By Annie Grandell
You’ll hear it said all the time: “Discipleship is not a program; it’s an apprenticeship in the Christian life.” So how do you apprentice the teenagers in your group? The thought can be daunting and a weighty task, but there are simple things you can do right away that can have a lasting impact. The idea of apprenticeship is demonstrating a lived faith and teaching the content of the faith.
Here are four things you can start doing right away to give witness to your group.
Bring Your Bible
Not a Bible app. A real Bible. There’s nothing wrong with reading Scripture on a device, but a mentor’s job is to show what a lived faith looks like. Simply bringing your Bible to your small group shows them that the Word of God is relevant. I started reading my Bible when I was 15 because my youth minister, Eric, always carried one with him. Honestly, I didn’t know Catholics read the Bible until I met Eric, but his Bible was like an extension of his body. So, I started carrying my Bible with me. And eventually, I actually opened it and read it. Eric never said, “You must always have a Bible.” But his actions told me it was important.
Then when you are with your group, use your Bible. When there is a scripture reference in a Leader Guide, mark it in your Bible and read it from there instead of off the page.
After a while, challenge them to bring a Bible to every small group as well. If they don’t have one, get them one.
Read our blog: Holy Spirit Boldness
Say His Name
Start saying “Jesus.” The name of Jesus is powerful. Think about it: what other person in history has their name used as a swear word? Comedian Jim Gaffigan jokes about how saying the name of Jesus makes people uncomfortable, even the Pope! Funny, but there is truth in it. Saying “Jesus” makes people uncomfortable, but I would argue that it is because the Name itself carries power.
Scripture tells us that His name is powerful, that just speaking his name casts fear into demons, and that “at the name of Jesus every knee must bow in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.” (Philippians 2:10, emphasis added).
“Lord” describes him, but it isn’t his name. “Christ” is his title, not his name. “God” is who he is, but it is not his name.
The young people in your group are used to hearing Jesus’ name spoken as a curse word or a joke more often than in reference to the real person. You can counteract this by intentionally saying the name of Jesus in your group. You are also demonstrating that He is a real person with whom you have a living relationship, that we have a personal faith, not vague beliefs in a vague deity.
Say “Jesus” and say it often.
Pray for Them by Name
Speaking of names, another simple thing is to pray for them when you are not with them – and I would recommend praying for them by name. Phone reminders can help with that. Set a reminder to go off at a specific time every day. And lift them up by name. You cannot transform their lives. Only Jesus can. Praying for them helps us remember this.
When the time is right, tell them you do this. You demonstrate your confidence in God through prayer and care about them when it isn’t small group time. If you use phone reminders, you are also showing them how to leverage technology for good.
Watch our podcast, The Youth Ministry Mindset: Ep 6 Empowering Young People
Share Your Story
One of the most potent ways to demonstrate your lived relationship with Jesus is to talk about it. Take some time to pray about your personal testimony – your story of God’s work in your life. Then, share it with your group.
You can have the most perfectly articulated theology and the most logical philosophical arguments, but the vast majority of people are convinced by their hearts. Stories tap into this power.
In the book of Revelation, it says, “They defeated [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.” (Revelation 12:11).
Looking for tips on writing your testimony? Check out this guide. We recommend viewing some of the testimonies we’ve recorded from real-life young people: 3-Minute Testimonies.
By employing just one of these simple methods at a time, you can tremendously impact the faith-life of the young people in your group.