Youth Ministry and Evangelism
by Shirley F. Clement

Nikki was new in high school. The company where her father had been working "downsized," and his job was eliminated. He was a single parent, and he had moved to this new community with his two children, hoping to have a new start with another company. Nikki would never be one of the "elite" leaders of a group in her new school. She was having difficulty making friends and finding her place in her new school and community. Tomicka was in two of Nikki's classes, and the two began to talk and to form a friendship. As the two continued to develop a relationship, they learned to trust each other deeply.

Some time after they met, Tomicka's youth group scheduled a Saturday for participation in a clean-up after a storm in a nearby community. Tomicka asked Nikki if she would like to join the group. This work was outreach to people in which Nikki could feel comfortable since she did not have to know about "church" to feel an equal part of the work team. The rest of the youth group welcomed her, and Nikki really enjoyed being part of the group. During a time of reflection, a couple of youth on the team talked about how their faith encouraged them to participate in service to others. Nikki was curious and asked Tomicka about her faith. It wasn't long before Nikki said "yes" to Tomicka's invitation to join her for the youth service gatherings and for worship.

Data indicate that 96 percent of the people who are approached about issues of faith by people they trust come into a relationship with Jesus Christ and join in a journey of Christian spirituality. How are youth in your total youth ministry invited to identify their own faith stories and learn how to share faith in a natural way as part of their everyday life at school, with their friends, and with others? How are youth invited to be part of the Christian spiritual journey so they are nurtured in faith and grow in discipleship? How do they see sharing faith as part of their response of love and thanksgiving for what God has already done for all people, including themselves? Invitation to become part of a Christian journey and to be part of a community of faith comes through the networks of relationships people have. How can youth help other youth reach out? And when new people do come, how are they welcomed and made to feel at home?

Evangelism and sharing faith are more than "special programs." These are our total life.

For help in encouraging youth to share their faith, see Youth Reaching Youth: Sharing my Faith with Others, available from Cokesbury, 1-800-672-1789. (The Leader's Package is FF8-122449, and the youth journal is FF8-120497.)

Shirley F. Clement retired from the staff of the General Board of Discipleship in 2003.