Chick-fil-A Sandwiches for Christ

What does it take to creatively reach college students for Christ? Sometimes, it’s as simple as offering a chicken sandwich.

Once a semester, Navigators at Rowan University in New Jersey carry out a campaign called “Text for Chick-fil-A,” where students can text in a spiritual question in order to be delivered a free Chick-fil-A sandwich later that day. As students involved with The Navigators ministry on campus drop off sandwiches, they take the opportunity to answer the students’ questions, sparking gospel conversations and opening the door for future relationships.

“We’re using the desire for hunger — physical hunger — to have all kinds of conversations with people about spiritual hunger,” Navigator Cameron Jones says.

The idea started four years ago when Cameron was first launching the collegiate ministry at Rowan University. As he and his team started building relationships with students from scratch, they wondered how they could best engage non-believing students on campus. Cameron remembered hearing about a campaign some Navigators in the United Kingdom did several years back, where they asked students to text a spiritual question in order to receive a free “toastie” (a grilled cheese sandwich) and an answer to their question.

“I thought that idea could work, but wondered how I could shape it for an American context,” Cameron recalls. “What would people respond to? A Chick-fil-A sandwich.”

The “Text for Chick-fil-A” campaign

The event was a success that first semester, and since then, the campaign has grown alongside the campus’ thriving student ministry. This past fall, over 160 students texted in questions, asking deep spiritual questions. Each of these students were then hand-delivered a chicken sandwich that night, visited by Navigator students who personally answered their questions.

Sometimes the exchange is short and sweet, but for many, it sparks longer conversations about faith that allow for further dialogue and relationship. The event always happens on a Tuesday so that students can be invited to the weekly Bible study the following night, and usually, several new faces show up after being met the night before.

For one student, Davis*, the Text for Chick-fil-A event couldn’t have come at a better time. Raised in a Christian family, Davis believed in God but fell into partying and a worldly lifestyle once he got to college. Though he was feeling convicted about what he was doing, he didn’t know how to move forward. When he saw the event, he texted in a question and was surprised by how well the conversation with Navigators students went that night. Since then, he has been a part of The Navigators ministry on campus and has been growing in his faith.

“Our believing Navigator students get so excited about the event every semester as it’s taken off,” Cameron says. “They send the event to their sports teams, dorm floors, and fraternities. It’s partially how our ministry has grown.”

Another impact from the event is the effect that it has had on the believing students in the ministry. In order to engage with student’s questions, they are having to prepare themselves to answer difficult topics, as well as grow comfortable with navigating faith-based conversations. For many of the students, this has developed an attitude of evangelism, instilling them with the confidence to share Christ in their everyday lives.

“I grew up scared to share my faith as a college student,” Cameron says, “but these students are having spiritual conversations in their majors and sports teams. They are inviting new people to our Bible study all the time. It’s this culture that, hey, it’s not that big of a deal to share your faith with others.”

Reaching the lost, one question at a time

For Cameron, the Text for Chick-fil-A event is a way to create a landing place for non-believing students to feel comfortable, whether they are asking hard questions or trying out Bible study for the first time. The event has opened doors to engage students who might typically be hard to reach. “I’ve spent a whole evening in a frat house, having awesome spiritual conversations, and there’s no way I’m in that house that night if the chicken sandwich didn’t get me there,” Cameron says.

“I’ve done a lot of evangelism over the years with The Navigators, and this is by far the best form that I’ve found,” he continues. “Because it’s so clear, right? This student asked a spiritual question, and I have the chicken sandwich. And I can meet them in that space.”

Discipleship Tip:

Asking questions can go a long way to building trust in relationships and starting gospel conversations. Consider inviting those around you to ask spiritual questions they may have — even if you don’t fully know the answer. By being open to questions, you can create space for candid discussions that can point back to Christ.