Evangelization of teenagers
From my personal experience of evangelizing teenagers, the Lord taught me some principles that helped me effectively share the truth with the youth of the “streets”, who were mostly drug addicts, guys with “notions”, “courtyard fighters” and just youth for whom the street became a kind of “school of life”. And it is these principles that I would like to share with you in the hope that they will help you to conduct personal evangelism with street teenagers.
It is very important to remember that our modern youth do not have such ideals for which they would be ready to die (remember Oleksandr Matrosov, Pavlyk Morozov, Moloda Gvardia, Yuri Gagarin). Therefore, check yourself, your heart, your faith: is the fire of God burning in your heart, is the Lord the center and foundation of your life. They do not need “rednecks”, students of good morals, they are saturated with all this in their schools, they need something real, for which they would be ready to die, putting aside their empty idols. They should see it in you, what you are ready to do for Jesus’ sake (Phil.3:7,8). They do not need “dry” religion.
Convey to teenagers the Gospel itself, the Good News that Someone loves them, gave His life for them, and wants to help them personally (1 Cor.15:1-4), and not just doctrines or the history of the Church, as this diverts from the main topic of your conversation.
Often, when I shared with teenagers about the Lord, I expected immediate results, that they would immediately repent and come to the Lord, but often this did not happen. It took time for them to “digest” everything I said. If you have already encountered such a situation and did not see the fruits of your work, then do not despair and continue this work, remembering that you are the sower who sows the seeds and allows the REAPERS to reap the fruits.
Often, when I told the boys on the street that they were sinners and going to hell, they agreed and stopped there, showing no interest. But when the Holy Spirit Himself personally touched their hearts and spoke about the fact that they are perishing sinners, that they need a Savior who loves them, only then did it work, and their hearts and minds began to open and look for ways of salvation. Therefore, remember that the Holy Spirit is your most important Helper (1 Cor. 2:4).
Always be ready to share the truth, let it always be in your heart, your own life should be a living gospel.
Young people are the kind of people who see right through you, so pray that the Lord will give you true love and compassion for them. Remember the danger they are in, because the penalty for sin is eternal death. It is important that they see in you the love of Christ for them, and not such an attitude as if you are fulfilling your duty for the sake of a “tick”.
Be available to them, don’t put yourself above them, talk to them simply and easily. One of the effective ways of communicating the Gospel is to use their language, terms, their “concepts”, but remember that what works for one group of youth may not work for another. For example: Hippie lingo will be different from the lingo of guys with “concepts”. But in order to use this approach, you need to immerse yourself in their world: understand their problems and the difficulties they face. Keep the right balance: the apostle Paul said that he was “to the Jews as a Jew, to the Greeks as a Greek.” But in his heart, in his standards and principles of life, he remained a Christian. May the Lord help you develop a creative approach.
Don’t be a know-it-all. Do not interrupt them, give them the opportunity to speak. When they ask questions, don’t be afraid of the ones you can’t answer, say directly that you don’t know the answer. Use the opportunity to learn something new (1 Cor. 2:1, 2) example of Paul).
Be sincere, polite, “don’t load.”
Do not be afraid to point out to them their problems, that they are under the power of the slavery of sin: drugs, deception, fornication, thievery; don’t be afraid to ask them the question: “What is the meaning of life?”
There was an emphasis on God’s holiness and His love.
Share who Christ is for you personally and why you decided to repent, what prompted you to come to Him?
Talk about the power of the Holy Spirit that He can help to live with victory over sin.
Do not offer “golden mountains”, say directly that there are difficulties and problems in the life of Christians, but they have a helper – Jesus Christ.
It is very important for young people to have a foundation for their life; One who can understand; One who can truly sympathize with them. (Heb. 4:15,16).
Pray that the Lord sends you to those who want to listen and accept God’s Word. Don’t waste time arguing. Do not defend your opinion. If you see that a person only wants to argue with you and does not want to listen to what you say, then just leave him alone and do not forget to tell him that God loves him.
It is important to always have a Bible or New Testament with you. This will give weight to your words, that it is not from you, but from God (2 Cor. 5:20). May you always have those passages from the Scriptures that can tell about God’s love and what God can do for them (for example: John 3:16 (“everyone” – and he too); John 8:32-36).
May the Lord help you to be
an efficient worker in His vineyard.
And remember that… John 15:8.
Serhii Bogomozyuk
