The upcoming CityFest event in West Michigan has reminded us of the many in our own community who need to hear of Jesus. Most of us feel anxious about sharing our faith with other people. And for many of us, we find ourselves increasingly consumed with church activities and isolated from unbelievers. Here are few suggestions about how you can be more faithful in this regard as you move toward new opportunities this fall:
- Make a list of people in your circle of influence who don’t know Christ and commit to praying for them. Obviously God works in response to prayer. But prayer also has a way of changing us and sensitizing us to people and opportunities.
- Take the time to write out your story of how you came to faith in Jesus Christ. Use a simple “before and after” template. Hone it down to 100 words or less. And eliminate all “Christian-ease” (words that an unchurched person wouldn’t understand).
- Pursue opportunities to live life with unchurched people. Statistically, the longer you have been a believer, the fewer unchurched people you know. Begin coaching soccer. Sign up for a karate class. Start swimming at the aquatic center. No contact – no impact!
- Ask questions. Certainly there is gospel content that needs to be shared. But questions are a great way to show genuine concern, to find out what a person believes and to direct conversation to ultimate issues. Avoid the tendency to present a cold, calculated pre-packaged sales talk. People can tell whether you really care about them.
- Have people in your home. Don’t spend a week cleaning the house and preparing a seven course meal. Keep it simple and casual. You would be amazed at the conversation that can take place around the grill.
Pastor Jeff
Photo credit: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Students_walking_on_Nazareth_College_campus,_Rochester,_NY.jpg
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