I gave up on witnessing. It’s not that I wasn’t grateful for the salvation I have through Jesus. I was grateful and really wanted to tell others about His love and how He changed my life. I took classes on how to share my faith. I memorized scripts. I learned proof texts and how to answer objections. Yet in spite of my best intentions, my efforts failed miserably.

Something that should have been a natural, free-flowing exchange, was stiff, awkward, and mechanical. Mine was not a winsome witness. People were put off, and God must have been embarrassed at my misrepresentation of Him. Traditional methods of evangelism just didn’t seem to match my personality and spiritual gifts. I was like David wearing Saul’s armor. Did I really have to be pushy, insensitive, or confrontational to be an effective witness?

Later, as a pastor, I learned that only about 10 percent of my church members were comfortable sharing their faith using traditional methods. Many of them also gave up on witnessing.

Why would God require a particular model for witnessing and then equip so few of His people to use it successfully? I wondered. I have since discovered a different approach to witnessing, or as I call it, evangelism. If you are ready to build up the kingdom of God, here’s how to get started:

Make Yourself Available – In the morning, before you start your day, yield yourself to God, and ask Him to use you to impact others for His kingdom. God will always answer this prayer.

Be Yourself – God can and will use you—just as you are. Don’t let personal imperfections and lack of training prevent you from being His witness. Seek training, but if you have a relationship with Jesus, you already know enough. God provides on-the-job training.

Start With Acquaintances – Don’t concentrate your efforts on strangers. Begin sharing with the people you know. Each of us has a mission field among our family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Build on your established relationships, good will, and rapport.

Minister to Needs – There can be no impact without contact. Start connecting with the people you know and minister to their needs. Small acts of service and simple gestures of kindness have a bigger impact than spiritual eruptions. We earn the right to share our faith with people when we serve them with no strings attached. We must first minister to people with our hands and ears, and then with our mouths

Initiate Spiritual Conversations – As the spirit leads, use the person’s needs, or world or local events, to initiate spiritual conversations. Simple and sincere phrases like “I am praying for you,” “God loves you and so do I,” or even “God bless you” can open doors for further conversation. Watch for moments of receptivity, and then share a thought—not a sermon.

Invest and Invite – God doesn’t merely call us to share our faith, but to share our life. Don’t look for quick results or shortcuts; make long-term investments in people in order to better their lives. Then spiritual inquiry will be awakened and opportunities to invite friends to church, evangelistic meetings, or to join a small Bible study group will arise. Be sure to attend with them and offer to give them a ride. Afterwards, grab a snack and talk about it.

True evangelism is not merely proclaiming a message of good news but also being a warm and loving embodiment of that good news. When this is accomplished with intercessory prayer, miracles will happen, hearts will soften, people will accept Jesus, and God will be glorified.


This article originally appeared in the April 2007 issue of the Columbia Union Visitor and is reprinted with permission.
Frank Bondurant was assistant to the president and Visitor correspondent for the Chesapeake Conference at that time. He currently is Vice President for Ministries Development for the Columbia Union.