not going to happen.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
You never told me this.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
That's crazy, you guys are hearing it for the
first time.
Wow, so, yeah, so, definitelyworth, you know, encouraging
your students with all thethings that we've shared today
to be able to use, you know, tohave their in their tool belt
and just to know it.
Just, you know, the worst thatsomeone can say is no thanks.
You know, I don't thinkanyone's getting physically
violent over here If they arewell go to a different school,
(31:46):
all right.
We're gonna do a communitycomment of the day and then
we're going to do our finalwinner for the 250th episode
giveaway.
The community comment comesfrom Lydia Long, who says oh,
and this was in regards to theepisode we did, which was
leadership principles, youlearned from the crown that was
a long time ago.
Yeah, she said somehow I endedup listening to this episode on
(32:09):
my drive out to lead our middleschool summer camp last week.
It might seem strange to say,but it was the best pep talk
going into camp.
I felt so ministered to andinspired Love the work you all
are doing.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Lydia long.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
That's awesome, and that's an older I was like at
least a couple of years old.
That episode came out, so I'mglad it's still circulating out
there, all right, the winner.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
winner for the final, for the final giveaway this is
for the uh, soccer goal.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
Pop-up soccer goal set Vavo Sport, vavo Sport,
we'll say Vavo Sport soccer goalset.
And the winner is VanessaVelasquez.
Congratulations, Vanessa, youwon, you did it, your hard work
paid off.
(32:59):
Yeah, hey, thank you guys forall you that entered the
giveaway.
We appreciate it, andcongratulations for those who
won and the ones who didn't.
Well, we'll probably be doinganother one when we hit episode
300.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
That's crazy to think of, not about like far away
probably.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
About a year.
So, next year roughly this time.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
Thank you, guys for watching and listening and we'll
see you next time today, we'retalking about five ways to make
your smaller youth group feelbigger.
Today, we're talking about fiveways to make your youth group
that is.
Today, we're talking about fiveways to make your small youth
group have more.
Today we're talking about three ways to help your
youth group student share theirfaith with confidence.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Hey, welcome to another episode of the Ministry
Coach Podcast, where we give youweekly tips and tactics to help
you fast track the growth andhealth of your youth ministry.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
If this is the first time we're meeting, my name is
Jeff Laskola and this is KristenLaskola, and today we're
talking about how to empoweryour youth ministry students to
share their faith withconfidence.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Say that sentence with confidence.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
I didn't realize what I was getting into when I
started this sentence, so I justkept going.
How to empower your Let meshorten it Three, two one go how
to help your students sharetheir testimony with confidence.
I think, growing up I grew up ina Christian school, I grew up
in the church and I feel likethere was always this narrative
(01:03):
and pressure kind of like shareyour faith, share your faith,
share your faith.
And I feel like there wasalways this narrative and
pressure kind of like share yourfaith, share your faith, share
your faith.
And I never knew how to sharemy faith.
Like, is it just like, do youwant to talk about our Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ?
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Yes, it can be just as simple as that.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
It probably could be, but at my school it didn't.
Well, we were all Christians atmy Christian school.
But to my neighborhood kids andpeople I knew, you know those
public school kids that I livenext door to it was just like
our kids are public school kids.
So I'm just saying like, how doI just bring this up in
conversation?
And then I feel like I sort ofcarried around this guilt with
(01:40):
me for most of my life, of likeif I were really brave for Jesus
, I would just not even care,and I think there's something to
be said about that.
That is truth.
But I feel like what I'verealized growing up in the
church and being an adultChristian now is that sharing
your faith is a little morenuanced sometimes and there can
(02:04):
be a little bit more finesse init than just like walking up to
someone like a Christian robotand saying let's talk about
Jesus, and it's like well, it'susually done within the context
of a relationship and it'susually over multiple
conversations and multipleinteractions and life like
meeting life, and where do weintersect?
(02:27):
And are you watching my life andwhat are the things I'm saying
and doing?
And it's usually over a periodof time, and so that's kind of
what I want to talk about todayis how can we give students
maybe a bigger perspective onwhat it means to share your
faith so that they don't likemaybe some of you are resonating
with what I'm saying that theyjust don't feel like they're
(02:49):
supposed to be some streetevangelist, or like they're just
supposed to be holding up signsor knocking on people's doors
which, like I'm sure, peoplehave come to know Jesus that way
.
