4 Simple Steps for Modeling Personal Outreach - Dare 2 Share
Helping youth leaders empower
students to reach their world.
Helping youth leaders empower
students to reach their world.

4 Simple Steps for Modeling Personal Outreach

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Youā€™re a youth leader. A leader of youth.

But can you effectively lead if you arenā€™t walking the walk yourself? Not really. You canā€™t expectĀ your studentsĀ to follow you down the Gospel Advancing Ministry road, if youā€™re apathetic about reaching outĀ inĀ your own circle of influence. Which isĀ whyĀ Value #3 of a Gospel Advancing MinistryĀ is: ā€œLeaders fully embrace and model it.ā€

You donā€™t have to be the model of perfection when it comes toĀ personalĀ evangelismĀ in order to leadĀ others;Ā you just have to beĀ one small step ahead of them. Since summer is a great time of year for connecting/reconnectingĀ with neighbors,Ā friendsĀ and extended family,Ā what better time to take it up a notch personallyĀ when it comes to sharing your faith?Ā Here areĀ four simpleĀ steps to helpĀ youĀ amp up both your passion andĀ yourĀ plan when it comesĀ to yourĀ personal outreachĀ efforts.

Try This! āÆ

Itā€™s critical that your students know you are sharing your faith with others.Ā Set a plan in motion to spendĀ someĀ quality time with someone who doesnā€™t know Jesus..

1. Blow your apathy out of the water.

IfĀ you struggle with beingĀ apathetic about sharing your faith,Ā youā€™ll need to start with a passion infusion.Ā Many of us have drifted into the mindset of the culture we swim in. ItĀ tells us thatĀ ā€œotherā€™sĀ spiritual beliefs are none of ourĀ business.ā€Ā But if you possessed the cure for cancer and had a friend who was stricken with this life threatening disease, would you feel compelled to share the cure? Of course! Similarly,Ā if we truly believe thatĀ Jesusā€™ message of grace and forgiveness is a life-giving message of hope and promise, invitingĀ those we care aboutĀ into a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe is the greatest giftĀ weĀ can giveĀ themĀ (Colossians 1:15-17).Ā If youā€™re not feeling very willing to put out the effort to share the hope of Jesus with others, start by praying that God would make you willing to be made willingĀ (John 14:15-17).Ā For further helpĀ withĀ aĀ passion infusion, check outĀ 5 Steps to Passionate Prayer for the LostĀ and adapt the steps you find in thatĀ article to fuel your personal outreach efforts.

2. Hatch a plan.

Start with prayerĀ for those you are seeking to reach with the gospel. Then hatch a plan to spend time with them. Build the relationship deeper, so that asking questions about the important issues of life that drive toward spiritual conversations can unfold naturally. Summer is perfect for this!Ā ChooseĀ fromĀ oneĀ of the following practicalĀ ideas or come up with your own. Then set the plan in motion this week! Lay the groundworkĀ andĀ get it on your calendarĀ so it actually happens.Ā Invite someoneĀ who needs JesusĀ toā€¦

  • Go for a walk.
  • Eat ice cream.
  • Go camping.
  • Come over for dessert on the patio.
  • Meet for coffee.
  • Go to a park.
  • Go downtown and people watch.
  • Meet forĀ lunch.
  • Go fishing.
  • Go to a free concert in the park.
  • Come over for a BBQ.
  • Watch fireworks.

3. Talk about what really matters.

WhenĀ you get together withĀ thatĀ someone God has laid on your heart to reach, donā€™t just talk aboutĀ theĀ surface stuffĀ of life. Start there, of course. But listen for the prompting of the Holy Spirit to take the conversation deeper.Ā Pray for the right opportunity to ask questions likeā€¦

  • ā€œHow are youĀ reallyĀ doing these days?ā€
  • ā€œWhatā€™s the best thing youā€™ve done since we got together last?ā€
  • ā€œAre you happy with your life?ā€
  • ā€œWhatā€™s your biggest challenge these days?ā€
  • ā€œHow do you feel about ___________?ā€
  • ā€œWhatā€™s the one thing youā€™d change about your life if you could?ā€
  • ā€œWhere do your reserves of inner strength come from when life gets hard?ā€
  • ā€œWhat are you looking forward to? Why is it a big deal to you?ā€

Listen with care. Then look for opportunities to talk about Jesus andĀ share from your heart aboutĀ what He means to you and how He infuses meaning and joy into your lifeā€”even when everything is going great.Ā Share the gospel.

Talk openly with your students about your personal faith-sharing efforts. Click To Tweet

4. Talk to your students about yourĀ personalĀ outreachĀ efforts.

One of the keysĀ toĀ modeling outreach is toĀ routinely share about your efforts with your studentsā€”ā€œTake 5 for THE Causeā€ is a great way to do this regularly.Ā Share the good, the bad and the ugly. If you have a ā€œbadā€ or ā€œuglyā€ story, itā€™s actually just as much a teachable moment as when good things are happening in your personal faith-sharing efforts. Just fold in what you learned as you share from your own life, and indicate that you are continuing to pray for the person you had the big fail with. Modeling through the tough stuff is sometimes more impacting for your students than sharing successes.

Thereā€™s an old adage that characterizes evangelism as ā€œone beggar showing another where the food is.ā€Ā Because of thisĀ simple truth, you can step up confidently to share the gospel with love and care.

Model this for your students in your own life. Get your adult leaders on board to be modeling it,Ā as well.Ā Talk about it openly with your students.Ā Seeing youĀ striving toĀ liveĀ out an evangelistic lifestyleĀ will inspire and encourage them to share their faith with their friends.

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