According to George Barna, this current generation of teenagers—nicknamed “Gen Z”—is the first “post-Christian” generation in U.S. history.
So, as we seek to equip our teenagers to reach their non-Christian friends, we need to teach them apologetics. What is apologetics? According to the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (carm.org): “Apologetics is the branch of Christianity that deals with the defense and establishment of the Christian faith.”
Why Street Apologetics?
STREET apologetics is a term I use to describe helpful insights I learned while doing evangelism on the streets. Teenagers (and adults!) can use these strategies on any “streets” they walk on—social media conversations, the halls of their schools, and of course, actual streets!
It’s also a simple acrostic that spells out “street”:
Stay dependent on the Spirit.
Trust in the truth.
Remember to ask – admire – admit.
Engage them by using four questions.
Explain the Gospel no matter what.
Treat them with kindness.
Each of these six points will help your teenagers learn to effectively navigate the sometimes difficult conversations that happen when they engage their peers with the Gospel.
Stay Dependent on the Spirit.
“…do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” (Matthew 10:19-20)
It’s so important for teenagers to learn what it means to lean fully on the Spirit of God, who will give them the wisdom to know what to say and the power to say it boldly, as they share their faith. The Holy Spirit can fill them with divine power to be his witnesses (Acts 1:8) anytime, anywhere, to anyone.
Trust in the Truth of God’s Word and the Resurrection of Christ.
The Bible was written by 40 men from three different continents and a variety of backgrounds (kings, shepherds, fishermen, scholars, and more) over a period of 1,500 years, yet there are no unexplainable errors or contradictions. It continually proves to be historically, geographically, and archeologically accurate. The only way this could have happened is if the Holy Spirit guided the writers and the process, and that it’s the actual Word of God!
As Proverbs 30:5 reminds us, “Every word of God is flawless.” And God Himself inspired every word in the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16).
The evidence of Jesus’s resurrection also substantiates Christianity. As Paul wrote:
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, He appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:3-6)
More than 500 people encountered Jesus in physical form after His well- documented and horrific execution at the hands of Roman soldiers. Many of these witnesses were willing to suffer torture and death because they refused to deny what they saw. As someone once said, people may die for what they think to be the truth, but nobody will die for what they know to be a lie.