I don't know, but nobody I knowhas.
When I ask people, how did youcome to know Jesus, it's usually
through a relationship withsomebody over a long period of
(03:09):
time and I would say, when welook biblically like that's how
it happens as well.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Like.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
I see Jesus, I've experienced Jesus, and now I
tell my brother, and now I tellmy friend.
And you know, it's just thisthing of like it, like when you
look at Andrew in the newTestament.
Every single time he's broughtup in the book of John, he's
always bringing someone to Jesus, every single time, and it's
people he knew, like you know,and I was also the added aspect
(03:39):
of you're still continuing to dolife with them.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
It's not like like you got saved, not like you got
saved, moving on, you got saved,moving on.
And it's like, whatever happensto them Now it's turning into
discipleship.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Yeah, I find all that very interesting.
And so how can we kind of hone,help our students hone that
skill so it becomes a lot lessguilt-ridden, a lot less
intimidating, a lot lessunfeasible.
Is it infeasible or unfeasible?
Speaker 2 (04:08):
I'll look it up and not edit it out and other
riveting conversations withKristen and Jeff.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
I am a communication major.
I wish I would have known that,but maybe that's more of an
English major business.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
They probably know If you're an English major is it
in or unfeasible?
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Anyways, infeasible, I'm going to go with final
answer.
I'm going to go with unfeasible.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Should I look it up right now, incomprehensible,
while you're talking, I'm goingto look it up.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Yeah, any excuse to not listen to what they're
saying.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Put in the comments section below Before you hear
the answer.
Is it infeasible or unfeasible?
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Okay, so number one, I would say we really challenge
students with the question dothey even know their own story
with Jesus?
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Both are fine to use.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Well, that's why I didn't know, because I knew both
were okay and we're both right.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
And if you guys put in the comments section below
either one, you're both right,you're right.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
So do they know their own story.
So here's like what I think is,and we're going to talk about
three today.
There's more.
I always say that we are nevergiving you this is it.
There's no other ways toencourage students.
There's maybe three and a half,but I don't know who's to say.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
How many is it Put in the comments?
Google it, google it.
How many are there?
Speaker 1 (05:33):
And these are just the three we happen to be
talking about today.
One tool that has beeneffective for me is encouraging
students that their besttestimony, their best talking
(05:54):
points, are it's usuallypersonal experience.
So when we talk about theirstory, it's not necessarily, you
know, and we've talked aboutthis before like this testimony.
Isn't this like big black andwhite, before and after, like
home makeover edition of yourspirituality?
But it is just tell me aboutyour experience with Jesus and
that is the most relatable,that's the most easy to tell,
(06:16):
that's the most irrefutable andit's the most natural and
disarming, you know, because Ithink when we and I'm all for
apologetics, like I thrive onthat stuff and that is really
what saved my own faith as ahigh school student, but at the
same time I don't think that'sthe only method like let's put
(06:37):
this ammunition in their pocketLike well, did you know that
Darwin said this?
You know, and again, I lovethat stuff and I have whole
conference sessions I do on thatstuff.
However, I feel like in thenormal cadence of relationships
and life, that isn't actuallythe only talking points we need
(06:57):
students to understand.
Is, you know, creationism oryoung earth, old earth, or we
need them to know about, likethe reliability of the authors
of scripture and all of thesethings that you know once you
are a Christian, are veryinteresting and maybe that does
bring some people to faith.
But I'm just saying it's notthe only thing we need to equip
(07:18):
them with.
Of like well, just have youever stopped to just think about
your own story and experiencewith Jesus?
Because that's very NewTestament the disciples you know
, andrew bringing his brotherand his friends and like hey, I
met the Messiah.
The woman at the well, hey, Imet this guy who told me
everything I've ever done.
Like you've got to hear him ordid you know?
(07:38):
And it's all this likeexperiential word of mouth.
It wasn't like scientificevidence that's bringing the
masses to Jesus.
Of like well, what are youtalking about?
Like well, I know you, and thenyou are sharing your known
experience with me.
So it's like, by extension, I'ma part of this experience.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Like whoa, tell me more, and it's also something
that you can't refute.
This happened to me.
This is my experience, this ismy testimony.
Someone's not like no, that'snot true, because darwin's no,
it's like.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
This is what happened and I'm expressing to you my
testimony yeah, and I thinkthat's a powerful skill for
students to have.
