Conversations about the gospel do not have to be forced or awkward but rather naturally, frequently, and intentionally. As you read this and consider ways to teach the young ladies around you how to cultivate their circles of influence on behalf of the gospel, my hope is that your faith would rise too!
There definitely isn’t a formula to teaching our girls this concept, but we certainly owe it to them to set an example and give them guidelines to being intentional on their own. Here are 5 ways to get started!
Evangelize with them.I think sometimes we overcomplicate evangelism. In a nutshell, it really just looks like building relationships on the foundation of love and truth with conversations constantly pointing to Jesus and the gospel. Jesus simply leaves us with “Go and make disciples of all the nations” (Matt. 28:19). He doesn’t say “If you are 25, in seminary, or 40 and a pastor’s wife”. Anyone can share the gospel, quite literally anywhere at any time, because of the power of the Holy Spirit.
Embolden them to initiate and lead.Teach your girls how to be initiators and leaders. One way to practically do this is to not only to teach your girls how build relationships with others, but to be willing to have hard conversations and do “awkward” things like inviting someone to church or starting a Bible study at their school lunch table.
Encourage your girls to get out of their cliques.Emphasize the importance of making friends outside of their friend groups! There are so many girls that need to know Jesus deeper, but if they only ever hang out with their best friends or people just like them, they miss out getting to share their stories with people who need it. AND they might miss out on learning from others. One way to help with this is by hosting girl hangs where teen girls can openly share their testimonies and stories of God’s work in their hearts and lives. We don’t need to wait for formal Bible studies or church events for girls to cultivate the ability to share how the gospel has changed their own lives.
Equip them with not just the HOW but the WHY.This may seem obvious but make sure your teen girls know why they should have gospel conversations. It could be for the truth of “I want to bring as many people to Heaven with me as possible”. But we also want them to know what it means to live with urgency, to see the brokenness around them, and to make the most of every opportunity to help someone having a relationship with Jesus.
Exhort their gifts!God wants to use your girls’ gifts and talents for the sake of the gospel. So nurture what comes naturally and foster what they’re growing in. Some girls are more shy and timid, while others are outgoing and bold. Either way, each girl has been equipped with unique gifts by God Himself, and the more those are exhorted the more they will be eager to use them!
Before you move on, I’d encourage to pray for yourself and for your girls. Pray something like this:
“God, thank You for Your examples of loving and leading people to the gospel. I pray You would set a fire within me and the teen girls around me to live and lead in the same ways that You did. Help me to encourage the young ladies I lead to have conversations that point people to Jesus. Refresh our faith to be urgent to build relationships and point people to the cross, so much so that we would get to witness salvation stories. In Jesus’s name, Amen!
Natalie Profetto works as a Project Manager at String Theory Charter School in Philadelphia. She gets the privilege of organizing creative experiences for High School Students. At The Block Church, she oversees small groups across all locations. Natalie believes wholeheartedly that whether you work for a church, school, hospital, law firm, etc – all of life is ministry. She was recently married on Nov. 20th, 2021. Her and her husband love food, entertaining, and seeing the world. They are passionate about building God’s church. You can find them serving faithfully every Sunday at their local church. Connect with Natalie: Instagram