Starting a Conversation With a Student

As a volunteer, Jasmine was at a Cru event that was an outreach to gather new students. Her staff team, volunteers, and student leaders invited high schoolers who had never been to Cru before. On the night of the event, there were a handful of new students. Jasmine was tempted to stay with the other volunteers because she felt a little awkward about approaching a student she did not know. She had to remind herself why she needed to start a conversation with these new students. She had a great desire to see them come to Christ, and she knew that God was calling her to engage with them even if it was out of her comfort zone. She said a quick prayer and walked up to two girls who were standing by themselves.

Why is starting a conversation so hard?

Casual conversations with students are not always easy. What is hard about starting conversations? Many students are insecure about meeting new people or going to a new event where they do not know anyone. Sometimes they have walls up, which makes it hard to engage with them. On the other hand, you may also feel insecure, and it is common to feel uneasy when striking up a conversation with someone you do not know.

Why start conversations?

It is good to remember that God has called you to this and getting to know a student is an act of love and courage. Usually, students will not initiate conversations with adults, so we need to do it. It is important for students to have relationships with trusted adults and older students in order to help them grow, get help with their needs, and talk through their problems. A lot of times, when students come to Cru, they are in a new environment for the first time. We need to go out of our way to talk to them and make them feel welcome. Initiating with students can be the spark that changes their life for eternity.

“If you are going to have a ministry, you must be willing to start conversations.”

How do I start a conversation?

Be Intentional

Think ahead of time about what you hope to accomplish. Pray specifically about how you want your conversations to go. Be intentional about remembering the names of the students you meet. There are a few ways to do this. One way is to take a group photo and practice the names of everyone you met in the photo. You could also keep notes of who you met and what you talked about with them. Next time you see them, circle back to what you discussed last time. If you get the student’s phone number, ask them to spell their name. This will help with name recognition the next time you see them.

Be Interested in Them

Asking questions and showing an interest in people usually results in a good conversation. A good way to start a conversation is to make a statement and ask a question, or simply just begin with a question. For example, you see a student in a Lakers t-shirt and you tell them you noticed their shirt. Then ask if they are a fan of the team. You could continue by asking if they play for the school team or if the school team is any good this year. Every student is interesting, but not every student has someone in their lives that sees them as interesting. Help your student see that they matter and that you notice that.

Find Common Ground

A genuine interest can go a long way and it always helps when you can find common ground. This could include, music, TV shows, sports, or social media. Asking about where the student grew up or about their family is also a good way to get to know them. “How did you hear about this meeting?” is a great launch point of any conversation at a Cru event. When you find a common interest, you will find that it does not take as much effort to connect with the student. You have a genuine desire to learn more about them and to help them connect with others around you.

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Instead of huddling together with people you already know, try to engage with someone you have not already met. Remember, the goal is to be around students and get to know them through conversations. Try to identify what they care about.

Be Yourself

Usually, commonalities are found when we are being ourselves. God called you here and you have a place. You belong here just like they do, so enter in with that in mind. The students are not concerned with your background, accomplishments, or insecurities. God can use your experiences and interests to create connections, but most students just want to feel seen and cared for by you.

Seek to Serve Them

Be aware of students who are alone or new to your meeting. If someone is by themselves, invite them to do something like join in a game, help set up, pass out food, or gather other students when it is time to start the meeting. Consider what you might invite someone to do in order to help them feel included.

Some Starter Questions

Sometimes it can help to have some suggestions of what words to use to kick off the conversation. There is no end to the different ways a conversation could start, but, if you are stuck, here are some phrases that might help you step into a conversation with a student.

“Get to Know You” Questions
- Are you new here? I don’t think I’ve seen you around.
- Who did you come with?
- What year are you in school?
- Hey, I saw your t-shirt… Are you a Lakers fan? Who’s your favorite player?
- How’s your day going?
- How was school today?
- Hi, my name is _____________. What’s yours?

"Remember that God has called you to this."

No Conversations = No Ministry

The bottom line is, if you do not do it, it will not happen. It is simple, no conversations, no ministry! Our role in student ministry requires us to take steps of faith. Starting conversations with students can be intimidating, daunting, or uncomfortable. The best way to move forward is to first pray. Ask God to give you guidance and fill you with his Spirit as you take this step of faith. Pray for wisdom and courage and that students would be open and willing to have a conversation with you. God does amazing things when we take steps of faith, so get out there and see what God will do. Start a conversation with a student you do not know this week! Maybe set a goal of how many students you will start a conversation with every week. A good starting point would be talking to two or more students each week.

So step out of your comfort zone and engage with students this week! You can do it!

For more on navigating conversations, read our article Navigating the Four Conversational Sound Barriers. In it, we have some suggestions on how to break through some difficult barriers in spiritual conversations.

Next Step

Ask God to direct you and then start one conversation this week with a student you do not know. Decide on several questions you can ask and see where the conversation goes!

Conversations

This article is part of the Conversation Collection. Read the rest of these articles to get an even better understanding of how to have great conversations with students.

