By Alecia Bryant
Gospel-centered ministry and cultural relevance are essential in reaching the next generation. Jesus’s teachings were saturated with truth and cultural relevance. While the two don’t have to be at odds, the line gets blurry, doesn’t it? Success can feel like packed rooms and social media traction, but if students show up and we don’t show them Jesus, we fail.
Ministry fails without the gospel.
Without it, students have no hope of heart transformation, only behavior modification. Without it, events are just events. Students want truth, and the gospel is the answer.
So, how can you keep ministry gospel-centered?
- Plan for the gospel. Make the gospel the foundation of your ministry calendar. Don’t wait to consider how you’ll share it, or you’ll unintentionally leave it out. Instead, intentionally plan every event around the gospel.
- Present the whole gospel. Walk students through the biblical narrative, even the challenging passages. Help them see Scripture as a cohesive story of God pursuing us at our worst and saving us. Steward the entire gift of the gospel instead of fragments.
- Practice the gospel. Students learn how to communicate the gospel by hearing you articulate it clearly and naturally. Practice sharing the gospel, and most importantly, model a life transformed by the gospel. Training your students to share the gospel and giving them opportunities to do so are vital parts of ministry. They’ll embrace what you celebrate, so foster a culture that celebrates sharing the gospel!
Every moment with your students is a holy opportunity to point them to Jesus. You don’t have to sacrifice the gospel for relevance because the gospel is relevant always. The gospel is the difference.
For more content like this, check out The Gospel Project and lifeway.com/students.
