This generation sharing the gospel with this generation

Today students have spent years of their lives projecting a curated and filtered version of themselves to a watching world. It exhausting. More than ever, this generation craves authentic relationships. There is a longing for belonging.

Body-Life Mode aligns well with Gen Z’s values and preferences by offering an approach to evangelism that is relational, community-oriented, and socially conscious. It allows for a more subtle, yet profound, form of witnessing that resonates deeply with a generation seeking authenticity, inclusivity, and real-world impact.

1. Preference for Authentic Community:

• Gen Z Values: The research highlights that Gen Z values authenticity, community, and relationships that are genuine and non-judgmental. They are often skeptical of overt evangelism methods and prefer to explore faith within safe, inclusive environments where they can belong before they believe.

• Body-Life Mode Alignment: Body-Life Mode focuses on creating a Christ-centered community where non-believers can experience the gospel through relationships and shared life experiences. This mode allows Gen Z to witness faith in action, providing them with a lived example of Christian values, which resonates with their desire for authentic and relational engagement.

2. Emphasis on Relational Trust:

• Gen Z Attitudes: According to Barna Research, Gen Z students prefer conversations about faith to occur within the context of established, trusted relationships where there is no pressure to conform or make immediate decisions.

• Body-Life Mode Alignment: This mode fosters trust by allowing spiritual conversations to emerge naturally within the context of a community that prioritizes relationships. It creates a space where Gen Z can explore faith at their own pace, in an environment that emphasizes listening, empathy, and mutual respect— all within a community centered on Jesus.

3. Desire for Social Impact:

• Gen Z Values: Gen Z is deeply engaged with social and ethical issues and wants to see their faith in action, making a tangible difference in the world.

• Body-Life Mode Alignment: This mode often includes communal activities that serve the broader community, such as service projects, advocacy, and other forms of outreach. These activities align with Gen Z's desire to see faith lived out in practical, impactful ways, providing a powerful witness to the relevance of Christianity in addressing societal issues.

4. The Challenge of Cultural Perception:

• Research Insights: The perception of Christianity is often seen as negative or irrelevant by non-Christians. Gen Z, in particular, is sensitive to these cultural perceptions and is more likely to engage with faith when it is presented in a way that is non-threatening and culturally relevant.

• Body-Life Mode Alignment: By emphasizing communal life and relational witness, Body-Life Mode offers a counter-narrative to the negative perceptions of Christianity. It allows non-believers to see the positive impact of the gospel in the lives of believers, challenging stereotypes and misconceptions through lived experience rather than argument.

Concluding thoughts:

Body Life witness emphasizes the invitation of Christ into a diverse family— the body of Christ. It is communal and confessional— actively declaring with our mouths and demonstrating with our lives that Jesus is lord.

Body Life witness is best understood and practiced together with Cru’s other modes of evangelism. We encourage Cru movements to embrace and practice all three relational modes of evangelism:

1. Ministry mode: sharing the gospel with people you don’t know who are outside of your natural relationships.

2. Natural mode: communicating the gospel to those with whom you already have every day relationships and interactions.

3. Body mode: happens whenever outsiders encounter the gospel as it is spoken and lived out in the communal life of a group of Christians.

Together, all three modes expand and work together to create synergy and a beautiful witness for Christ.

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*Based on data and summaries from Reviving Evangelism, Barna 2019

(Sample Fall Retreat Theme) Belong & Believe: Jesus and authentic community.

[Here’s a sample Fall Retreat theme to show how you can weave Body Life Witness into the DNA of your movement.]

Talk 1: The Family of God

• Objective: Introduce the concept of Body Life Witness by exploring the idea of the Christian community as a family that embodies the gospel.

• Key Points:

  • Defining Body Life Witness: Explain how non-Christians encounter the gospel through the communal life of Christians.

  • Biblical Foundation: Discuss the formation of God’s family from Israel to the Church.

  • Discussion: How has your family shaped you? What does it mean to be part of God’s family?

  • Takeaway: Salvation is not just “me and Jesus,” but “we and Jesus.” Encourage students to see their faith as a communal experience.

• Application: Reflect on how your personal story connects with the larger story of God’s family.

Talk 2: Confession and Authenticity

• Objective: Encourage students to embrace authenticity and confession as essential aspects of Christian witness.

• Key Points:

  • Confession Defined: Humbly acknowledging sin and brokenness, both to God and to others.

  • Biblical Example: Explore the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14).

  • Discussion: What comes to mind when you think of confession? How can our community foster a culture of honesty and humility?

  • Workshop: Guide students in writing their own micro-testimonies of confession.

  • Takeaway: Authentic confession not only deepens our relationship with God but also serves as a powerful witness to others.

• Application: Share personal stories of confession and reflect on how this practice can strengthen the Christian community.

Talk 3: Welcoming and Inviting

• Objective: Explore the power of welcoming and inviting others into the Christian community as a form of witness.

• Key Points:

  • The Power of Welcome: Discuss biblical examples like the Prodigal Son, Zacchaeus, and the sinful woman who anointed Jesus’ feet.

  • Imaginative Prayer: Lead students through an imaginative prayer exercise to help them internalize the themes of welcome and forgiveness.

  • Discussion: How do we create a welcoming environment? What makes an invitation compelling?

  • Workshop: Brainstorm ways to make your campus ministry more inviting to outsiders.

  • Takeaway: A genuine welcome can be transformative, showing the love of Christ in a tangible way.

• Application: Identify specific people to invite into your community and plan how to extend that invitation.

Talk 4: Closing the Distance

• Objective: Challenge students to take intentional steps to “close the distance” between themselves and those who don’t know Jesus.

• Key Points:

  • Jesus’ Example: Discuss how Jesus “closed the distance” by engaging with marginalized people, like tax collectors and sinners.

  • Grace and Truth: Explore how Jesus balanced grace and truth in His interactions, and how we can do the same.

  • Discussion: Reflect on how our communities can embody both grace and truth in our relationships with outsiders.

  • Workshop: Brainstorm practical ways to “close the distance” on campus.

  • Takeaway: Closing the distance is about bringing the gospel to those who might never come to us, just as Jesus did.

• Application: Commit to a specific action that will help you close the distance with someone in your life.

Each talk builds on the previous one, guiding students from understanding the communal aspect of their faith to actively engaging in practices that embody that faith to the outside world.