A Nudging Ministry

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A guest post by Lyn TenBrink

Capernaum|Campaigners|Discipleship

Yes,  all those words are on the same line.  They should be.  All 3 words are part of our YL mission statement.

We are a ministry that introduces adolescents to Jesus Christ and helps them grow in their faith.

It’s that plain and simple even in Capernaum.  It seems many of us are paralyzed by the possibilities of what Campaigners could look like for our friends.

Well to get over our fear below are some simple steps toward helping our friends grow in their faith.  Maybe you and your team can take 1 simple step toward Capernaum campaigners:

Start a campaigners group. Just do it!  Your life will never be the same!

Read a scripture a few times and let friends give you words they hear or feel when they hear the scripture. Draw, choose a color, share an experience those words make them think of.  Repeat what works each week and keep the same format.

Read a gospel story, read it again.  What did you feel when it was being read?  Who did you think about?  What did we learn about Jesus?  What “good news” did Jesus give and who did he give it too?

Share prayer requests and model different ways to pray each week.

Do a service project together.  Decorate cookies for a group. Pray for that group.

Do a service project together.  Collect names of people in military service that our friends and their families know.  Put together a care package for them and pray for them by name.

Identify friends in campaigners who love to serve and show an interest in others as discipleship.  Invest in leadership training in them.  Give tasks in club.  Could work crew or summer staff be and option for them?  Could they be on YL staff ?(start talking to your Capernaum Coordinator about them.)


You get the idea.  We follow Jesus example of a “nudging” ministry.  It is no different with our Capernaum friends.  As you know as we nudge them, they nudge us this is what it is about and Jesus knew that when he showed us nudging ministry.

Laura, Paul and Lyn!

Lyn has been on YL staff for fifteen years in the great state of Michigan.  She also works with Calvin College doing things that most of us dream about.  Lyn is married to Paul and together they have three children.  

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