So some practical questionsthat you can ask students to
help them start thinking aboutit, because they might be very
unaware is how did you come toknow Jesus?
You know, like.
Tell me like, was there a timeyou were a nonbeliever?
(08:35):
Now you are?
Well, what was that jump like?
And it doesn't have to beglamorous, it's just what was it
like.
And whatever it is is the goodenough answer.
You know, or if you've beenwalking with Jesus your whole
life, tell me maybe, like whenthat faith felt, like it became
real to you or personal to you,right, how has God shown up in
(08:56):
your life?
How have you seen him workWhether that is a life change
externally or internally, andhow have you seen God shown up,
maybe in the lives of the peoplearound you as well?
So, just like, where's been theaction?
How do you know?
It's true, like if someone wereto ask you like, yeah, I wish
(09:18):
there was a God, but I don'tknow, that seems like far
fetched what would you say?
Or how deep down, and that'skind of where we could move
maybe a little bit more to theapologetic side.
And as a high schooler, Iremember thinking through some
of that stuff of like I don'tknow, but I know that
scientifically andmathematically everything cannot
(09:41):
come from nothing.
So we're all stuck at the samesquare one.
It's just a matter of how didwe go from square one to square
two?
There was nothing and now thereis something.
So there's two differentexplanations for that, which one
, to me, makes more sense thatzero plus zero equals everything
, or some one plus outside ofspace.
(10:02):
Time and matter is the forcebehind it.
And I'm like it's got to bethat one, because otherwise I
just had to break everymathematical and scientific rule
that you're hinging this thingon, and so that that does come
into play.
But what?
How would a student answer that?
Like, how do you know it's true?
What was that like clutch foryou?
(10:23):
That was like is it true?
And then you had this thoughtof like but this you know, and
that's really helpful for them,and just remind them that a
testimony is just your reallived experience.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
That all.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
That's all it is, and I think we're headed in a good
direction in this day and age oflike defining testimony a
little more casually, but Iremember growing up there used
to be testimony nights and comemeet the mob boss who's now a
Jesus follower.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
And there I was and you know I had my leather gloves
on and they were around thisguy's throat and all of a sudden
you know it was just like whoa,that's a testimony, but it's
like what is just your livedexperience, and the encouraging
part about that is there'salways going to be that either
camp speaker, conference speaker, whatever of the testimony like
(11:16):
you're talking about, like theywere woke up in the gutter
after doing drugs for you know,72 hours straight, or whatever
like this oh my gosh experienceand then they came to know jesus
, which is legitimate.
And not only that, that speaksreally closely to some people
yeah but there's also the personthat's like you know what I
don't?
That's not the lifestyle I liveand that really doesn't
(11:37):
resonate.
It's a cool story.
It doesn't resonate with me andeveryone's individual stories
resonate with another person,right, grand or small, like you
know, the person that has thathuge, grandiose one, it may
resonate with someone that'sjust like, totally like, live in
the suburbs of suburbia andthat totally speaks to me.
And vice versa, the person whohas the very what we would call
(11:59):
vanilla or like maybe boringtestimony, it's like that could
speak to the guy who is facedown in the gutter, like you
never know how god's gonna workin those things and and I would
also encourage your studentseven the boring is not when you
think my eternity just gotchanged yeah, good point, and I
think sometimes if we only tellthese like big flashy, you don't
(12:23):
want to tell your story.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
No, I was gonna say if it's meant for a movie script
, then I think sometimes thejust regular joe who's kind of
curious about christianitythinks it's for people who
really needed it.
You know what I mean, yeah,because I've been like
witnessing to people throughoutmy life and sometimes like we'll
(12:46):
go to church and I'll get themthere.
And then all of a sudden,they're just sharing all these
like wild testimonies and I canonly imagine they're sitting
there thinking like this is notfor me.
I don't need someone like I'mnot rock bottom person, I'm not
drug addict person, I'm justkind of regular drug addict
(13:09):
person.
I'm just kind of regularsuccessful thriving person.
Why in the world would I needJesus?
I wasn't like broken.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Three bedroom, two bath.
White picket fence yeah,Boringville, United States.
And they.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
But if all you're hearing is a wild testimony,
you're like, well, good for you,brother, like you needed it,
but I'm good, you know, and soit doesn't communicate much of a
need.
