Threads’ young adult ministry specialist Jason Hayes answers the question, “What’s the most effective way to do evangelism with young adults?”

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We know you rack your brain each year for the best April Fools’ Day pranks. Take a few notes, and a lot of inspiration, from a video the BBC ran on April 1, 2008.

And don’t miss the behind the scenes video:

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Read Part 1, “Characteristics of Discussion-Based Small Groups,” HERE.

How to Lead a Discussion-Based Small Group

I am convinced that everyone can lead a discussion-based study. It all starts with preparation. The first step to prepare your study is to be personally impacted by the material you’re studying. If you can’t answer the question, “How does this impact me?” then keep studying and keep praying. This is essential because as a leader, you need clarity on the importance of the study or the passage. Remember, this is not just an academic exercise. Once you know how it impacts you personally, begin to think about how it impacts the people in your group. As I prepare, I like to think through how different people in the group will respond to the study. I ask myself things like:

• Who will be directly challenged through this study?
• Who is doing good with the things we are talking about? How can they share their success with others?
• Who will disagree with the issue at hand? What conflict may come out of this study?
• How could this study help us grow deeper in our relationships with each other?
• What action steps should I encourage the group to take as a result of the study?

Next, you need to choose the right questions to ask. This will become your conversation road map. Most studies that you buy off the shelf have far too many questions for the normal group to work through. In my experience, guys need five to eight questions to fill 45 minutes to an hour. Women need even fewer questions. Some need as few as two to three really good questions to get the conversation flowing. If you have too many questions, then you force the conversation to flow unnaturally.

Now that you’ve prepared a road map for the conversations, your last task is to create an environment where discussion can flourish. While there are many things that you can do to foster a safe environment—such as food, drinks, turning off technology, removing pets, checking the room temperature, etc.—I want to focus on what could be the most important environmental change you can make in moving from being a lecturer to a discussion-based leader. What’s this critical change? Change the way your room is set up. Room layout communicates the type of group you have, so make it match your plan. If you’re looking for the group to freely communicate, circles work best. This may seem like a no-brainer, but there is some science behind the circle. It communicates equality. It encourages participation. It removes barriers. It forces face-to-face interactions.

Once you’re prepared, your conversation road map is in place, and the environment is ready, enjoy the thrill of leading a group to connect deeply with one another and the truth of God at the same time.

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As I read through the Gospels, I see something very interesting. Jesus often taught the most profound truth with simple questions: Who do they say that I am? Where are your accusers? Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Do you want to get well? Each of the questions led to deep truths. Now that you’ve thought for a moment about how Jesus taught, I have a question for you: If Jesus led with questions, why do we lead with propositions, outlines, and neatly tailored thoughts?

If we’re going to lead people to discover, internalize, and take action on truth, we need to learn the power of the right question at the right time. One of the greatest skills that a leader can develop is to teach through discussion. For some of us, this takes a significant mind-set change. We need to move from being a lecturer to a leader of a discussion. It takes guts to make this move. As a lecturer, you can study and prepare and know what’s coming. Everything’s there before you. As one who leads with questions rather than predetermined conclusions, you begin a risky path to learning both for your group and for yourself.

Characteristics of Discussion-Based Small Groups

Let me define what I mean by leading with questions. Leading with questions is taking people on an intentional discovery of truth and specific ways to apply and live out that truth. Catch the essential elements of what it means to be a discussion-oriented teacher:

1. You are a leader. You are more than a facilitator. A facilitator takes the group wherever the group wants to go. A leader takes the group where the group needs to go. Leaders take responsibility for the spiritual growth and the relational development of others.
2. Good questions aren’t random. They’re very intentional. Purposeful questions do a couple of things. First, they get the group to engage with one another and with the focus for the study. Second, they encourage people to encounter God’s Word so that they answer their questions about Scripture instead of just learning how you’ve answered your questions about Scripture.
3. Group discussions lead to personal action. This action element is missing from most studies, whether lecture or discussion. As a leader, get in the mindset of equipping your group to “go” based on the challenges of the study. For this to happen, you have to dedicate time for people to process and talk about the action steps they can and are willing to take. Plan for this so that time doesn’t get away from you. If you spend too much time dissecting truth and you don’t have time to discuss a plan of action, then you haven’t had a successful group. Learning leads to action.

Read Part 2, “How to Lead a Discussion-Based Small Group,” HERE.

