Thursday, September 24, 2009

Everystudent.com



I have been praying for you as you begin a new school year – I have been especially praying that God is showing you His plans for being His messengers of His good news to your lost classmates.  Please write back to me with specific requests of things I can be praying for as you trust Him to lead you in ministry this year!

Last year I sent you a blog about “the Evangelism Model”.   In that blog I told you how there are 3 basic modes of evangelism found in the New Testament:  the natural mode, the relational mode and the ministry mode.  I promised to send you ideas for doing ministry that fall into each mode.  The resource I am sending today is an idea for the “Ministry Witness Mode.”

www.everystudent.com is an evangelistic website hosted by Campus Crusade for Christ.  It is a place where non-believing students can go to ask questions about God.  Campus Crusade for Christ staff immediately get back to the students with answers to their questions.  Also on the site are a number of articles non-believers are generally interested in on various topics which prayerfully lead students to consider the spiritual impact of these topics in their lives.

Ninety-nine point five (99,5) percent of the students on any Russian campus are not believers.  That’s an overwhelming number.  Most of them will never have a friendship with a believer who can help them to know more about having a personal relationship with Christ.  Go to http://www.everystudent.info/ for some easy strategies to easily expose a large number of non-believers to Jesus. 

Some ways you could use www.everystudent.com:
-print out some flyers or business cards and hand them out to every student you see (see the attached document for one idea). 
-print up some posters and place around your campus every day.  Don’t get discouraged if the posters don’t stay up for very long, just make it a plan to put up a new poster every day as you go to class. 
-if you live in a dormitory make a big sign to put on the door to your room or in your window advertising the site
-if you use Facebook to connect with nonbelievers, this is a great link to send your friends to as well

In order to make the gospel known to all the students on your campus you will have to use a variety of strategies – some relational strategies (such as CoJourners) help you help those close to you understand about salvation.  Other strategies (such as www.everystudent.com) help you “sow broadly” to those with whom you will never have personal conversations.  I think this website could be a great help to you in connecting nonbelievers with others who could help to direct them to Christ.  And it’s easy!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Discipleship materials

We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, 
so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
 Colossians 1:28


Colossians 1:28 presents us with a daunting task – present every believer He puts into our paths as complete and mature in Christ.

It is overwhelming to think about how to go about this task, but I have good news for you!  We are in the midst of getting some very good discipleship materials ready for your use.  The materials, CruComm, will be available in Russian several at a time, so I will send them out as I get them in my hands.  The first set I am sending are more foundational, but there will soon be studies for students who are already confident in their understanding of and ability to teach others the foundational truths.

If the Lord hasn’t yet placed believers in your life who you can help to develop in their walk with Him, ask Him to direct you to students who are ready to start the discipleship process.  If there are just a few of you committed to reaching your campus, then why not use these materials to disciple each other.

Please let me know what you think of these materials throughout the year.  We are in the midst of searching for the best resources we can get for you, so we would like to know what you think about this discipleship set.  They will come in the form of topical studies and book studies (a set of studies from the Book of John or Ephesians, etc).
Some of the topics we hope to cover this year are:
-eternal perspective
-stewardship
-position in Christ
-community
-holiness
-submission to authority
-spiritual battle
-the Spirit-filled life
-commitment

Of course having a good set of resources won’t make someone grow to maturity in Christ – it is God’s Spirit working in your disciples lives who grows someone in Christ.  Colossians 1:29 (To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me) reminds us to find our power and strength to develop another believer into Christ-likeness.   It is as you and those you are discipling faithfully work together with the Spirit, that you will experience the blessings of being involved in discipleship.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Local Leader Prayer Strategy



Here's a helpful chart full of ideas for varying prayer:
 





Daily

(Meet with
the Lord)

Power from the Word

*Is the Word priority #1?

*Meditate on it

*Memorize on it

*Live by it

*Journal from it

Praise

*Are you giving God credit for what is happening in the ministry?

*Thanksgiving

*Reflect on His character

Penitence

*Am I broken before the Lord? (Ps.51:17)
Search me O God, and know my heart…” (Ps. 139:23-24)

*Confession of sin and giving the Holy Spirit control again (“Spiritual Breathing”)

*Restitution/resolution


Petition for others

*How can I help?

*Pray the Scriptures

*Pray for their needs

*Pray for their vision

*Life choices: purity in the present, wisdom for the future

Prayer for yourself

*Am I on mission?

*What do I need to believe Him for?

*Is there any action I need to take?



Weekly

(Pray with leaders)

Vision/mission (pray together for:)

*Lost students

*Lordship of Christ in the lives of believers

*Laborers


Accountability

*Personal purity

*Commitment to mission

*Personal disciplines


Blessings

*Where is God at work?

*Ministry
Personal
Spiritual (Eph. 1)

*Keep a “miracle notebook”


Personal requests

*Walk with the Lord

*Personal ministry

*Personal and family issues


Movement requests

*Wisdom for upcoming events

*Wisdom for decisions





Monthly

(Pray with movement)

Prayer walk

*Claiming  God’s promises for the campus

*Asking God to break down barriers

*Expecting God-sized results

Half-night of prayer

*Praise to the Lord

*Pray for the movement

*Pray to send laborers the world

*Pray for one another


Day of prayer and fasting

*Encourage all believers involved to participate in prayer and fasting

*Humbleness of heart

*Seeking God’s face

Prayer seminar

*Quiet times

*Conversational prayer

*Prayer for the lost

*Strategic prayer

*God focused prayer


Praise and worship event

*Time of celebration

*Consider partnering with other groups or believers

*Incorporate testimonies

*Short  talk to challenge others in the area of prayer



Each Semester

(Spend a day alone with God)

Rejoicing
(Psalm 150)

*For all He has done

*For who He is

*For who He has made you to be


Rest
(Psalm 46.10)

*Your body

*Your mind

*Your spirit


Renewal
(Isaiah 40.31)

*Your heart (and vision)

*Your soul

*Your mind

*Your strength


Repentance
(Acts 3.19)

*Sins against the Lord

*Sins against others


Requests
(Phil. 4.6)

*For all He needs to do:
 - in your life
 - in the movement



Revised -from: www.godsquad.com