Being an Easy Example for Your Students to Follow

Tonight I saw two of our students at Taco Bell hanging out with another kid I didn’t know. After a few minutes of chit chat about their fishing trip that day and seeing picture, I turn to the kid I didn’t know and started this conversation:

Me to the kid (Brett): So, are you a Christian? (This was a safe bet based on who he was hanging around)
Brett: Yes, but I don’t go to church anywhere.
Me to Josh (one of the kids from our ministry): Why haven’t you been bringing him to church?!?
Me to Brett: You’re coming to church this weekend with Josh and Austin.
Austin and Josh to Brett: Oh yeah! We have Tesoro Owns the Weekend this week! You have to come!

Tomorrow Josh and Austin will get a text message from me reminding them to bring Brett to church this weekend.

(Tesoro Owns the Weekend means the students from Tesoro High School are leading the service this weekend. All three of these boys attend that school.)

I love having conversations like this for a few reasons:

1. It cuts to the chase – more accomplished in a short amount of time
2. It builds a memory and rapport quickly – I do this in a fun and light-hearted way
3. I do what the students know they should be doing already – and giving them an example of how to do it confidently and showing them students will respond well to the invitation

When I see Brett and the boys this weekend at church, Brett and I will already have a connection and he’ll feel like he belongs. I’ll take him around to introduce him to several people from his school and he’ll be back again.

As adults, we can easily be the example to our students when we invite their friends for them. I like to put it on the students’ shoulders by asking something like, “Josh has never invited you? Wow! He must not like you very much. Josh you’re a jerk!” Of course everybody knows I’m joking, but the message is clear, Josh and Austin need to be bringing Brett and others to church. My bet is they will not only bring Brett, but Brett will soon bring his friends, too, because he’s going to find out he’s accepted and church isn’t boring.

In the bigger picture, Brett will build a love for Christ, not just a knowledge that he’s been saved by Christ. Also, I taught Josh and Austin a lesson in a way I never could have taught as effectively in the small group setting away from their day-to-day life.