Have you ever hosted or attended an evangelistic event and found yourself looking for people who could counsel those who made decisions?
As a youth leader, you have an incredible resource sitting right in front of you every time you have a youth meeting– I’m talking about the teens! Specifically, I am talking about the roughly 10% of your group that is truly dedicated to God. Many of us in youth ministry call them the ten-percenters. These are 1 Timothy 4:12 young people.
Read through the first phrase of that verse, “Let no man despise your youth,” and focus on the second, “but be the example of the believers.” We need to build examples of the believers in the next generation! Teens and young adults who are compliant to the six areas of life values stated in the end of 1 Timothy 4:12 are your young leaders; they are respected and they are active in their faith. They’re the perfect group to step up and provide counsel at evangelistic events.
Now that you have identified some teens, how do you train them? Here are some things to build into a young person to help their witness and evangelistic counseling ability. There is no need to be clever, you simply need to use the Bible!
- Establish that God is Holy (1 Samuel 2:2, Isaiah 6:1-4). Teach how to articulate the holiness of God. Once teens, or people anywhere, realize what God’s holiness means, everything else falls into place.
- Sin separates us from God (Romans 6:23). In our society, our sins may blend in– but with a Holy God in view, our sins are clear (Isaiah 6:5). We are all sinners (Romans 3:23).
- Jesus took our punishment (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). The Bible is very clear in this passage that Jesus died for our sins and rose again. Even a child can understand that He lives today! Jesus is both man and Holy God and able to take our punishment because He deserved no punishment of His own.
- We must believe Jesus (Romans 4:5). It is our faith in Jesus that counts as righteousness; faith is not cheap, it is significant.
- Our Holy God is trustworthy (1 John 5:13). Holy God gave us His Word so that we can know for sure that He will save those who put their faith/trust in Him.
- God’s acceptance is forever (Romans 8:38-39). Nothing can separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus.
Once teens and young adults can articulate these simple truths, these young people are huge assets in the counseling room. They have an advantage; they are closer to youth culture and connect better to other young people than you and I would. In our experience, these ten-percenters want to do relevant things, they are capable, and once they are plugged in they have energy that won’t stop!
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After working with youth in America for almost 20 years, Mike and his wife Fran spent 8 years in South Africa as missionaries. They are now back in Western Michigan serving churches as Youth Ministry Coaches with Word of Life. They love to focus on evangelism, discipleship and leadership development.