{"id":464032,"date":"2025-12-16T14:09:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T19:09:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/growcurriculum.org\/go\/?p=464032"},"modified":"2026-02-09T08:31:47","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T13:31:47","slug":"how-to-help-teenagers-share-their-faith-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/growcurriculum.org\/go\/how-to-help-teenagers-share-their-faith-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Help Teenagers Share Their Faith Stories"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are so many great reasons why many of us stepped into youth ministry. Maybe it was the promise of regular pizza parties, the unmatched chaos of dodgeball, or the strange joy of watching a teenager actually<\/em> laugh at one of your jokes. These are all valid reasons\u2014but underneath all the fun, we were really motivated by the possibility of helping students grow in their faith.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the heart of what we do. We want to see teenagers know Jesus, follow Jesus, and build a faith that lasts. But as you\u2019ve probably learned, helping students grow can be a little more complicated than it sounds.<\/p>\n

How do you measure spiritual growth?<\/p>\n

What \u201ccounts\u201d as progress?<\/p>\n

Which metrics actually matter \u2014 and which ones just keep us busy?<\/p>\n

For many of us, when we think about spiritual habits, we go straight to the classics\u2014reading the Bible, praying, going to church. And yes, those things are incredibly important. But what if we could zoom out and think about discipleship in a more holistic way?<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why our discipleship strategy<\/a> focuses on four spiritual habits \u2014 Spending Time with God, Spending Time with Others, Using Your Gifts, and Sharing Your Story. We believe these habits sit at the center of spiritual growth, and they become the lens through which you see everything you do each year\u2014your teaching, your events, your parent strategy, and even how you equip your volunteers.<\/p>\n

We want to help students build these four habits\u2014and anytime we see a teenager practicing even one of them, we can celebrate it as a sign of real spiritual growth. So in this blog, let\u2019s focus on just one of these habits\u2013<\/p>\n

SHARING YOUR STORY<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Students need to learn how to talk about God\u2014but this habit is so much bigger than just knowing how to explain their salvation story (although that matters too). Sharing your story<\/strong> is the spiritual habit of making faith a natural, everyday part of how we talk, think, and relate to the world around us.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s about discovering God in the details of their lives\u2014in their experiences, their struggles, their friendships, their decisions\u2014and learning how to express what they\u2019ve found. When teenagers talk about what God is doing in their story, it helps them believe it more deeply, understand it more clearly, and share it more confidently. That\u2019s why this habit is so important for long-term spiritual growth.<\/p>\n

So how can we help teenagers learn to Share Their Stories? Here are a few practical ways to start\u2026<\/p>\n