Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Paintball guns, frozen turkeys, make-up, Viking meals, athletic team meeting, gutters filled with ice cream and bowling pins!

At first glance that list seems obtuse, but they have a very beautiful thread that ties them together. You are saying to yourself is he on drugs? The answer is that each of these items is a central ingredient to an outreach that we outlined on our website that you can use to impact all or part of the middle or high school campus near you. I would love to encourage you to think in terms of how God has called His church to bear the light of the gospel into the darkness of the world. Be reminded of Paul’s appeal to the Roman’s in chapter ten where he says everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved. He then poses three strategy questions to them: how will they call on Him whom they have not believed, how will they believe when they have not heard, and lastly, how will they hear without someone going to tell them?

Dear friends the same is true today! People are not sitting there thinking about verbally beating up the person who comes to them with the most powerful message ever uttered, presented in a loving and truthful manned. On the contrary, so often they are open to the message of hope offered in Christ! They merely need to be called by God (the importance of prayer), by the thoughtful friend (meaning both kind , considerate and loving as well as being well thought out – takes time to think through how to make it happen) who presents the truth (the gospel message of hope of heaven and peace with God) in a relevant manner (approaches each group or person understanding their needs and have prayerfully come up with the best way to approach them) and provide an opportunity for them to respond (pray with them and give them a card to fill out to indicate their decision).

God has so abundantly blessed you. He tells Abraham in his call to follow God that the reason God has blessed him was so that he could be a blessing. In a hurt, confused and dying world there is no better way to bless those around you than to present Jesus to them!

Here are several of the creative outreaches you can find on the go campus web site or get the details from one of our Student Venture Coaching Center coaches!

Turkey Bowling
It is getting close to the holidays how do you want to celebrate? Bowl a turkey! Check out this fun way of bringing evangelism to students in the month of November!

Viking Dinner
This idea can work for both genders, but it is tailor made to bring out the testosterone of middle and high school young men. Food and games at your finger tips – literally everything is with your fingers! Complete with Viking competitions and a dinner that would make Thor proud!

50 Foot Banana Split
The Banana Split is designed around an 8th grade outreach we do each spring to connect with students heading to a Student Venture ministry we wish to introduce them to for the upcoming school year. But, if you want to adapt it for a situation this fall, winter or next spring, feel free to be creative!
Inner Outer Beauty Party (Beauty Bash)
This works well with middle school girls. It is part skin care instruction, part make up tips, part student testimony , part sharing the gospel with a inner beauty theme, part food and pure fun!

Paintball
Again this could be used with anyone, but works great with guys. A morning of adventure and pegging your best friends with paintballs turns into an argument and then someone pulling their weapon to shoot the guy they are arguing with and our brave friend jumping in the path of the vengeful paintball to take the hit for what would have been the victim. Isn’t that a clear picture of Christ’s sacrifice for us? It leads to a great talk about the gospel. Turn your next paintball adventure into an evangelistic outreach!

Team Meeting
We have highlighted this idea before, but each athletic season new teams are formed and there are groups with whom God might have you share the gospel.

It is our prayer that these well tested outreach ideas will provide courage to you with an idea that might work in your situation. God is at work, it is our job and privilege to find out what He is up to and to figure out how best to join Him! We want to help you be a blessing to students as they share the light of Christ to transform the darkness at their school!

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