Yesterday, I shared three reasons WHY you should face your fear of evangelism. If you haven’t read that article yet, go check it out now, then come back!
Now that you know WHY you should be doing evangelism even if you’re totally freaking out, I want to give you some really great ways you can face your fears and share the gospel with your friends! I hope and pray these practical tips will help you share the gospel with confidence and reliance on God.
Pray
Prayer is powerful! God is always listening and ready to answer our prayers, and he LOVES helping us when we’re sharing the gospel! Pray before you start an evangelistic conversation, during the conversation (even just a quick “Help me!” during an awkward silence!) and after the conversation. You can be praying for things like wisdom, calmness and clarity, and of course, for the person to become a Christian!
Prepare
1 Peter 3:15 says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” You’re going to feel a LOT better about sharing the gospel if you’re prepared to answer questions, explain theological concepts and rebut common objections. Ensure that you’re reading your Bible regularly, and consider preparing to answer common questions by ready a few books about things like Jesus’ existence, the resurrection, God and suffering, Catholicism and grace. You may also like to learn a gospel illustration that you can share, such as Bridge to Life or Two Ways to Live.
Keep it casual
Gospel conversations are not sermons! If God gives you an opportunity to share the gospel with a friend, try to avoid slipping into preacher mode. Ask questions about why your friend is interested, make jokes when appropriate, and don’t feel like you need to have all the answers. Remember – this person is your friend! You’re most likely going to have an opportunity to continue the conversation at a later time so you can keep it low-key and use each conversation to move the person a little closer to Christ.
Use your networks
When I was in my first year of university, the Christian group at my uni (the Sydney University Evangelical Union) had this concept called “RIBE” that was meant to help us with evangelism. RIBE stands for Relate, Invite, Bring, Enfold. The theory behind it was that one of the best ways to bring something to faith was to enfold them in Christian community. After all, six people sharing the gospel with you may be more convincing than just one! And furthermore, Christian community is very attractive to those who don’t follow Jesus, because generally we’re very good at being loving and inclusive. If you’re totally freaking out about evangelism, try RIBEing – invite your friend to youth group or church and enfold them in the community.
Find a partner
If you’re struggling to psych yourself up for evangelism, you may like to find an accountability partner or mentor who can challenge you to start having Jesus-centred conversations with your friends. Ask this person to check up with you on whether you’re sharing your faith regularly. This person may also be someone whom you can pray with for your non-Christian friends though. Always be careful, though, that your discussions and prayers do not turn into gossip about your non-believing friends.
Remember Jesus is with you
In part 1 of this article, I referenced Matthew 28:18-20, where Jesus tells his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations. But I sneakily left out half of verse 20 (context is important!). In the second half of verse 20, Jesus says, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Jesus is ALWAYS with us, because as Christians we have the Holy Spirit. When you’re feeling afraid, remember this assurance.
So, what are you waiting for? Go start a conversation about Jesus with a friend right now!