5 Key Features of the Claim Your Campus App

Pray Now:
This section is designed to lead any student through a daily 15-minute prayer time for their school. The format is simple: Listen, Thank, Ask. Each day students read a passage of scripture, thank God for something specific He is doing in their school, and ask Him for help at their school and schools across the country.

21-Day Challenge:
Habits take time to build. The 21-Day Challenge can help you and your students build the habit of praying together daily.

Share Your Story:
Students from all over the country are using Claim Your Campus at their schools. This video feature gives students one minute to capture what God is doing at their school and then share it.

Groups:
Use the Groups section to form your own prayer group and/or join other groups. Students praying together in community for their school(s) is the foundation of CYC. The group feature keeps students connected, motivated, and encouraged to keep pressing on!

Prayer Walk Your Campus:
This feature describes how to prayer walk a campus in three easy steps. Invite. Pray. Report. It includes a brief tutorial and a downloadable prayer walk guide.

Social Media:
Stay connected through Tik Tok, Instagram, and Youtube pages; News and Updates can also be found in the app.

Cast the Vision: Prayer Equals Change

Use these videos to get excited about how God could change your campus through prayer and how He could use you to build a prayer movement at your school.
General Promo video
Marion School video

Invite Students to Be One in the Million

Students download the app using the QR code graphic & claim their campus!

We encourage all campus movements to emphasize prayer and the Claim Your Campus app is a great way to engage students in prayer.

4 Different Ways Students Can Claim Their Campus

Start a Weekly Prayer Group. The CYC app provides prompts that change weekly.
Host a prayer walk around your campus. The CYC app features a Prayer Walk Guide.
Embed 5-10 minutes of Prayer into Your Weekly Cru Club Meeting. Build a CULTURE of prayer. CYC has done all the work for you. Click here for the Leader’s Guide and here for premade slides for up to 20 weeks. That is enough for an entire school year. CYC’s GRAB-N-GO resources make praying EASY.
Participate in Annual National Events such as SYATP.

Invite the adults in your community to support SYATP by signing up for The Prayer Walk Project. This project offers a way for caring adults to join hands in prayer on the Saturdays before and after SYATP.

Prayer is the real power in any campus movement. Make it a non-negotiable in your ministry to emphasize prayer with adults and students and see how God moves.

Next Step

Download the Claim Your Campus app and consider how you could use it on your campus today. Do you have a prayer strategy for your plans? If not, send the app to a few student leaders and invite them to start praying for their campus!

DOWNLOAD THE APP

4 Ways to Prepare for a Prayer Walk

Prepare Your Heart

Surrender the Prayer Walk to the Lord. Ask the Lord for one or two scriptures to help prepare your heart. Jot them down. If you like, use them to inspire the people you invite, or share them with your team the day you meet to prayer walk. Pray for:

Divine appointments with people.
Connections with insiders at the school who are like-minded and willing to help.
God to guide your steps.
Open eyes to see the spiritual needs of the campus.

Prepare Your Team

Pray for Names. Ask the Lord to bring to mind specific names of students, volunteers, parents, pastors, and/or faculty you can ask to join your prayer walk. Keep in mind, this is not about numbers. Even one prayer partner is enough. Matthew 18:20 says, “Where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.”

Invite the People that He brought to mind. Decide what mode of communication is best: text? social media? phone call? Give them a brief description of what a prayer walk is and what they can expect that day. Share what has motivated you to gather a team to pray. Be sure to tell them the date, the start and end times, and the location. Give them an RSVP date.

Send them any final details on the day before. Remind your team what time you will begin and end and the location to meet. Let them know what to bring and any adjustments needed due to weather or other factors.

(During a Prayer Walk) Pray for: Divine appointments with people. Connections with insiders at the school who are like-minded and willing to help. God to guide your steps. Open eyes to see the spiritual needs of the campus.

Prepare Your Campus

Check with an Insider at Your School. Once you choose your campus and gather your team, you may want to check with an insider at the school to see if there is anyone you need to notify ahead of time. Most likely, it will not be an issue if you are prayer walking after school or over the weekend on the parts of the campus that are open to the public. Avoid prayer walking on campus during school hours without permission.

Prepare Your Details

“WHO” DETAILS: By now, you know WHO is coming. But here are some other “WHO” questions to think about if you have a larger group. Who will…

begin the prayer walk (introduce/explain it)?
end the prayer walk?
lead smaller groups (if your team is large)?

“WHAT TO BRING” DETAILS: You may want to bring copies of the Prayer Guide and the Leader Guide.

“WHERE/WHEN” DETAILS: Make sure everyone knows the date and time you will meet. Include starting point (address of meeting spot) and ending point (time and meeting spot).

“HOW” DETAILS: For your convenience, this Campus Prayer Walk Leader’s Guide provides a general flow and includes sample scripts of what to say from start to finish. If you can read it, you can lead it. But you may need to think through the unique needs of your prayer walk.