But if you watch, just theregular person say, yeah, I was
just kind of living life, buthere's, you know what Jesus said
.
I think both, like you said,both have their place.
So let's just encouragestudents.
(13:40):
It all testimony means is thisis my lived experience with
Jesus over a period of time.
That's it, you know, and itwill be relatable to somebody.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
So in the same way, I also think there's a place for
street witnessing and those whoare gifted and love doing that.
I, I tried it, I did it acouple of times.
I just felt like it was not mystrong suit, not my gifting, but
I feel for those who do it anddo it well and do it the right
way, that it's awesome thatthere's people out there doing
right.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
you know, and yeah, I just think for me and for
probably a lot of other people,that may not be exactly the
natural gifting to sharing their, their testimony so I did it a
couple of times as well and itwas very and it was effective,
but it was very opportunitydriven, like I wasn't like
seeking people out.
And it was very and it waseffective, but it was very
opportunity driven, like Iwasn't like seeking people out
(14:30):
but it was almost like our pathscrossed in a way that felt kind
of supernatural, and then theystarted asking questions or we
started a conversation there,like I'm going to the boardwalk
today to do you know like, likethat necessarily.
I mean, I've just felt like theHoly Spirit just draw me to
people or like, yeah, like andpeople I didn't know, but these
(14:52):
conversations would start and Ijust was like here we go, this
is happening.
So it almost felt like I wasready anytime the Holy Spirit
wanted to prompt or push.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
I guess you could argue, you should always be.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Yeah, and those were amazing, amazing conversations,
whether it was on the street.
One was like on the streetliterally in san diego, in a
really sketch area, and it wentreally well.
And one was like in a doctor'soffice with one of the techs,
because we were alone in a roomfor a long time.
I was getting like a proceduredone and it was like this it's
go time.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
You know I'm talking more about like I'm heading down
.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
This is the goal and I'm going to talk to 700 people
today.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Yeah, okay.
So number two.
Now this hinges on the youthpastor, youth leader, whatever a
little bit more.
But are you presenting thegospel clearly and often enough
to where the students, theythemselves, have a grasp,
because they can't share agospel that they can't fully
grasp?
And here's what I worry aboutsometimes is that we are
(15:55):
teaching.
We've talked about before.
Rick Lawrence has a book aboutyouth ministry and teaching and
he says every time you teach,you should make a beeline to the
gospel.
Every story goes back to thegospel, every story relates to
the gospel because the gospel isthe narrative of the Bible.
We're not telling a bunch ofdifferent isolated stories.
(16:18):
And what's the moral of thestory?
We've talked about that on thepodcast many times and here's
why I bring it up again, becauseif we aren't making the gospel
clear of actually what it is,students can often easily
mistake this for a moralitygospel of like, yeah, just
(16:40):
that's kind of like.
I mean, I always knew Jesus diedon the cross for my sins, yes,
but I always focused more on soyou better be good, you know.
And here's how to be good.
And we're going to go to churchto learn how to be good and
while I can't say that'scompletely, we're trying to
(17:00):
introduce them to the one who isgood, you know, not like, let
me teach you every weekend howto be a better person.
And we've talked about why thatcreates a very short sprint of
a faith because you realize Ican't.
I can't be good, you're like Inever will make it.
And so are we making the gospelvery clear and concise every
(17:23):
week for our students, so thatthey understand it so well that
when their friends do ask themlike what, what does it matter?
Who, jesus?
is it's like, oh, here we go.
Or yeah, jesus may or may nothave existed, what does it
matter?
Or if they get thoseopportunities that they won't
just lump him into like yeah, hewas, like taught us how to do
(17:45):
some good things, you know.
But that you realize who Jesusis changes everything, because
of Jesus is God, which he is.
We can't now just beunresponsive to that.
It requires a response and noresponse is a response, and you
know.
So I would just challenge us asyouth pastors, as we teach this
(18:06):
and we want students to be ableto reiterate, well, whatever
they're learning from us, thatbecomes their script for when
somebody does ask them aquestion.
So if we aren't being clearabout it, if we aren't doing the
justice of what the gospelactually is, if we are teaching
in a sense more, I'm not opposedto topical teaching.