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The simple truth of the gospel does not change—Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died as a sacrifice so that we might, by faith, be put in right relationship with God. Though this truth is timeless, we must always evaluate the presentation of that truth to make sure it’s connecting in a culturally relevant way. Here are a few principles we’ve found to be helpful in the discussion of how you evangelize young adults:

Evangelize in the context of relationships. Young adults have seen countless Christian leaders fall due to moral indiscretion and observed churches that seem more concerned about adding members than changing the world. And they’re jaded and cynical because of it. In that environment, methods of evangelism (The Roman Road, Four Spiritual Laws, etc.) that once were effective are often met with distrust. These methods are only useful in evangelizing young adults after establishing a relationship. Instead of entering the relationship to convince, go in with a loving and listening attitude. Be a true friend, and you will have the opportunity to share Christ.

Evangelize in the context of discipleship. One of the most fascinating things we found in our research is that young adults, both inside and outside of the church, are interested in studying the Bible. If you are committed in your ministry to studying the Bible in a deep, engaging, and transformative way, you might look around and see that evangelism is happening. By committing your ministry to discipleship, you will be demonstrating to all young adults—Christian and non-Christian—that the gospel is all encompassing.

Evangelize in the context of responsibility. The old model of ministry held the belief that you began to serve others once you reached a certain level of maturity. But many churches are finding that the most effective way to reach unchurched young adults is to give them an opportunity to serve alongside Christians. Because young adults, in and out of the church, are vitally concerned about changing the world, why not give them all the opportunity to do so? Invite lost friends to help at the Habitat build. Or clean up a river. Or wash cars in the community. Many people are falling in love with Jesus with a paintbrush in their hand.

The best advice, though, is simply to pursue an atmosphere of authentic love in your ministry. Don’t treat young adults like projects; embrace them as friends and watch the gospel in action.

This article originally appeared in Context: Engaging the Young Adults of Your Community.

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Jesus’ call to His disciples was, “Follow Me. Walk where I’m walking. Go where I’m going. And along the way, I’ve got some things to teach you.”

Jesus didn’t necessarily seek out a fig tree, a field, or a farmer. He was walking by those things, and He used those moments that naturally occurred to teach spiritual truth. But He had to be walking with people in order to have that opportunity.

When people from an older generation invite those younger than them into their lives, they have that chance. Whether eating a meal, going to the movies, or having a conversation, the natural circumstances emerge to see and seize teaching opportunities through sharing life together.

Though some specific direction can be emphasized in those relationships, the greatest learning moments will surface during everyday occurrences as they live life together—funerals, weddings, meals, baseball games, and family events. While mentoring does require time and vulnerability, the biggest key is intentionality. That’s what Jesus demonstrated as He walked side by side with others.

Sometimes we confuse intentionality with formality. It’s not about blocking extra hours (that you likely don’t have) for “mentoring time.” Instead, it’s about mentoring people within the existing hours that you do have. Regimented weekly meetings are fine for some, but they’ll never be as effective as simply bringing others into your everyday life.

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In February’s leader tip of the month video, Jason Hayes unpacks the Threads marker of connection, the inter-generational aspect of young adult ministry.

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Are you leading the collegiate ministry in your church, or is the collegiate ministry in your church leading you? Funny how that works, isn’t it? Leading and learning are so closely connected. A few days ago, I enjoyed a burger and milkshake with a college student friend. We discussed her recently completed semester of learning abroad and her future plans. Perhaps, since I’ve lived and learned a few decades longer than Katye, she gained insight and encouragement from me. Perhaps. I’m sure, however, that as I listened to her depth, passion, struggle, and commitment to living life fully, my hope and sense of awe and adventure for life’s journey was renewed.

Listed below are quotes that make me think as I both lead and learn from college students.

• “A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.”

  John Maxwell

• “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”

  Martin Luther King Jr.

• “The most effective way to do it, is to do it.”

  Amelia Earhart

• “Outstanding leaders go out of the way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish.”

  Sam Walton

• “A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.”

  Rosalynn Carter

• “Delegating work works, provided the one delegating works, too.”

  Robert Half

• “Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.”

  Mother Teresa

• “A leader is somebody you follow. I have this friend who wants to be a leader but nobody follows her. I don’t think you can be a leader if nobody follows you.”

  Julianna Osborne

Leading collegiate ministry is both leading and learning, filling and draining, energizing and exhausting, questioning and answering. But don’t forget that you’re not alone in your efforts.

