Claim Your Campus has built a resource for Youth Ministries that want to strengthen their students’ faith inside the walls of their churches, so that students can live out their faith boldly in their schools! Below is a “Church to School Launch Plan” from the CYC Resources Folder to help pastors launch movements of prayer in local schools surrounding their churches. We hope this equips you to equip and empower your students this school year!
Church to School Launch Plan
WHY
In a Youth Group of 200+ in Kansas, a Youth Pastor was convicted when the only time students saw or heard prayer was when the band was walking on or off stage. His team decided to make prayer a regular rhythm for Youth Group nights between songs 2 and 3 of the 3-song worship set. Using the CYC prayer model, students regularly practiced prayer as a whole group, individually, and in small groups. After a semester of consistently practicing this prayer guide in church, students started leading prayer groups in their schools!
The Youth Pastor attended a See You At The Pole gathering the following school year in September. In a large group of 45 students, a senior opened the circle for “popcorn prayer” for “anyone who wanted to pray.” Students peered around the circle wide-eyed and nervous. There were 4 of the 45 students who prayed passionate prayers out loud for their school. All were freshmen from this Youth Pastor’s Youth Group.
It was an eye-opening experience that made him realize the culture of prayer they’d built in their Youth Group was spiritually forming his students. They felt confident praying outside their church walls and in front of their classmates at school! This culture can be a reality at your church if it is what you desire and earnestly seek. God honors faithful prayers! Personally pray for this culture and start setting it with intentional rhythms of prayer. Here are some suggestions on how to make that happen!
WHERE
During your regular Youth Group gathering, whether that’s weekly, monthly, or something in between, make devoted prayer time a new corporate rhythm. Smaller groups can definitely practice this during your small group time but set the tone on the platform God has given you.
Students often feel intimidated to pray out loud because they only hear preachers pray (and if we’re honest, sometimes preachers preach when they pray). With your leadership and eventually the leadership of other students, set an example of prayer from your platform each time you gather.
This prayer time could take 3-10+ minutes, depending on how long you want to devote to prayer! If you aim for 3-5 minutes, we suggest your students pray silently on their own. If you want to extend this prayer time, split them up into groups by grade, school, middle/high school, etc.
TIMELINE
For 1-2 months: Mention that you are using the Claim Your Campus model, but focus on teaching this model and creating a sense of familiarity. Practice this with the CYC prayer slides every time your Youth Ministry meets.
In month 3: Show a CYC call-to-action video with the 3 steps and invite students to pray and ask God about how they can reach their schools. Give them time to listen in prayer!
Next week: Show the CYC call-to-action video once again and share your vision for why prayer for their schools matters. Then, lead a response moment, asking students who want to start a prayer group for their school to raise their hands so you can commission and pray for them.
Launch week: The following week, when your Youth Group gathers, will be your “Launch Week.” Dedicate a time of the service (Announcements, prayer time, or after the message) to commission students to start their weekly prayer group before the next time you gather.
Tips:
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Students are encouraged to start a weekly prayer group. They can choose a day that works best for them to arrive at school 20 minutes early or stay late after school. They could also meet during lunchtime or during a free period.
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The Claim Your Campus app, prayer book, or online guide is how they can get their group started! Encourage app users to post their group meeting time on the ‘Groups’ page and use the prayer guide for their meetings by clicking the ‘Pray Now’ button. Their group will show up as a pin on the CYC map!
HOW TO FOLLOW UP AND ENCOURAGE
Check in with your students the following week! Encourage your adult leaders/volunteers to ask their students how their prayer groups are going. Even if the group is small or maybe no one else has joined them yet, celebrate their faithfulness to keep showing up and praying for their school!
Plan a testimony night 2-3 months after your “Launch Week” to invite your students to publicly share how God is changing their lives and those around them during their prayer group.
We encourage pastors to promote CYC at the beginning of each school semester and invite students to testify how God is changing their lives and their schools at the end of each semester. This can build a culture of prayer, not only launching students to live prayerfully on mission in their schools, but also celebrating all that God is doing as students faithfully live out their faith this way in their schools.
Olivia Williamson
Director of Claim Your Campus