How to share your faith

Tim Keller from Center Church on how to share your faith and how church ministers ought to equip people at doing the following:

1. One-on-one - informal

• Let others know of your Christian faith by simply mentioning church attendance or Christian beliefs in casual conversation.
• Ask questions about other people's beliefs and experiences with faith and church and simply listen appreciatively and sympathetically.
• Listen sympathetically to someone's challenges and mention that you will pray regularly for them.
• Share a difficult personal issue that you have and be sure to mention that your faith helps you by giving you strength and granting you forgiveness, etc.
• Share your spiritual narrative - a brief testimony of your Christian experience.

2. One-on-one - planned/intentional

• Offer someone a book or audio recording about Christian issues and invite them to discuss their reactions.
• Initiate a discussion about a friend's biggest problems with or objections to Christianity. Listen respectfully and give them some things to read and discuss.
• Regularly read a part of the Bible together - preferably one of the gospels - to discuss the character of Jesus.

3. Provide an experience of Christian community

• Invite friends to situations or activities where they meet believers but where there is no direct Christian event or communication.
• Invite friends to venues where they hear the gospel communicated and discussed - onetime event, such as an open forum; fellowship group; worship service; group meeting for inquirers, such as book club, seeker group etc.

4. Share your faith

• Share the basics of the Christian faith with your friend, laying out how to become a Christian and inviting them to make a commitment.