Whether your job title includes “college minister,” or you’ve found the age group added to an already full plate of responsibilities, Collegiate magazine can be your new best friend. Collegiate is full of helpful and interesting articles, ministry ideas, and best of all, weekly Bible study using a systematic approach to take college students through the Bible. The Spring issue is available now, and March 1 is just around the corner. You’ll also want to check out the teaching plans and commentary, designed as an accessory to each issue of Collegiate and written by those who know college students. Everything you need can be found at threadsmedia.com/collegiate.

Using these helps will save you so much time. Instead of developing your own material week after week, you’ll have time to enjoy a burger and shake with a college student friend. You never know who will learn the most!

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It’s all bachelorette Jen Schefft’s fault. And Neil Clark Warren’s. We watched the former date two dozen hunks and still not find someone up to par for a romantic relationship, and we’ve heard the latter talk up 29 (yes, 29!) areas of compatibility that are essential for a relationship to have any chance of lasting longer than a gallon of milk in your fridge.

But shows like “The Bachelorette” and Internet dating services such as Warren’s eHarmony are just part of the reason we singles can make the search for a suitable date (or mate) to be something akin to a quest for the Holy Grail. And when our churches encourage us not to settle for “less than God’s best,” we can be tempted to turn our noses up at anyone less than

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As you prepare to celebrate Easter this weekend, we challenge you to spend time reading through the biblical account of what the week was like for Jesus and His disciples. We’ll be updating our blog with the Bible passages that correspond with each day. To see the readings for Sunday–Saturday, click here.

Easter Sunday

On Easter Sunday we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection and all it represents—redemption, new life, hope. Some Christians prefer to call it Resurrection Sunday because the name Easter can be traced to a pagan goddess of fertility and spring (Eostre). Most likely Christians moved the day (which explains why it no longer coincides with the date of Passover) as a way to offer an

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As you prepare to celebrate Easter this weekend, we challenge you to spend time reading through the biblical account of what the week was like for Jesus and His disciples. We’ll be updating our blog with the Bible passages that correspond with each day. To see the readings for Sunday–Friday, click here.

Saturday

Holy Saturday is the last day of Lent. Because it commemorates Jesus’ burial, it’s a day for somber reflection. In some traditions it ends around sunset, and an Easter service is held that night.

• Matthew 27:62-66

Read more: Threads | Life

As you prepare to celebrate Easter this weekend, we challenge you to spend time reading through the biblical account of what the week was like for Jesus and His disciples. We’ll be updating our blog with the Bible passages that correspond with each day. To see the readings for Sunday–Thursday, click here.

Good Friday

Good Friday focuses our minds on Jesus’ crucifixion and death. Christians have tried to reconcile the name “Good Friday” with Jesus’ brutal death by pointing to the good that ultimately came from the crucifixion, but most likely the name “God’s Friday” morphed into “Good Friday.” Some Christians call it Holy Friday. Germans call it

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As you prepare to celebrate Easter this weekend, we challenge you to spend time reading through the biblical account of what the week was like for Jesus and His disciples. We’ll be updating our blog with the Bible passages that correspond with each day. To see the readings for Sunday–Wednesday, click here.

Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper when Jesus washed His disciples’ feet and then headed to Gethsemane. The word maundy (or maunday) probably comes from a Latin word meaning “command.” Many believe it echoes words Jesus said the night of His betrayal: “I give you a new commandment: love one another” (John 13:34).

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As you prepare to celebrate Easter this weekend, we challenge you to spend time reading through the biblical account of what the week was like for Jesus and His disciples. We’ll be updating our blog with the Bible passages that correspond with each day. To see the readings for Sunday–Tuesday, click here.

Wednesday

Opinions vary on what happened during Wednesday of Holy Week. To some it’s called “Spy Wednesday” because it’s thought to be the day Judas betrayed Jesus. Others believe Jesus remained in Bethany on Wednesday.

For today’s reading, check out the prophet Isaiah’s portrait of the Suffering Servant, a prophecy of Jesus’ suffering and

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As you prepare to celebrate Easter this weekend, we challenge you to spend time reading through the biblical account of what the week was like for Jesus and His disciples. We’ll be updating our blog with the Bible passages that correspond with each day. To see Sunday and Monday’s readings, click here.

Tuesday

• Matthew 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33; and Luke 20:1-8
• Matthew 24 and 25; Mark 13; and Luke 21:5-36
• Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; Luke 7:36-50; and John 12:2-8
• Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11; and Luke 22:3-6

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