Video Transcript: Lesson 5 Section 1

How can we intentionally and effectively share the gospel with youth? It's the most important  truth we can ever communicate to someone. It can change a teen's life forever. But we must  be aware of the challenges we face in sharing it, and the reasons why they might not want to  listen. The first problem is one of trust. There is a widespread distrust of religion, and  Christianity in particular, research done in the United States has revealed that Christianity is  less popular than ever. In fact, young adults are interested in almost any spiritual belief or  faith other than Christianity. A second challenge is disinterest. Researchers found that by age  13, or 14, American teens believe they know everything they need to know about the Bible.  Many people grow up around the church or hear about Jesus in other places. They have  already formed their opinion about Christianity, and simply aren't interested in hearing more.  Of course, the problem is they may not have learned the whole truth about the gospel. In  order to effectively share Jesus with teens, we must start by establishing a relationship of  trust. Before you try to correct a negative impression about Christianity, or a misconception  about Jesus, you must earn the right to be heard. sharing the gospel requires trusting the  messenger youth ministries that are effective in this area are highly relational, there is an  expectation that truth will be discussed, even if everyone doesn't agree on it. The gospel is  presented clearly but in a way that is sensitive to individual situations and stories. Seek a  balanced evangelistic approach so you can communicate gospel truths within a teen's  environment. To do this, you need to first understand their spiritual needs. Life looks pretty  different for those who do not have eternal hope in God and cannot rely on the Bible to guide  them. We will also explore two basic approaches to youth evangelism the contextualization  model and the friendship challenge. These two approaches work well together. You don't have to choose one or the other. Both are needed. Think of them like the two tracks on a railroad  that allow a train to move forward.