Gaining Confidence and Stepping Out
Telling people about your faith, what you believe or inviting them to a church gathering can be really scary. But if you never welcome people to your NWC, it is unlikely ever to really grow.
There are lots of helpful tips and advice on starting to do ‘evangelism’, but here are just 4 to get you started.
What is your mission style and what do you think the person you’re speaking to actually needs? Do they want to be CONVINCED? Do they want to EXPERIENCE? Do they want you to SHOW them? Or would they rather just TALK? And which of these styles are you best suited to, which would you enjoy doing the most? The Fusion Movement have developed this brilliant tool for helping you to understanding how you made to share Jesus. Their aim is to show you just how fun and natural evangelism can be! Check it out here and take the test:
Staying on the Fusion theme - Revd. Miriam Swaffield (who lives and works in Middlesbrough in the Diocese of York) has some great tips here about ‘name dropping Jesus’. Her comments are for students but they could just as much apply at the school gates, at the pub or in the gym. She also has some brilliant talks on how Jesus did friendship with people here and how mission is also about our presence in a place here.
A big part of mission is just having a go: try running an Alpha course (it doesn’t matter how small!) or a Start Course (you can learn more about LYCIG here). See what happens! Alpha have tons of tips on how to do their courses for different contexts and people. You want to make sure you ALWAYS have something to invite people to. If you’ve told them about your faith and they seem interested - what is their NEXT STEP? Where can they go from their? If they’ve turned up to you NWC, how can you give them opportunities to learn more about God and faith?
Not sure what to say? You can KEEP IT SIMPLE - check out the ‘four points’ which are four simple steps to explaining the gospel - here. Or there are plenty of little videos from CV Outreach on ‘what the gospel’ is in 2 minutes from a range of people here. Have a look at the one below Archbishop Justin Welby. Can you do your own? Could you explain who Jesus is and why he matters to you in 2 minutes?
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
- 1 Peter 3 v 15 (New Testament, NIV)