REACHING STUDENTS
Janelle Ibaven
Natalie Werking
7-Minute Video
Giving cookie-cutter answers to
complex questions doesn’t work with
Gen Z. A different approach is needed
to reach college students.
B
eing a chaplain on the
Harvard University campus,
I am often asked, “How
do you reach students in such
a secular and post-Christian
environment?” It is a great
question that begs for a clear-
cut answer, but instead of
answers, I find the need to ask
more questions. I’m drawn to
the Gospels, and especially to
the story and person of Jesus.
According to a recent Barna
report, “Atheism Doubles Among
Generation Z,” this is “the first
generation that does not assert
a religious identity.” What does
this mean? It means that we are
looking at our first official post-
Christian generation.
What I find in the life of Jesus
is that He rarely gave people
straightforward answers; rather,
He asked some very thoughtful
questions. In my experience,
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F O U R S Q U A R E Leade r
I find that students today are
more impressed with good
questions than cookie-cutter
answers. What I also find
is that, as in the way Jesus
worked with people, students
respond when you go to them
instead of expecting them to
come to you.
Jesus is a great example
of this as He engaged in His
public ministry. He was not
intimidated to insert Himself in
the cultural tension of His day.
It is as though He knew just
how much to challenge, and
then left the rest to the work
of the Father.
So, what will this require of
us? To be effective in reaching
our students, we must lean into
the presence of the Father. In a
culture that does a splendid job
of dehumanizing the “other,” we
must bring hope and dignity
in the darkest corners of where
we are planted. To be “salt and
light” (Matt. 5:13-16), we must be
generous with our lives.
Are we willing to trust Jesus
in a new way, lean into His
Holy Spirit in our private time,
and watch Him show up in the
awkward and messy cultural
intersections of our public life?
Will we work harder to ask better
questions, rather than dolling
out one-size-fits-all answers?
And ultimately, do we know
when to walk away and trust
the Father with the process?
The harvest is ripe, but it
requires us to be more thoughtful,
engaged and intentional in our
reaping. Pastors and leaders, this
generation needs you! Are you
up for the challenge?
Janelle Ibaven is a Foursquare minister
serving as a chaplain at Harvard
University in Cambridge, Mass.
Approximately 25 percent of the world’s population
is under age 15. What are we doing to reach young
people who live outside the U.S.?
O
ftentimes, when a church
leader hears the words “kids
ministry,” he or she naturally
thinks of the kids within the walls
of the church. But how often do
our thoughts about reaching and
discipling kids extend beyond the
borders of our own country?
Kids ministry is a powerful piece
of missions work. Years of research
have shown the effectiveness of
reaching and discipling kids. In fact,
many of our own personal stories
include conversions and callings
happening before the age of 15.
So perhaps the next short-
term missions trip could include
discipleship training for kids.
Or maybe a small group could
sponsor a Children’s Gospel Box
through Foursquare Missions
Press to be sent with newly
commissioned missionaries.
Here are some additional
ways you can connect your
local church with the world:
• Visit the missionary directory
at foursquaremissions.org,
and create a list of specific
kids to pray for; then match
those on the list with kids in
your ministry.
• Have kids put together
Gospel Bracelets for a
Children’s Gospel Box.
• Help children raise money
from a lemonade stand on
Sunday mornings to sponsor
a child abroad.
The Great Commission tells
us to reach out, but Natalie
Werking encourages us to
also bend down to reach
those who are of great
value to the Lord. Watch
Natalie give this inspiring
talk at 4sq.ca/Natalie.
As we look to our Jerusalems,
Judeas and Samarias to reach kids,
we must also shift our gaze toward
those living in the “ends of the
earth” who desperately need Jesus.
May we have the Father’s heart for
His kids all over the world.
Natalie Werking is a children’s pastor at
New Castle Foursquare Church in New
Castle, Ind. She also serves Foursquare
Missions Press as co-director of the
Children’s Gospel Box.
Learn how your church
can support the Children’s
Gospel Box, including how
you can create Gospel
Bracelets for a box, by
visiting cgbox.org.
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