Helping Students Take Steps of Faith

How do we help students to take steps of faith?

I think it’s a big part of what we do.

I think it plays a HUGE role in helping students to make their faith their own…

But how do we get them there?

How do we help students move from:

• doubting the leading of God,
• fearing how,when, where, why and in what context God might want to use them, and
• needing to control absolutely everything in their lives

to living lives that:

• seek the LORD always,
• trust in God, and God’s plan, fully and
• walk faithfully in every circumstance

While we cannot walk by faith for our students… I believe there are a few things we can do to help encourage them along the way:

1. Share stories — Sometimes it can be hard for students to make the jump from what they read in the bible to everyday life.  If we can expose them to stories of faith — ours and others — it can serve to bolster their courage and minimize the fear associated with risk.
2. Model it — It’s one thing to talk about it… it’s a whole other thing to live it out, and for students, to see it being lived out is HUGE.  We need to find appropriate ways to let our students in on the circumstances of our lives that require us to step out in faith and allow them to experience the process — up close and personal — the good, bad and ugly.
3. Point out opportunities for them to take steps of faith — We need to be close enough to our students, and the circumstances of their lives, that allow us to speak discerningly about how and when they can step out in faith.  We should never push them, but take every opportunity to encourage them, to take bold steps of faith!

What do you think?

What would you add to this?