I felt a jolt of excited energy as our team of volunteers left the church gym in the early morning hours after hosting an outreach event that we call “Fifth Quarter.” One of my volunteers came and told me: “Pastor Kyle, I was cleaning the kitchen while most of the students were in the gym. A student came up to me and asked me how he can be sure that he can go to heaven one day. I shared the gospel with him over a conversation, and we prayed together.”
Conversations like this after a long day of life and ministry fuel my desire to host more events that engage students who need the hope of the gospel.
It’s easy to focus our discipleship efforts on the students who attend our weekly youth group meetings or other regular church gatherings. And this is for good reason; we serve the students of the churches in which we work. But God calls us to make disciples, and he gives us opportunities to reach students in the communities outside our churches. Outreach events are great ways for students who are not part of the church to feel welcomed by the church and hear the gospel—perhaps for the very first time.
We host regular outreach events for the students in our community. Over the years, our student ministry has shifted to unapologetically do three things at these events.
Three Important Elements of an Outreach Event
First, we host students with the desire for them to be in a safe environment.
If parents are going to allow their students to attend an event at the church, we need to make sure the event provides a safe environment for as many students to come as possible. For example, we host our Fifth Quarter event following the end of the local high school’s football game. All the students are invited over to the church for food, fun, and a chance to enjoy the night together. During this event, we feed them well while also hosting dodgeball and volleyball tournaments.
I met a new visitor at our church a few months ago. Within minutes he told me that he graduated high school a decade ago and had attended Fifth Quarter at our church. In hosting the same outreach event for so many years, our church has developed a reputation of being a safe and welcoming space—one that people come back to even years later. There are many things students can do after football games. I am thankful one of the options is coming to the church building for connection and fun.
Second, we pray for the students who come.
It is impossible to evangelize someone with whom you don’t first engage. We pray that God would allow us to engage these students with love and friendliness. This isn’t bait and switch. I genuinely love the students of our town and want them to know Jesus, so we pray that God would save them. One of my friends says that in events like this we show “gospeltality,” which means that we share the gospel through hospitality. Now, I believe that we need words in order to truly share the gospel, but I do think my friend is on to something. We need to pray that students would experience gospel culture through the hospitality shown in outreach events, and we should pray to that end.
Finally, we share the gospel.
Another friend of mine helped me understand that we often think we share the gospel at evangelistic events, but in reality, we just brush up against the gospel. Through the last ten years of our Fifth Quarter ministry, we have attempted various ways to share the gospel with students. We have prayed the gospel, showed a video with the gospel in it, and even had students share testimonies of how Christ has changed them. These all have pros and cons, but the main goal is this: the true gospel should be clearly proclaimed.
Just this year, I clearly explained the gospel in our church gym to over 200 students from our local high school with a population of roughly 700. God miraculously quieted them as I shared about the good news that Jesus is the only true way to heaven (John 14:6). We not only share the gospel through large group proclamation, but also through interpersonal relationships. Volunteers talk to students, build relationships, and share biblical truth. This leads to encounters like the one I described in which a student found one of our volunteers while she was cleaning the cafeteria and asked a question about eternity. By God’s grace, that student put his faith in Christ.
Practical Considerations for Outreach Events
Outreach will certainly look different in your own unique church context. Still, there are five general practices I encourage you to consider in putting on your own events:
First, I suggest thinking about which students you want to target at each event.
Certainly, you want all teenagers to know the gospel, but it is impossible to reach all the students in your town or city in one event. Be specific about which students you hope will attend. Are they students from a certain high school? Students who are unchurched? Or maybe they are students that those in your youth group invite from their schools.
Second, consider what food you want to serve.
As one of my youth leaders says, “Food brings people together.” Some might argue that providing good food at an event is a bait and switch tactic, but I would argue that if we want to engage with students in our community, then it makes sense to do so with excellence. Serve good and tasty food. Ask those in your church to come and serve the food and to interact with the students as they go through the line.
Third, consider what activity the event will have.
Sometimes modern youth ministry sometimes paints a picture that bigger is better. That is not always true. Our events don’t have to be flashy or entertainment-driven, but simply engaging and community-building. I have found it helpful to consider students who are athletic and those who are not. It helps to provide a variety of activities that suit different interests. If you are looking for ideas, the best idea generators are usually students. Ask a few students what activities their friends would enjoy taking part in at outreach events.
Fourth, consider how you can have students sign in at the door so that you have a way to follow up with them.
This also provides a way for all the students to be greeted by name. Will you remember all their names? No. But you can remember one or two! Be sure to follow up with them after the event and invite them to come again.
Fifth and finally, have fun.
Enjoy the process. Love the students well. Throw a dodgeball. Eat some pizza. It is a gift that we can serve students in this way.
Jesus said the second greatest commandment is to love our neighbors as ourselves, and I think he would consider outreach events one of those ways. Love the neighbors in your community by giving high school students a safe environment to spend a late Friday night—or whatever night of the week you choose. Beyond that, love them enough to share the hope of the gospel, which will bear fruit in this life and in the life to come.
If you want to help teenagers and their families grow in the gospel, Rooted offers gospel-centered mentorship programs. New cohorts begin early in 2026, so consider applying today.