(18:30):
I think topical teaching isfine as long as you're always
drawing a line back to thegospel of like who jesus is, so
that every single week thatthey're getting that ingrained
in and them and that they canarticulate it simply I think one
thing that I've seen be kind ofhelpful is like the spoken word
(18:54):
things you know, like that oneguy does the gospel and the
letters all stand for somethingdifferent and it's just like a
easy way to remember it.
It's god, our sins paid everyonewhat's it called?
Speaker 2 (19:08):
uh, mnemonic, is that what the?
Is that what that is?
I?
Speaker 1 (19:10):
guess.
So yeah, like a mnemonic device, but it's yeah like spoken word
, things like.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
So if if I don't think I've seen what you're
talking about you can look it upon youtube.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
I've had a guest speaker come in and he played
the video and then he wentthrough each letter.
So it's like, if you can'tremember, what does the gospel
mean, it's God, our sins paidand the result is everyone life,
like there's life for everyone.
So it's a little likegrammatically weird, but he does
this whole spoken word on itand it's this like ah yeah,
(19:44):
that's like it in a nutshell.
So can our students clearlyarticulate?
I mean, everyone knows John 3,16, but can students do they
have?
What I'm getting at is do theyhave a clear enough
understanding in themselves thatthey can recite that, to share
it, to show it in a way thatmakes sense to people their age
(20:07):
especially, because if theydon't understand the gospel,
really nothing we do every weekmatters Be a good friend.
Well, if you don't know Jesus,who cares?
We've got to figure that outand make sure that they
understand that we're notaccidentally teaching morality,
but attaching them to Jesusthrough relationships.
(20:30):
We're not just teaching them aset of belief.
A relationship with Jesus, notjust, you know, believe the
right thing, because now we'retreading into some pharisaical
waters there.
You know which we have to bereally?
Because they believed all theright things and they even did a
lot of the right things, yetthere was no relationship with
(20:53):
God.
Their hearts were so far fromhim, and I think that is
probably one of the mosthaunting concepts to me as a
youth pastor and a Christianthat you could maybe go through
your whole life and miss it.
Like what a shock that would be.
And so we have to be verycareful with that one that we're
(21:14):
make, that students get thegospel and have a firm, firm,
firm grasp on who Jesus is, whatgrace is, what faith means, and
you have to talk about it everysingle week.
You have to talk about it inevery single message.
It has at some point.
You know I'm not talking aboutjust an altar call at the end of
every message, but that you'redripping in these concepts of
(21:38):
actually what the theology ofJesus is Like what is this?
Hey friend, I just wanted tointerrupt this episode for a
second to let you know about anawesome opportunity for you and
your youth ministry.
So last year we launched ourcourse and coaching program
called Youth Ministry GrowthAccelerator and the response has
been amazing.
(21:58):
So we've helped tons of youthpastors grow the size and health
of their youth ministry and wewant to invite you to be a part
of that as well, because maybeyou're just sort of feeling
stuck in a rut.
Maybe you don't know what to donext.
Maybe you just have a vagueplan in your mind of what you're
doing and you want some realhelp to get you from where you
(22:18):
are to where you want to go.
So if that sounds likesomething you've been looking
for, go to growyouryouthministrycom and check it out for
more details.
All right, let's get back tothe episode.
And then, lastly three, givethem an easy win.
This is one of those thingsthat like to jump back to the
beginning of the episode.
It's like are we really asking12 year olds to go make cold
(22:43):
calls about?
Speaker 2 (22:44):
you know the gospel.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
Well, who'd you share the gospel with like?
Speaker 2 (22:49):
I don't know.
And is your car's warranty upand needs to be renewed?
Speaker 1 (22:53):
it's like I bet you.
They're sitting there thinkinglike I, I don't know, like I'm
looking for an opportunity.
So what I love to do is justgive them an easy opportunity,
give them an easy win of likehere you here.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
We're gonna bring somebody in, somebody.
One brave volunteer, come on,stand up here in front of all of
us, have at it.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
But like creating an environment where so I always
tell them this you have accessto people I don't have access to
.
So your part in this for thisstage of your life might be you
just invite.
You invite Because I'm notgoing, like I'm not like on your
soccer team, like hey, buddy,you want to come to youth group
(23:37):
with me?
Speaker 2 (23:37):
Yeah, and you do it in that voice.
It's really a turnoff.