Would you like the prayer walk to be more casual or more organized? Do you have people who are comfortable prayer walking or more new people who may need more instruction?

You have prepared your part. Time to grab your walking shoes. Let’s do this!

Next Step

It is time to get on the campus to pray. Text one friend today and ask them if they would be willing to go to the school to prayer walk with you this week. Get your feet on the campus and pray together. Once you have done it yourself, it will be a lot easier to gather others to do it with you.

Prayer Walking

After the Israelites wandered for 40 years in the desert, God called Joshua to bring His people into the land He had promised them. The commander of the army of the Lord appeared to Joshua with instructions essentially for a prayer walk around the city of Jericho. And let’s just say the Israelites’ obedience to his words, made history. (If you are unfamiliar with this incredible story, you can read the whole story here.)

What is Prayer Walking?

Prayer walking is just what it sounds like—praying as you walk. And you can do it anywhere: around your neighborhood, through your city, or even on your daily commute. Invite others to join you! As you walk together, let the Spirit of God use what you see to guide your prayers. Then, trust God to respond in His perfect way and timing.

One of the most impactful places for a prayer walk is around a school campus that means something to you. It puts you right where the students are—like God’s boots on the ground—allowing you to connect your heart to that specific location as you pray. And who knows? It might even lead to a chance meeting with a key person on campus. Many ministries have started with a simple “Hey there!” to a student or administrator during a prayer walk. A casual stroll can open unexpected doors!

If you have never done this before, no worries! Joshua—the young leader from the Bible—had not done it before either. It was his willingness and availability to God that mattered most. And the same goes for you—no experience required!

Prayer walking is just what it sounds like—praying as you walk.

Prayer Walk in Three Easy Steps

Meet Up (5 minutes)

Grab a friend or two and meet on campus- ideally after school or on the weekend. Select and read a meaningful passage from the Bible together. Take a minute to pray a blessing over this time, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your prayers.

Walk & Pray (10-20 minutes)

Start walking the perimeter of the campus and let the Holy Spirit use who/what you see guide your prayers. Here are 5 ways you could begin praying:

Ask God to move by His Spirit on this campus and be glorified.
Pray people here would hunger and thirst for God.
Pray for the believers here to live wholeheartedly for Jesus and make others feel seen, known, and loved by God.
Pray for leaders in this school’s community (students, parents, administration, faculty, coaches, etc.)

Wrap It Up (5 minutes)

Select a spot to close your time together. Talk about how it went. Was there anything that stood out as significant or meaningful? Take a few minutes to thank God for this time. Express your love for Him and your confidence that He will respond to the prayers He heard today.

Other Prayer Walking Guides

If you would rather have a more specific guide to help you in your prayer walk, try one below:

CYC Prayer Walk Guide
Locations on Campus Prayer Walking Guide
The Launchbox Prayer Walking Guide
Make a list of prayer requests to pray about your specific campus
Just invite people to pray for things that come to mind as they walk

One of the most impactful places for a prayer walk is around a school campus that means something to you.

Why Do It?

Prayer Walking Knocks Down Walls

What effect did Joshua’s and the Israelites’ obedience have on the fortified and powerful ancient city of Jericho? Well, the God of the Universe infused their faith-filled feet with power, causing the otherwise insurmountable walls of the city to collapse. That’s how they fought and won the battle of Jericho—without ever throwing a punch!

Now, maybe you are not planning to tear down any physical walls around your school—in fact, let’s definitely avoid that! But in the spiritual realm, every school is a battlefield for souls. On every campus, there are barriers to the gospel that need to be broken down. Inside every person, there are walls that separate us from God or keep us from fully experiencing the abundant life He wants for us.

Looking for a more current example of a battle fought and won with prayer? Check out this powerful story of what happened when a group of students in Marion, Indiana consistently and prayerfully put feet to their faith and watched God win the battle for their campus. If you want to read about more victories won with praying feet, check out Exodus 14 and 2 Chronicles 20:1-30.

Some Other Great Reasons to Prayer Walk Your Campus

It is a place to gather other believers who have a heart for the campus.
It is a way to be on campus with a purpose.
Sometimes God uses these times to introduce us to key gatekeepers on campus.
It might surface some needs on the campus with which you could help.
It helps your team become more familiar with the campus and less fearful of going there.
It is better than doing nothing. Sometimes God moves when we take action.

Within the campus ministry of Cru, prayer walking has actually been shown to be the single most effective strategy in seeing new gospel movements started.
– Dan Allen, Director of Mission Expansion

The powerful presence of God always has and STILL does mix with our prayers and supernaturally connects us more deeply to God, ourselves, and others. Prayer breaks down barriers that lie between us and wins the battle for souls.

Prayer walking can be your lead foot on any campus. Ready to grab a friend and step into the unknown with Him? Prayer walking is something anyone can do.

Next Step

Plan 15 minutes this week to stop at your local high school, walk around, and pray for the school. Bring a friend or do it alone; just get your feet on the campus and pray. Ask God to show you what next steps He would like you to take.