Students Leading the Way

Recently I was in Denver with over 4000 students and youth leaders at a Dare 2 Share conference. I was reminded again of the significance of teenagers in God’s kingdom work. As you may know, Dare 2 Share probably equips more students and youth leaders to share Christ than any one organization in our nation. They do so in a way that honors the message and takes into account the highly relational nature of teens as well.

As I talked with the kids and asked them why they would take the risk of sharing their faith in Christ with their friends, nearly everyone would respond with concern for their friend – their personal struggles, their eternal destiny, always something about the need of their friend. I wonder how many adults feel that way about the people sitting next to them at work, or the neighbor next door. Hopefully a lot of us do, but these kids are leading the way.

There is an old proverb that says, “It is the fever of the youth that drives a nation. When the youth cool down, the nation dies.” Maybe that is true for the Church as well.

Keep believing in your students! Click here for one of their stories.

Chuck Klein for the Campus Alliance and www.everyschool.com

We Are the Movement

By Chuck Klein

Movements that have changed the world have most often been driven by the young; students, young adults, and a few older folks with young minds. The greatest movement was birthed the day Jesus handed his mission over to a young group of disciples and told them to take his message to the ends of the earth. That group has never stopped multiplying. Now today, we are that movement.

Each person in God’s movement has a significant role. Ephesians 2:10 tells us, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared advance for us to do.” NIV. The word “workmanship” in this context refers to a special uniqueness, like an individual piece of poetry. That is how God created each of us, talented, unique and gifted with individual abilities. If we have received Christ, his Spirit is working in our lives enabling us to use our gifts to do the good works God has specially chosen for us.

But we do not attempt our work alone. God has formed us as a team, as a movement: “So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (Romans 12:5NIV). We have our individual responsibilities, but we also have each other. That gives an awesome sense of purpose and confidence.

So where are our good works? It’s where we spend most of our time, and if you’re a student that means your school campus. If you are a youth leader or other adult who cares about students, it means being with teenagers. We have a significant mission together. Be prepared. Here are several suggestions:

• Know who you are. Remembering that you are God's child and that Christ lives in you gives great confidence. Read again Ephesians 2:10 and also 2 Corinthians 5:17-20. These scriptures paint a clear picture of the purpose Gd has for each of us.
• Stay close to your leader. Letting Christ’s love penetrate your heart, time in his Word, prayer, obeying him - that’s good stuff. We are representing Christ so what better way to do that then to know him intimately.
• Trust His Spirit. Jesus has given us his Holy Spirit. What a gift! As we walk in the Spirit wisdom will mark our steps, love will guide our decisions, power will exemplify our speech.
• Put on your armor. Carefully read Ephesians 6:10-20. Prayerfully “suit up” every day.
• Always team up with others. Our work is not a walk in the park. We are called to the front lines of God’s rescue operation among students. We need each other.
• Adopt your school. Be the first to adopt your school, or join the team of others who are already praying and reaching out. 
• Make a plan. The goal of our movement is that there is a team at every school praying, sharing Christ and serving. Be wise and strategic as you share and serve. There is more than one way to make a difference at a school. We are the movement.

We are united by our dedication to the same mission: Communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ to every student. Paul said it well in Philippians 1:27: “Whatever happens… stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel” NIV.

You are a vital part of the movement. Share your ideas and stories!

© Copyright 2010 Campus Alliance

We are the Leaders

Can we do it?

The goal is to give the students at each of our schools the chance to hear about and see God’s love and forgiveness in action.

Humanly speaking, it seems impossible. In America alone there are 67,000 schools with nearly 25 million high school and middle school students. Around the world there are millions more. It would be easy to assume that an idea this extreme originated with some radical students and their zealous youth leaders. But it didn’t. The mission of reaching out to every person in every part of the world is God’s idea.

Moments before His departure Jesus gave his followers this specific directive: “Go into the whole world and preach the good news to everyone, everywhere.” Mark 16:15 (TLB), and in Matthew 28:18-20: “Go and make disciples in every nation.” This charge, given by Jesus to all Christians for all time, is called the Great Commission or THE Cause

Does it still seem impossible?
Here is what we can count on: the Great Commission, THE Cause, is going to be completed. Jesus said in Matthew 24:14 that the time will come when the entire world will hear, then He will return.

Is that time coming soon?
God has set the timetable, and he alone knows the schedule. But there are many who believe that it is our generation that is going to complete the Great Commission. We live at a unique time in history.

So why be involved? 

1. Think about this: students at schools
   
    at every corner of the planet are spiritually hurting and need our help. Jesus described it as being “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Matt 9:36-37
2. Christ has asked us to join him in this great cause to reach students with the truth, “Go… and I will be with you.” Matt. 28:19-20
3. The natural response for anyone who has a personal relationship with Jesus is to do what he asks: “if anyone loves me He will obey My teaching.” John 14:23
4. The good news is we do not have to do it on our own. God in His wisdom already has a plan as to how He is going to use us to reach out at our schools, and he has given us his Spirit to help and strengthen. Acts 1:8

A world without Christ cannot wait for us to choose the safe path. Let’s go where there is no path and leave a trail.