PRINCIPLES FOR TRAINING STUDENTS TO USE GOSPEL APPOINTMENTS
“I used to think there was nothing more exciting than sitting across from someone and witnessing them giving their lives to Christ. But I was wrong. The only thing that trumps that is when I get a text from a student saying that they were able to lead someone to Jesus at a gospel appointment. That’s when I know our ministry has developed evangelistic momentum. Here are some ways to develop evangelistic momentum using gospel appointments.”
1. Model the urgency and take students with you. Students may not do what you teach them to do, but they will do what you do. Take them with you to a gospel appointment, show them how, and then debrief the experience.
2. Train them well and often. Students need to be reminded often of the need for sharing the gospel as well as the methodology your group is using. Even when you begin to feel like you are communicating the vision and your process so often that people are tired of hearing it, it is essential that you keep training. Every year. Every semester. Every opportunity you have.
3. Make sharing simple. Sometimes evangelistic tools such as booklets or simple illustrations get a bad reputation as “canned.” This may be true if your training never progresses beyond using just one tool, but the simple task of giving people something to start with helps tremendously. If you keep your tools simple, they will be more easily reproducible. Whatever gospel presentation you use for gospel appointments make it simple and easy to access.
"The best kind of evangelism is the kind that you do.”
4. Utilize large group gatherings toward the purpose of scheduling Gospel Appointments. Big events provide countless students for our student leaders and staff with whom they can schedule gospel appointments.
5. Celebrate the Stories! If anyone that you are training takes the smallest step towards sharing the gospel, you should vigorously celebrate those steps. You accelerate what you celebrate. If you create a culture where people have an opportunity to humbly tell their evangelistic stories you will be surprised by how the stories will keep rolling in week after week. You can share stories through texting, GroupMe, Facebook, and at your leadership meetings. The more stories your team shares the more the members of your group will be swept up in the momentum.
6. Start training new believers as soon as possible! Sharing Jesus is one of the best ways for a new believer to grow in Christ. New believers are some of the best evangelists because they have the most non-Christian friends. Also new believers don’t know any better than to share about the One changing their life! Some new believers will be “persons of peace” for you and will open new networks of people!
“I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith so that you may have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.”
7. Move with the movers. Don’t bang your head against the wall trying to motivate everyone in your ministry to be bold evangelists. Focus your training to equip the people who are the most motivated. If you have a couple of students in your ministry who consistently share the gospel with others, spend the most time with these students. They will thrive from additional training, encouragement, and help in following up on those they lead to Christ.
8. Train students to train students. Start equipping your most motivated evangelists to train others. Even if it would be easier or more effective for you to do all the training yourself, give people the opportunity to take over the training task. This will speed up the multiplication process. This training works best in one-to-one settings or small groups. You must empower them to lead.
9. Make a plan for how to disciple all the new believers! If you and your team are abiding in Christ and consistently doing the steps above, you will likely see many people come to faith in Him.! Expect God to use you and make plans for following up with each of the new believers!
"If you share the gospel you will lead people to Christ. If you don’t share the gospel you will not lead people to Christ.”