YOUNG PEOPLE ASK . .How Can I Preach to My Schoolmates?

Conclusion of Identifying Yourself

A 14-year-old girl in Romania name Roxana relates a similar  experience:  "My teacher announced that there would be a class discussion about alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. So I brought in the March 22, 2000, issue of Awake! on the subject 'How Can You Quit Smoking.'  A classmate saw the magazine, took it, and refused to return it to me. After reading it, she said that she was determined to quit smoking." 

You  may not always meet with such a favorable response.  But Ecclesiastes 11:6 urges us:  "In the morning sow your seed and until the evening do not let your hand rest; for you are not knowing where this will have success."  If nothing else, sharing your beliefs at school will lay the groundwork for a more pleasant discussion should you ever encounter a schoolmate in the house-to-house ministry. Says a British youth named Jessica:  "Witnessing to those you know from school is actually easier because you already have a relationship with them." You may be surprised at how curious some of your schoolmates may be about your beliefs.

True, not all will receive you in a kindly way. But Jesus gave this practical advice:  "Wherever anyone does not take you in or listen to your words, on going out of that house . . . shake the dust off your feet."  (Matthew 10:14)  In other words, you don't have to take the rejection personally. Simply leave peacefully and look for someone more willing to listen. Sooner or later you'll find honesthearted ones who are hungering for the truth and willing to listen.  Would it not be rewarding if one of them was a  fellow student?  If so, you'll be glad you overcame your fear of sharing your faith with classmates? 

Next time: I Lost My Unborn Baby

From the Awake! magazine