Trying to be relatable very,very creepy totally relatable.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
But I try to create an environment at our youth
group that is definitelybeliever focused, but sinker,
sinker, seeker sensitive, andthat's like the whole mission of
our church believer focus Causeit's not like, oh, water
everything down, but it's like,no, be believer focused so that
believers are believers arecontinuing to grow, but be
(24:08):
seeker sensitive that you havean environment that is so easy
for somebody to bring theirfriend, and so that's what we're
trying to.
That's what I mean by an easywin.
Is your youth group set up forthe visitor as well, that your
students know intuitively, I canbring a friend here.
I rarely have to ask mystudents to invite their friends
(24:32):
.
We do a big push in Octoberduring this competition series
called the Battle.
Other than that, I don't reallytell them to bring their friends
.
However, they do all the timebecause I know that they know
this is a place that will clickwith someone who's never been to
church before.
They're not going to be weirdedout, they're not going to be
(24:54):
embarrassed.
They're going to feel loved,accepted, they're going to be
that whole like belonging beforethey believe kind of thing.
They're going to have a reallygood time.
They're going to be treatedwell and I'm not going to have
to like yeah to a new person.
I'm sure worship is a littlelike what's going on.
Well, we're still going toworship, but the way we design
(25:17):
it, it's like you can come andbe curious and not be isolated
or like totally boxed out oflike.
Well, you know, this is for usinsiders and somehow the
students intuitively know that,because they keep bringing these
people who are unchurched, whodon't know Jesus, who don't have
parents that go to church, andthey come all the time new kids
(25:40):
on Tuesday night.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
So an analogy I always love to use is your youth
ministry should be more of anon-ramp than an intersection,
where it's like you cangradually come into it and into
your faith, as opposed to likejust this stop sign where you go
, I have no idea and I don'tknow what you guys are doing.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
This is so confusing, soconfusing.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
Yeah, and like, just like anything in life, like, if
you love it, you're inevitablygoing to tell others about it.
You know if, like whenever yougo to a new restaurant, or you
know, Right, you want to shareit with people.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
Yeah, you're like Because.
Yeah, you're like, you'reexcited about it.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
Oh, you have to go it's so good and get this and
whatever.
And so if our students leaveevery youth group night going,
oh that was so good, I can'twait to come back, they'll
inevitably bring the people withthem, you know, and so have I.
Again, that's like anotherquestion for the youth pastor
have we created an environment?
(26:36):
That's an easy win for them tobring them?
Because sometimes that is theirlevel of evangelism is maybe I
can't take you through theRoman's road, but I can
definitely invite you to churchand sit by your side, include
you, get you assimilated, answerany questions that might come
up.
But students, some of theirevangelism too is they are the
(27:00):
gateway to get them there.
You have access.
Where I don't, I maybe canpreach a message.
You can't, but you couldprobably answer some questions.
So it's like this partnership,you know, and I think that's
really empowering to say like,yeah, maybe you didn't like
quote all these Bible verses,that you understand them, but
(27:22):
you couldn't quote them at thisstage of your walk with Jesus,
that's okay.
Well, where you're at right now, you're the bringer.
That's huge.
That's New Testament, like Isaid, like they were bringing
their brothers, they werebringing their friends, they
were like, just you got to see.
Come and see come and see, likethat's like the mantra pretty
much of the New Testament churchwhen they were bringing people,
(27:45):
come and see, come and see, andso that is an evangelistic tool
, is like literally bringingpeople, you know, and so I think
empowering them and puttingthat tool in their hand is like
maybe you're not ready to likeall these words we've been
talking about.
Share all this stuff, say allthis stuff, but could you say,
(28:06):
hey, I love.
I remember in fifth grade thisgirl at my school said I love my
church, I'm like you do Becausemine's so boring.
And she's like I love my church,you should come.
I'm like, okay, like, and I wasalready a Christian, but I was
done with church already infifth grade.
I'm like this place is a snoozefest, you know, and I was like
(28:28):
what You've been gatekeepingthis?
Like this church is amazing.
It's the church where I work atnow.
You know, it was so cool, likeI loved it Fifth grade, never
looked back.
I'm still here, you know, and Ijust remember her saying that
at school.
I love my church.
And it's like what a greattestimony.
Like a kid who loves going tochurch, tell me more, Because I
(28:52):
remember going on Easter oneyear and I felt like I was, you
know, like a kid could bethinking like I've had an
experience with church, but whyare you 12 and in my PE class
and you're talking about youryouth group?
