How to Equip and Mobilize Students to Start Gospel Movements

Today, Ryne, and Keith dive into a topic that’s at the heart of what we do: equipping and mobilizing students to reach their friends with the gospel. You might be thinking, “Isn’t this what you guys talk about every episode?” And the answer is "yes," — but today, we’re focusing on something we call starting gospel movements.

Over the past year, we’ve been working closely with our student leadership team, figuring out how to truly equip and unleash students to start gospel movements wherever they are. And no, we’re not just talking about on-campus clubs, though that’s a part of it. We’re looking beyond that to see how students can advance the gospel in every area of their lives—whether they’re part of a sports team, a homeschool co-op, or something else entirely.

Recently, I was chatting with a youth leader about our first school year meeting. He mentioned that they’re planning to start a campus ministry club, which is great, but as we all know, getting these approved can sometimes be a long process, especially since COVID. As another youth leader pointed out, this is the first time in history that Christians have felt the need to ask permission from the government to share the gospel.

Our approach isn’t just about launching clubs. While that’s important, we’ve been shifting focus to emphasize that students can advance the gospel in any context, without waiting for approval. Whether they’re on a sports team, part of an online school, or simply don’t have the time for an after-school club, they can still be impactful.

So, how do we do this? How do we train and mobilize students to start these gospel movements? Let’s first look at the effects we’ve seen as we’ve implemented this approach. In 2023, we trained 105 students in our area to share the gospel and start campus ministry clubs where possible. By the end of 2023, we set a bold goal: to 10x that number in 2024. We knew that at our current pace, we wouldn’t reach all the students in our area before they graduated. So, we became more strategic, increasing our online presence and starting this podcast to feed students into our student missionary training.

And guess what? We trained over 1,000 students in the first six months of 2024 alone! Now, we’re gearing up for the 2024-25 school year with an even bolder vision: training 10,000 students. We want every teenager in our area to hear the gospel from a friend.

So, how do we practically implement this in our youth ministries? We start by shifting our mindset from seeing success as how many students attend youth group to how many are impacted outside the church walls. Our goal is to create outposts—gospel movements that operate independently of our time and leadership but are still grounded in the gospel.

For instance, if a student is passionate about reaching their football team, we challenge them to pray for their teammates, share the gospel whenever possible, and bring other Christians alongside them to help. We encourage them to have a bold vision, like sharing the gospel with every person on their team, and measure success through biblical outcomes like new believers and discipleship.

This approach requires us to release control and trust that God will work through our students. Of course, there are risks, such as students finding themselves in situations they’re not ready for, or the process becoming disorganized. But the potential impact is worth it. We’re already seeing tremendous results as we focus on mobilizing students, not just gathering them.



In John 17:6, Jesus says, “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world.” This is a powerful reminder that we, too, are called to reveal Jesus to those God has placed in our sphere of influence. Whether it’s at school, on a sports team, or even online, our students have a unique opportunity to reach those around them with the gospel.

As we continue to train and equip our students, we’re excited to see how God will use these gospel movements to transform lives and communities. We’re not just aiming to grow our youth ministries—we’re striving to advance the Kingdom.