THOUGHTS ABOUT WITNESSING

A friend asked me to post some conversation starters I use for witnessing to people about Jesus. With every situation being different, it was a little hard to come up with just “one-liners”. It really starts in a conversation first with God. And it always helps to be prepared like at the check-out line with the cashier you tend to see again and again. Sometimes they are people we have never seen before and will never see again, so then it’s helpful to have some things on hand to give if they seem responsive to what you shared with them. I’m no expert on this but am passionate about telling people the truth. Here is a list, though not well-written or complete, of a few of the things that come to mind for witnessing. I’ve also included below a few brief encounters with people fairly recently.

* Pray first.
Open doors are something I pray for regularly. I pray for easy ones, hard ones, for open eyes to see where God would use me, and for passion. This could be my last day and I want to use it wisely – or it could be the last time I’ll see or have a chance to speak with the person God puts in front of me. I have to keep asking for a heart like God’s to share this precious message.

* Have something to give.
I keep a stash of our church business cards, pens, flyers like for Fall Fest, and books of John (that we order from The Pocket Testament League) in my purse, since they are great conversation starters. Often I’ll write my name on the card and depending on the situation sometimes even my phone number.

* Start talking.
If it’s the supermarket, Costco, the fruit market, Starbucks, post office, or wherever you go, find the familiar faces and extend an extra kind word. Instead of “How are you?”, I ask them how their day has been so far and I use their name. People tend to give a more detailed and honest answer when asked this.

Basically I just start with natural conversation and then if I’m able I throw out hooks to see if they will spark an interest in the other person. I’ll talk about my church, about God, how I loved getting in the Word that morning, what his word says etc. If they mention any words like “blessing”, “God”, "the Lord", then I see that as an open door and often ask them if they know the Lord; or if they mention God or church, I often ask them if they are born again and go from there. If it’s the first time meeting someone, I think it’s easier to have a conversation about the gospel up front rather than holding it back and agonizing over the best time to bring it up at a later date.

* Be willing to look stupid to others.
When it comes to the gospel, God is so faithful to give boldness, and speaking to people about it is not something I fear as much as I may perhaps speaking to a large audience – because this is his message, not mine. That's what I love about sharing the gospel. I've been given nasty looks at times for bringing it up. As long as we are not personally offensive in our manner of sharing the truth then we can rejoice that God will reward us for being faithful.

* Memorize key verses
As many times as we memorise the verses, isn't it true that we also forget them if we don't revisit and rememorize?

* Memorize a method for sharing the gospel
My favorite is using The Umbrella.

A couple ways to look for those open doors . . .

* Service Professionals
If we are paying for their service then they are great to talk to (the appliance repair guys, outside construction workers, even the ladies at Happy Nails etc). You know if they are working on something for a while, then there’s time, so I usually start by offering them a soda (or whatever) and asking normal acceptable questions like if they have kids, if they live in the area, how long they’ve been in the country etc. If they are responsive, I may try to open the door by asking them if they’ve had a churched background. Whatever answer you get is usually a good indicator of where they’re at and you can continue with more questions like, “Do you know who Jesus Christ is?”

* Telemarketers
If I listen to them for any amount of time, I give them a word of praise for how they are doing if it’s true, and then ask them at the end if I can share the best news in the world with them. Then I give them a verse like Romans 6:23, and end with a warm comment like, “Something to think about”. It’s amazing how many conversations this has sparked (and how many have been offended but can’t say anything back but “Thank you” and end the call).

* Facebook
When those old friends come back into your life and want to know how you are doing, tell them. Tell them about your new life in Christ but keep it brief and intriguing so they come back for more.

A few recent examples of witnessing . . .

* Noelle at Starbucks
After paying for my coffee and seeing that the store wasn’t busy, I offered the three ladies there a book of John with the cover “A Story of True Love”. Noelle was the one who immediately took an interest and told me she had never read it before and it turns out she had never been in a church before. That opened the door for me to share the gospel with her. A few weeks later, I was in there and invited her to Compass again to hear about Preparing for Judgment Day. She eagerly took it and told me she really needed it, and her boyfriend had been wanting to start going to church. She said she was getting off early so would attend that night.

* Eric from FedEx
He said he was willing to wait while I repackaged my computer in the empty box he delivered and to take it with him. So I offered him a soda and while he was waiting made conversation. He was from around here so I invited him to our church. He took the card and I asked him if he was born again. He told me he wasn’t but he had an aunt who was praying for him. So I gave him a book of John and told him the gospel in about three minutes as I handed him my fedex package. He was very grateful and promised to read the book of John. This all happened in the middle of a Partners meeting. It was so funny because I almost forgot my partner, Michelle, was there and when I turned around after he left, her eyes were wide with amazement (probably at how easy it is to share with people). The next time Eric delivered a package, he came twice because the first time we weren't there. So when he came I handed him Fall Fest flyers and he said he was going to invite his whole soccer team.

* Our old neighbor Christina
Just in conversation over time, I had invited her to church and asked her if she knew the Lord and told her I was praying for her. It was always in passing and she worked a lot so it was hard to get more than a moment with her. The night we found out she was moving out in the morning, I knew it was my last chance so I awkwardly asked her if anyone had shared the gospel with her before and she said no. Then I asked her if she would come over and give me 20 minutes to share it with her and she agreed and her life has never been the same. It had been a terrible day circumstantially for me up until this point. Not only did I get to share the gospel with this neighbor who I hardly ever saw but that very night she repented and put her trust in Jesus!!!

* Michelle, who Christina went to live with
After Christina moved in to rent a room from Michelle and her family, she invited them to church and they began attending but would always leave immediately after the service. I had talked with Michelle over the phone once and it sounded like God was already doing a work from what Christina had told me, however they were not involved. There was one week that Michelle had frequently been on my mind and in my prayers so the following Sunday I caught her before she and her husband left. I took a little risk and asked if she could come over that week so I could share the gospel with her. She agreed! When she came, we sat down while the kids played, opened the Bible, drew the Umbrella version of the gospel and it became clear that she believed up to that point that she was saved by her good works. The good thing was that she repented immediately and left a brand new person in Christ!!!

One of the best gifts we get out of sharing the truth and seeing someone respond is a new brother or sister in Christ and a friend for life! Many times, it's not like that and we find that certain people end up avoiding us because they don't like our message. It always encourages me when I think of the analogy that we are just like waitors and our job is to bring the food to the table. As Christians, our job is to simply deliver the message and we are not responsible for whether people like it or not. And for those of us who are spreading the gospel, it's a win-win. It will make a difference . . . an eternal one! Let's all increase our efforts, one day at a time, and get more excited about storing wealth in the kingdom that lasts forever!

It would be wonderful to hear other's thoughts too. If you read this, please leave a comment about your witnessing experiences!