For some of us, sharing our faith is vital and the most important part of how we make a difference in the world. But sharing our faith (or “evangelism” as it used to be called once upon a time) isn’t an easy thing for those of us who believe this is part of our purpose. In fact, many of us who do share our faith push people away more than they invite them to see the hope they are trying to share.
Whether you want to know how to share your faith more effectively, or just want to practice connecting with people better, these stories and tips are for you.
I’ve Make a Lot of Mistakes in Sharing My Faith
Remember these? Evangelism cubes? Probably only those of us who grew up steeped in Christian evangelistic culture do. Although they were fun to play with as a kid I am not too sure they were that effective. I scratch the surface of mistakes (and humorous stories) as I talk about how to share your faith here. Instead, here are four effective elements I’ve found in sharing my faith.
Four Elements of Effective Disciple-Making
How do you share your faith effectively? Without making people hate you for simply being honest about what you are excited about? I can’t help you not sound crazy and that isn’t my goal. But I can go over some best practices. This past weekend I spoke about four effective elements of making disciples which you can watch here.
Giving people a choice to hear you is vital, and you’ll be surprised at how frequently people are okay with it. Many don’t mind talking about worldview and faith, especially when it comes to hearing our personal stories (never underestimate the power of story). People just (understandably) don’t like feeling judged or marketed to.
In addition, when your beliefs, even the invitation to join you, comes from the context of a relationship where someone feels safe and loved no matter what they end up believing, you have a lot more room for better authentic conversations about what matter.
And what matters becomes the common ground. Instead of focusing conversations on what you disagree on, always come back to what you agree on. Maybe you have different worldviews but both dislike trafficking. That is great. Stay connected over that.
Lastly, look for needs people have. If you believe God can use you to meet them, meet them! This is a practical way of making a difference, but no one is going to care about what you believe unless you live in such a way that your belief comes out in action. I give the example of meeting the housing need of a old housemate of mine. Realizing God had given us a way to meet her need was what changed her life. (Listen here.)
Back to the Basics – The “How” of Sharing Your Faith
If you are a follower of Jesus (or just like to connect with people to share with them hope) you might be interest in these stories I share about mistakes to avoid. Please learn from my evangelism mistakes. As I speak, I share how I discover how live missionally to invite others to be disciples of Jesus with me. Here’s the full sermon:
Do you feel comfortable with all of these? If not, go Back to the Basics. Watch this to go a little deeper as you learn how to make a difference by sharing your faith.
