HOW TO SHARE YOUR FAITH THROUGH CONVERSATIONS
Conversation evangelism is a process that’s best done gradually through a series of conversations with people, building trusting relationships with them over time. Evangelism is helping your non-believing friends take one step closer to Christ every day, seeking to make the most of every encounter to encourage them toward Christ.
In sharing our faith, it is important to realize that we follow God into the world, He doesn’t follow us. God always goes before us because He is already there working on the hearts and minds of seekers. Evangelism is never a solo activity. God is always working behind the scenes to draw people to himself. Evangelism is cooperating with what God is already doing! That is why it is so important to ask strategic questions to find out where a person is on his or her spiritual journey.
But how do you find out where people are on their spiritual journey? Of the Christian outreach resources provided by Share Your Faith Ministries, one of the most important evangelism tools deals with asking questions to get to know your unbelieving friends. In the process, ask questions to find out what God is already doing and where they are on their spiritual journey. Here are the questions that I use most:
1. What is your church background?
Asking about church background less threatening than asking, “Are you a Christian,” “Do you go to church” or “what church do you attend?” When I ask about a person’s church background, I am asking about their history, their background, their parents’ religious influence, their upbringing etc. As they share about their experience, I follow-up with questions about what has happened on their journey since then and where they are today. If they are responsive spiritually, they are usually very open to talk about these things. If they are not, it may be an indication they are not in the Red Zone. Don’t be pushy in your questioning. Always respect where they are on their spiritual journey.
2. When I think of you, how do you want me to pray for you?
The question is very affirming. You are taking a personal interest in them and telling them that you think about them when you are not with them and would like to know how they would like you to pray for them. If they say something like, pray anyway you want, then they are probably not very responsive. But if they begin to open up about real concerns in their life for which they need prayer, then you have an open door to encourage them spiritually and learn more about their spiritual journey.
3. Do you pray and ask God to help you?
This is a good question to ask when someone tells you about a hard time they are going through. In a national survey interviewing a range of adult converts regarding the factors that had brought them to faith, the findings were that the majority of conversions a) took a long time, and average of about two years, b) Spiritual journeys frequently started due to a felt need or life problem.” So when someone shares with you about a hard time they are going through, that may be the thing that moves them into the Red Zone. Asking if they are praying about their situation is an appropriate question and it will help you get an idea of their responsiveness to God. After they respond and tell you about their prayer life or lack of prayer life, a good follow-up question is, ”What is your church background?”
One of the most helpful evangelism teaching aids is the art of asking questions to find out where people are on their spiritual journey. The best way is simply to take an interest in them. Ask questions about their journey in life and, in the process, ask a question that will touch on their spiritual journey.
Remember, evangelism is never a solo activity. God is always working behind the scenes to draw people to himself. Your goal is to seek to cooperate with what God is already doing. That is why it is so important to ask strategic questions to find out where a person is on his or her spiritual journey.
In their book Conversational Evangelism: How to Listen and Speak So You Can Be Heard, Norman Geisler and David Geisler write, “Remember that it’s the Holy Spirit who ultimately draws people to Christ. You shouldn’t feel the pressure of being responsible for how people respond to the Gospel. Your job is simply to lead them to it and give them opportunities to respond. As you make yourself available to God every day, His Spirit will empower you to speak the truth to others in your conversations.”
Information regarding Dr. Tucker’s personal evangelism training can be requested by sending an e-mail to info@howtoshareyourfaith.com or calling (909) 518-9633. Donations made out to How to Share Your Faith can be sent to 6369 Chandon Place, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91737.