"No Fear." You may have spotted this bold fashion statement on the hats and T-shirts of kids. Still, I'd argue the opposite is much closer to the truth. Young people today have much to fear. School shootings. Rapid change in the job markets they're preparing for. The list goes on and on. Even Christian teens experience anxiety, most uniquely when it comes to sharing their faith with others. You can hardly blame them. They're confronted daily with hostility, social tension and pressure to conform to ungodly standards. Yet, as we all know, the Gospel is a timeless message of hope. How then do we encourage young people to embrace a more evangelistic lifestyle?

I believe we must begin by providing them with concrete information on how to share their faith in Jesus. This may seem a bit elementary. However, I'm convinced there are thousands of "churched" kids who don't know how to tell others about Christ. They know who God is. Many even have a deep and personal relationship with Him. Yet, they've never been given the tools required to pass this passion on to others.

A great place to start is by providing students with a logical, progressive outline of the Gospel that they can then custom fit to each interaction. I liken it to a dentist opening his practice. Before he ever sees his first patient, he invests a tremendous amount of time and energy into becoming well acquainted with his tools. He's prepared. And while he won't know which instruments he'll need until he sees each patient, he'd never want to be without any of them. Similarly, when witnessing to an individual, young people want to be equipped. They realize the unpredictability attached to sharing the Gospel. And just like the dentist, without these tangible tools, their work can be awkward and less effective:

• Familiarity with relevant passages of Scripture.
• The ability to build relationships with nonbelievers.
• Confidence to gently introduce spiritual issues to casual conversations.
• A thoughtful personal testimony.
• Sensitivity to ask for permission to share the Gospel.
• A willingness to provide ongoing support and spiritual encouragement to the non-Christian.

Once we've given students the tools, we must cultivate a bold and confident spirit to go along with it. This happens most naturally by teaching them how to combine their newly acquired knowledge with hands-on experience. Most young people realize that there's a large gap between knowing the facts of the Gospel and telling someone about Christ. Bridging this gap is where many teens get stuck. that's why teaching them the connection between evangelism and relationships is critical. As teens learn how to smoothly and relationally transition between their knowledge of Scripture and leading a person to Christ, they will begin to understand how to be loving and intentional rather than uptight, defensive or confrontational in their approach.

I think these ideas can best be summed up by a student I worked with. He said "Before attending Youth Evangelism Explosion, I had no idea how to share my faith. Now I have a wonderful, structured training. Before this training my commitment to evangelism was nominal. Now I have a calling to share my faith with my friends. I not only have the method for telling others, but I also have the desire!"

The freedom and confidence that this young man exhibits warms my heart. And, thankfully, he is not alone in his passion. I have the privilege of working with many students whose hearts long to reach others with the good news of Christ. Yet, all too often, this desire remains smothered beneath the fears and inhibitions which plague this generation. Isn't it time we got serious about evangelism? Together we can equip our young people to take that leap of faith into the heart of the battle! And when they do, I firmly believe they'll experience unparalleled growth and maturity. With no fear.

Rick Bond spent 17 years with Young Life. He now serves as vice president of Youth Evangelism Explosion, which equips youth pastors and their students in areas of evangelism and discipleship. For more information, call 954-491-6100 ext. 325, or send e-mail to

Rbond@eeinternational.org

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