Cultivating Effective Gospel Sharers

Have you ever been in a situation where a friend, coworker, teammate, or church member said something like this: “What is this Gospel thing you keep talking about? I’ve heard you mention it, and I’ve seen how you’ve changed. I want to change. I want to follow Jesus. How do I do it?” What would your next words be? How does someone begin the process of following Jesus? How does one effectively share the Gospel?

So often in ministry contexts, we ask our students and church members to share the Gospel with those in their circles of influence. We talk about the Great Commission, which says, “Go therefore and make disciples…” (Matthew 28:19). We teach the Gospel is the account of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. We also call The Gospel “good news,” referred to by Mark: “the good news about Jesus the Messiah” (Mark 1:1). As church leaders, we should have the skill set to effectively share the Gospel and make disciples, but the question remains: What is the Gospel, and how does one effectively share it?

Before going further, I want to add another layer to this conversation. As a leader in student ministry for almost 12 years, I have had the privilege of engaging in some life-changing conversations centered around the Gospel. The times when I can effectively enter into discipleship relationships with students, parents, and volunteers are the highlights of my career and life. Recently, I began asking this question to all my students, parents, and volunteers: What is the Gospel? I am now realizing that we, as ministry leaders, can help better equip those in our circle of influence to better answer this question.

Seasoned veterans of the faith might immediately start quoting John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Others might go back to Genesis, starting with Adam and Eve, and recount the course of human history. I even had one student tell me the Gospel was "good news"—and then stop there. These three things are simply a sample of what I heard. A dozen other examples could be given when it came to what I heard from church people’s mouths. Since they could not agree upon a simple answer, I began asking a question that radically changed my perspective on this issue: “Can you share the Gospel with me?”

I pretend to be a friend, coworker, or someone they’ve influenced who is finally ready for a Gospel conversation. I tell them I’m ready to take the next step—all I need is the information they have to get started. The results? Crickets. Silence. I found that when it came to knowing and sharing the Gospel, my students were inept, unable, and ineffective.

Let’s pause for a moment to define the Gospel and discuss how to effectively share it. The Gospel is the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus that, when believed and applied, results in the salvation of the human soul. It can be easy to overcomplicate this story, trying to add to, water down, or subtract from it. The reality of the Gospel is very simple: We were dead, and Jesus brought us back to life. This is why Paul’s statement in Romans 1 is so powerful: “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” What Paul is saying is this: I am not ashamed of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus that, when believed and applied, results in salvation because it is the power of God that brings salvation to all who hear. We should unashamedly know this Gospel, believe this Gospel, and tell others about this Gospel.

So, back to the question at hand: How do we effectively share the Gospel? As I mentioned earlier, I asked my students and leaders to start sharing the Gospel with me as if I were ready to take the next step. At first, they stuttered, scratched, and clawed their way through the process. It was awkward, full of theological inaccuracies, and the next steps were unclear. Some resorted to the classic “pity party testimony,” focusing on how terrible their lives were before meeting Jesus. Initially, it was rough, and as their pastor, I had to confront the reality of my own labor’s fruit—or lack thereof. Humbling, to say the least.

Over time, I began asking this same question every time I saw them: “What is the Gospel?” I started all my meetings with students, leaders, and staff with the same statement: “Somebody reminds us of the Gospel.” For a season, I even began every sermon with the same introduction: “Turn to the person next to you and share the Gospel with them.”

The Gospel is not a one-time event in our lives. It is a daily reminder that we are constantly being saved and sanctified. As students talked about this story more and shared it more, it became increasingly real in their lives. In a safe space, they practiced awkward conversations. In a safe space, they made mistakes and grew in knowledge. Eventually, we cultivated a culture and group of students who could effectively know and share the Gospel. Here are some takeaways from this journey:

Sermons Alone Are Not Sufficient For Students

I relied too much on sermon delivery as the primary vehicle for discipling students, parents, and volunteers. When I began having personal, relationship-focused conversations and asking direct questions in intimate settings, the culture changed.

Don’t hear me wrong; preaching and teaching God’s Word matters and is a must-have for your ministry, but if that’s our only means of teaching God’s Word, we’re falling short and missing other opportunities.

Do Not Assume Your Students Know The Stories

Quick side story: I was speaking to one of my student leaders in our church coffee shop. We were shooting a video for social media, and that night, I was preaching about David and Goliath. This 18-year-old girl from Bible Belt Texas said something I will never forget: “I’m excited to hear this sermon because I’ve never heard this story before.”

We’ve reached a point in culture where students are encountering these stories for the first time. They’re not checked out of Gospel discussions because they’re disinterested—they’re checked out because they don’t know. Their lack of knowing about the things of Scripture often turns to resentment when we discuss biblical principles and narratives as though they’re common knowledge. They feel like outsiders to an inside joke.

Start Relationships Small And Watch Them Grow Large

Ministry is highly relational. Sermon delivery is not the goal. Great content is not the goal. Making disciples is—and always will be—the goal. Follow Jesus’ model of discipleship. Find your Peter, James, and John. Watch your three turn into twelve. Watch your twelve grow. Find students, parents, and volunteers in your ministry, and invest deeply in them.

It may be as simple as this: students may not know how to share the Gospel because they don’t know it and don’t practice it. As ministry leaders, we must equip the saints to do the work of ministry. One of the greatest ways to equip your people is to teach them how to effectively share the Gospel.

Share your thoughts with others in our YM360 community:

1. Do your students, parents, and leaders know how to effectively share the Gospel? If yes, why? If not, why not?
2. What intentional conversations can you begin to have to train your people on Gospel-sharing skills?