Want to Reach People? Just Go Fishing!
“After my youth pastor talked about the Great Commission, it really stirred my heart. ‘I just want to do something,’ I told my mom. I talked to her about it because she’s like my second pastor, and she asked me, ‘What do you like to do?’ I immediately thought of fishing, so I decided to start a fishing Gateway Group.
“I tested out my idea on a few buddies of mine: ‘Hey, do y’all want to meet on Sunday afternoons to fish, read the Bible, and hang out?’ They agreed, so we started meeting at the park every other week. It’s not a huge group, but I love it—just a bunch of guys my age, fishing and talking. Jesus said to teach people about Him, but I hadn’t thought about teaching my friends. I’m only seventeen. Some of my buddies are Christians, but I wasn’t sure how much they knew about God, so I thought, Maybe I can teach them what I know.
“We talk about hard things and life. It’s a place where we can be real. Church is great because we hear the messages and say ‘Hi!’ to each other, but as life throws stuff at us, it’s nice to have a safe space where we can be honest and say, ‘I messed up this week.’ We pray for each other. My generation just wants to be real, instead of pretending to be something we’re not in life."
A Few Fish and Lots of Fellowship
“I’ll be honest with you. I think we’ve caught maybe five fish this year, but we’ve had a lot of fun. There’s a dock on the pond, and the park is walking distance for many of the guys. For about an hour, we meet under the old pavilion, eat some snacks, talk for a while, read a chapter of the Bible, discuss it, and pray. I don’t want it to be too heavy. Then, we fish, play volleyball or softball, and just hang out.
“My friend Isaiah leads the group with me. When I can’t make it, Isaiah is always there. Some weeks, only three guys show up, but we’ve had as many as seventeen come. It’s super cool, no matter how many show. One of our favorite verses is ‘share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ’ (Galatians 6:2 NLT). To share each other’s burdens, we talk and pray.
“Every time we’re together, someone’s going through a problem in their family, or they’re struggling with stuff, so we help each other. One guy came—a new Christian—and he asked a bunch of questions about the Bible reading, the music he listens to, social media, and just life’s problems. We got to share with him, and it was a cool moment."
Support From the Youth Pastor
“My youth pastor is always encouraging me and asking how it’s going with the fishing group. He’s really pouring into our lives. We hope to inspire others to start a group or a Bible study on their campuses. It doesn’t have to be a big fancy thing. You don’t need to have it all together. Just think of something you love to do and throw the Bible in with it.
“My youth pastor said, ‘Dude, you started a church.’ I thought about what he said. Really, meeting every weekend for an hour and a half isn’t enough time to build relationships. Spending time with people you can really talk to is where you find true freedom and true friendships. It’s a vulnerable place, but it’s the healthiest place to be.”
–Ray, part of the Gateway family