Borgman, Dean. "Selecting and communicating an appropriate lesson or theme to present to a youth group." S. Hamilton, MA: Center for Youth Studies.

OVERVIEW

As we seek to know people more deeply and hear the Word of God more clearly, this question will always be raised: "What is the Good News for this particular group or individual?" From the desperately suicidal and those seeing their lives as a "rat race" to the bored and complacent, "What word will bring relief, hope and challenge?" Our quest for a Biblical Gospel avoids common extremes. A negative extreme that can turn kids away says, "Because you're such rotten sinners, it took a very great Savior to die for you." A humanistic extreme suggests, "You only have to accept how wonderful you are and how we can change the world ourselves." The first approach can be revolting; the second, boring.

CONTEXTUALIZING THE WORD
The challenge is to find the eternal Word and contextualize it in the world for young people-the Gospel of the entire Scriptures, a Gospel that follows the approach of Jesus to sinners and Good News that includes the major doctrines of Christian theology. Such an approach could follow this outline:

• Creation: In the beginning God made it...good; God made you and you are beautiful.
• Incarnation: God reaffirmed the goodness of the world in the Word made flesh; there is One who will not disappoint you.
• The Fall and Sin: All we like sheep have gone astray, spoiled it all; all systems of this world and all of us are misguided.
• The Cross and Redemption: God enters our pain in His Son's death; Christ suffered hell for our healing and the healing of the world's systems.
• Salvation: God's gift of love must be accepted; you and the whole world have a choice to make; faith gives you assurance of a new life and destiny.
•  

• The Kingdom and Eschatology: God is making everything new and right; you are God's future people.

There is a new day coming. Take some time to consider each step of this outline. Does it express the full Gospel as you understand it? Does it omit anything? Does it add or miss any of the Biblical message or what Jesus communicated to people? View additional application abstracts to consider how this message can best be communicated to young people you know.

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS
Consider single and collective angles of the Gospel, including content, illustrations, and the intent of your speech for each point. A useful outline includes doctrine, points, corporate and individual content, illustrations, and intent:

• Doctrine. Creation.
• Points. God's creation of nature.
• Corporate Content. God's gift of cultural systems.
• Individual Content. God's image in each of us.
• Illustrations. Nature (e.g., the invention of snow and snowflakes), culture (e.g., animal culture and human culture), and self-image (e.g., a great piece of art).
• Intent. To inspire awe.

IMPORTANT TRUTHS
Now, consider the great truths and steps of the Gospel, and, as a group, develop an explanatory chart:

• Creation. God, the Creator; nature; self-image.
• Incarnation. The person of Christ.
• Fall. The need for Christ.
• Atonement. The work of Christ.
• Salvation. Appropriation of Christ.
• Kingdom. Discipleship, the cost of the Kingdom.
• Eschatology. The coming of the Kingdom. Obviously, the Holy Spirit can attract and convict people without our clear design. But certainly both kids and our Lord deserve the best and most logical presentation of the Gospel. And, unquestionably, serial presentation and continuous hearing of the Gospel are more effective than a one-time presentation.

CONSIDERING IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
Be prepared to answer tough questions from kids:

• What is life all about?
• Does anyone care?
• Why should I care?
• Is Jesus more than a swear word?
• Who is this Jesus anyway?
• What is so important about Jesus?
• Was Jesus cool?
• Could He survive in my neighborhood?
• What is so attractive about Jesus?
• How did He relate to people?
• What did He do? How did He meet people's needs?
• Does He care about me that way?
• Who did He claim to be?
• How could a great person be so arrogant?
• What does Jesus want from me?
•  

• What proof is there for all of this?

The direct answers to these questions are not comprehensive of the full Gospel. They are just introductory questions that kids may have about Jesus.
Kids erect barriers to the Gospel for many reasons:

• Age.
• Gender.
• Family.
• Personality.
• Race.
• Social class.
• Education.
• Peer pressure.
•  

• Negative experience of Biblical terms (e.g., "Father"). What are other barriers? What do kids need from youth leaders to hear and understand the Gospel?

Consider the variety of needs of a teenager or a youth group to effectively comprehend
Christianity:

• Inspiration.
• Concern.
• Example.
• Challenge.
• Warning.
• Interest.
• Affirmation.
• Instruction.

Once a youth leader understands kids' needs, he or she can discern the order in which the Gospel should be built.

FINE-TUNING THE GOSPEL FOR YOUNG FOLKS

• Share it as good news.
• Make it exciting rather than boring.
• Relate it to teen's world-rather than adult, foreign, or heavenly life. Address their hopes and fears, their identity and direction, their relationships and values.
• Communicate it through trustworthy friends.
• Offer it as a story form. (Deut. 26.)
• Focus on the life and relationships of Jesus.
• Shift the group's lives and world to a Biblical base.
• Offer the Gospel continually and gradually, over time. Give young people time to think it over, digest it, and test it. The Holy Spirit convinces.
• Allow youth to hear the Gospel with their friends.
• Ensure that kids hear the Gospel from Christians who live it out and test the Good News within a faith community.
•  

• Announce the Gospel through the book of Isaiah, analyze it through Romans, and show it demonstrated through the Gospel of John.

DOCTRINE	INDIVIDUAL	CORPORATE
CREATION	Genesis 1, John 1 Psalm 139:13ff	Genesis 1, John 1 Job 38:4 Acts 17:26 Col. 1:16
INCARNATION	John 1 Phil. 2:6ff	John 1 Phil. 2:6ff
FALL	Ezekiel 18:4	Psalm 2; 9:17 Romans 3:23; 6:23
ATONEMENT	2 Cor. 5:21 Isaiah 53	Col. 1:20 John 11:50-52 Isaiah 52:15; 53
FAITH AND SALVATION	John 1:12	Rev. 3:20 Isaiah 1:17ff
KINGDOM AND DISCIPLESHIP		2 Chron. 7:14 Joshua 24: 15
ESCHATOLOGY	1 John 3:2-3 1 Thes. 4:16-18 1 Cor. 15:51ff Romans 14:10 2 Cor. 5:10	Romans 8:19 Amos 5:24 Isaiah 11; 65:17, 18, 25 Matthew 25:31ff

Richardson, R. (28 February 2001). 8 Urgent Questions of Today's Generation in www.LeadershipJournal.net. Adapted from Evangelism Outside the Box. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

OVERVIEW

Rick Richardson provides us with "8 Urgent Questions of Today's Generation." He says that understanding people's real concerns gives our message more credibility.

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Borgman, D. (1989). Evangelization. The Center for Youth Studies.

 

OVERVIEW

What is the difference between evangelism and evangelization? What do we mean by the word "evangelical?" What really is the Gospel?

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