Although students typically are not going back to school for another month, I still wanted to share a recent Digital outreach report and how God is using short films online and on social media. Here’s one example of how God is changing lives.
New Zealand
The “coffee cup strategy” in New Zealand exemplifies recognizing a significant opportunity — the influx of new university students. The campus staff team devised a culturally relevant tool: a reusable coffee cup. Students could get a discount from university coffee shops when they reused it. On the cup is a QR code for information on spiritual questions, including videos made by the Jesus Film® for national languages and outreach.
This wasn’t just about offering a freebie; it was a strategic entry point. By requiring students to engage with a spiritual survey to receive a cup, the team intentionally created an opportunity for contact and follow-up in a demographic often resistant to traditional outreach methods. Partnering with university coffee shops demonstrated further ingenuity, embedding their movement’s presence within the fabric of student life.
Jacob was a student primarily interested in the drinking culture. But signing up for one of the coffee cups gave him more than the cup. He became a passionate follower of Christ and is now a student leader who shares his faith with everyone he comes into contact with. Jacob is one of 100 students who put their faith in Christ as a result of the “coffee cup strategy.”
Jacob* is just one of a life that was changed by a fun and creative way of placing the gospel in front of a new generation.
*He is in the picture above; front row with the white T-shirt.
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