Tell me more you know.
So putting those tools in theirhands as well, I mean, I think
that goes a really long way andit's just that shared experience
kind of getting them to talk,be excited about it, know a
(29:14):
little bit about their own story, being able to grasp the gospel
for themselves, little bitabout their own story being able
to grasp the gospel forthemselves.
I think, developmentally isenough for them to make a real
impact in the kingdom,absolutely.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Yeah, that's how I came to know Jesus is.
A couple of kids in my artclass in high school were brave
enough to just start talking tome about God and from there like
I mean it was a while of timeto have to go through and get
through my thick skull, buteventually they did.
And I always look back and it'slike I'm really thankful they
had the guts to do it, because Iwasn't like an easy sell and
(29:49):
they easily could have just beenlike well, tried it, forget it,
you know.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
So anyways, and your story is like you were that
person who you like never diddrugs, you weren't like
boringville, but it was like soit wasn't like, oh no, let's
save this lost cause.
Like you weren't visibly on theoutside like this hooligan or
something, and it was like whydon't you just come to our
(30:13):
church?
I remember you started.
You said that's where you it.
Speaker 2 (30:15):
It was the Christian club on campus and ironically I
had a friend begging me to notgo A Christian he was.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Wow, why?
Speaker 2 (30:26):
That was a whole other issue, all right, but yeah
, I remember just like no, I'mgoing to go check it out and
stuff and honestly, I just lovedtheir willingness to be open,
to try their best to answerquestions.
They didn't have all theanswers and a lot of times it
would be like I'll have to getback to you on that or I just
don't know that answer, but Irespected that because it was
like, hey, you're being honestand it was the journey that they
(30:47):
were on and they were wantingme to come along too.
I don't know.
It was really cool, coolexperience and I'm very
obviously very grateful thatthey had the uh, the guts to do
that where they are.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
so they are now.
So, caleb, amanda, appreciateyou.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
I haven't talked to them in a really long time, but
I did reach out because,honestly, they didn't know that
I ended up getting saved.
What?
Because it happened so likemaybe six months after school
had ended.
And so I got in contact withthem later and I remember he was
just like Caleb was the onlyone I got a hold of, but he was
just like amazed, like oh my,like I was praying for you for
so long.
He's like I got to the pointwhere I thought like well, maybe
(31:19):
it's just not going to happen.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
You never told me this.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
That's crazy, you guys are hearing it for the
first time.
Wow, so, yeah, so, definitelyworth, you know, encouraging
your students with all thethings that we've shared today
to be able to use, you know, tohave their in their tool belt
and just to know it.
Just, you know, the worst thatsomeone can say is no thanks.
You know, I don't thinkanyone's getting physically
violent over here If they arewell go to a different school,
(31:46):
all right.
We're gonna do a communitycomment of the day and then
we're going to do our finalwinner for the 250th episode
giveaway.
The community comment comesfrom Lydia Long, who says oh,
and this was in regards to theepisode we did, which was
leadership principles, youlearned from the crown that was
a long time ago.
Yeah, she said somehow I endedup listening to this episode on
(32:09):
my drive out to lead our middleschool summer camp last week.
It might seem strange to say,but it was the best pep talk
going into camp.
I felt so ministered to andinspired Love the work you all
are doing.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Lydia long.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
That's awesome, and that's an older I was like at
least a couple of years old.
That episode came out, so I'mglad it's still circulating out
there, all right, the winner.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
winner for the final, for the final giveaway this is
for the uh, soccer goal.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
Pop-up soccer goal set Vavo Sport, vavo Sport,
we'll say Vavo Sport soccer goalset.
And the winner is VanessaVelasquez.
Congratulations, Vanessa, youwon, you did it, your hard work
paid off.
(32:59):
Yeah, hey, thank you guys forall you that entered the
giveaway.
We appreciate it, andcongratulations for those who
won and the ones who didn't.
Well, we'll probably be doinganother one when we hit episode
300.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
That's crazy to think of, not about like far away
probably.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
About a year.
So, next year roughly this time.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
Thank you, guys for watching and listening and we'll
see you next time today, we'retalking about five ways to make
your smaller youth group feelbigger.
Today, we're talking about fiveways to make your youth group
that is.
Today, we're talking about fiveways to make your small youth
group have more.
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