Expert: Carl Fuglein - 3/9/2007

Question
Hey I asked you a few days about how I wanted to talk to my youth minister about making a commitment and I am still questioning about how I am going to step up to the plate and not be shy and talk to her about!! You being a youth minister what would you say to a youth that came to you wanting to make a commitment? What type of questions should I expect?

Answer
Let me give a you a script that might be typical - what your youth minister says is obviously up to her, but let me just role play both of you.

~~~~~~~~~~~Script starts here.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

sheigh:  I need to talk to you.

ym:  Sure, what's up?

s- You know the other day when I pretty much blew you off about what I did at the concert?  I want to say that I'm sorry, I just wasn't ready to talk about it.

ym  really?  Why not?

s I'm not sure - I guess I'm just scared and didn't want to be embarrassed.

ym Why should you be embarrassed about something like that?  Making a commitment to God is an important step in maturity.  Tell me why you're scared.

s  I don't know, I guess I don't know whether or not I really made a commitment. I don't know what God will ask me to do.  I don't know how God will talk to me, or ever talk to me at all.  I'm just nervous and scared.

ym  Well, God has pretty big shoulders and He loves you and wants to hear from you.  And I don't think He wants to be scary.  And I don't think He'd ask you to do anything that would be harmful.

s How about you?  Are you scary?  You are to me, sometimes I'm scared to talk to you because I don't know what to say.

ym  Just be yourself and pretend I'm your friend.  I'm a really good listener.

s yea, okay.  So did I really make a commitment to God?  And if I didn't, what do I have to do to make a commitment to become a Christian?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~pause from the script for a second~~~~~~
NOTE - this next part is really important.  This is what it takes to really become a Christian, and it can be scary.  I'm going to assume that you really go believe and really want to do this.  If you're not ready, then just answer the questions the way you need to.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~back to script~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

youth minister:  Do you believe in God?

s Yes

ym Do you believe that Jesus walked on Earth?

s Yes

ym Do you know that you are a sinner because you're human and all humans sin?

s yes

ym  Do you believe that God sent Jesus, His son, to die on the cross for you in payment for your sins?

s I think so.

ym  Do you want Jesus to make you a better person?

s Yes.

ym Do you want Jesus to live in your heart?

s yes.

ym Then you MUST believe that Jesus died for your sins.

s  Okay. I do, I really, really believe it and want to be better.

ym  Wonderful.  You've just become a true blue evangelical Christian.

s So what happens now?

ym Once you say you believe, you will try your best to answer God's call to try and stop sinning and live a better life.  You're not always going to be able to do that, but over time, you will sin less and less and want God more and more and will begin to live a life like Jesus.  And when you die, whether you walk out of here and get hit by a truck, or you live to be 110, you're going to go to heaven and live with God and Jesus.

Remember, Christians are NOT perfect people, but they ARE forgiven by a loving, forgiving God.

s What is God going to make me do?

ym  I don't know.  Maybe He'll ask you to be a missionary or a youth minister or maybe he'll just ask you to be kind to others.  God comes to you in a lot of different ways.  As the Holy Spirit, He may just place a thought into your head, and He definitely sends other people to talk to you, and if you're really lucky, you might see an angel someday.

s  That would be cool.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~End of Script~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There, that wasn't too bad, was it?  I imagine your conversation will be similar to this, but not exact. Becoming a Christian is the easy part.  Trying to give up sin and become like Jesus is harder, but doable, especially once you ask God and Jesus into your heart.

I hope this helps.  Now make that appointment, and go see your ym as soon as you can.  And write back to me and tell me how it went, okay?  Sheigh, I care about you and I understand that you're scared.  But your ym is no scarier than me and she won't get angry - she'll love having this talk with you, trust me!

hugs,
carl

ps.  And the part about seeing an angel?  I have.  I've seen two angels - once when I was 12, and once about a year ago.  Sometimes, not always, God will let you see an angel.  But even if you don't see them, I believe that angels are all around you protecting you and keeping you safe.