If you took a poll, would your students say they know their purpose in life? Not if they know what career to pursue or what their spiritual gifts are — but do they know why they come to church and what they’re supposed to do as followers of Christ?
Keith Byler, a youth pastor from Ohio, knows the struggle of getting teens to care about their faith, let alone getting them to share it. He says, “I think one reason why teens are bored in church and are leaving church is because they don’t recognize the mission that they’re on. They don’t recognize the purpose that they’re given.”
The truth is that we only have a few years to train our students on their role in God’s kingdom before they’re off to college. Here’s Keith to talk about what he’s learned and what he recommends to make those years with students truly count:
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Every Christian, whether age 13 or 93, has a purpose to tell others about the gospel. When teenagers get ahold of that truth, it ignites a reckless passion for Jesus that transforms how they look at the Christian life.
“[When teens] understand the importance of who they are before God and advancing the gospel and building the kingdom, they get excited,” Keith says. “They start to recognize that they matter and that God has a specific purpose for their life.”
Purpose = Leading THE Cause of Christ
Like Keith said, one of the best resources to get your students excited about the gospel is a week at Lead THE Cause (LTC). This powerful week of gospel training walks students through practical steps of Prayer, Care, Share, teaching them to live for THE Cause of Christ every day. Students spend time praying for lost friends and learn to depend on God during gospel conversations with strangers. It’s through this training and gospel-sharing practice that they start owning their faith and living out what they were created for.
“When [teenagers] go out and share the gospel,” Keith says, “man, it’s so amazing to see how well and effective they can do it.”
Every year, we hear powerful testimonies from students and leaders who leave LTC with hearts on fire to share the gospel. Don’t miss this opportunity to ignite your students’ passion for Jesus and for the people who desperately need Him. Spots for LTC 2018 are filling up fast, so register your students as soon as you can. We can’t wait to see you there this summer!
