Hint #1: How to Share

Pray for opportunities

Make it a habit to pray that you will have opportunities to share and give away a gospel. 

Sharing is usually done by Christians who plan to do it.

Giving a Gospel is only one aspect of sharing your faith

Sharing your faith is NOT only about giving away copies of the gospel of John. We regard a gospel as a tool you can use to help people search for themselves.

It is not always appropriate to give a gospel, particularly when witnessing to those with whom you have on ongoing relationship. Try to give the gospel to a friend at a time when they will be receptive and willing to read it - this involves wisdom and sensitivity. 

We must see giving away a gospel as only one aspect of sharing our faith. We want you to give away gospels in the context of relationship building and friendly conversations.

Building bridges with those you know

Giving away gospels of John has to be put in the context of bridge-building. Most adults who are coming to faith in Christ have been helped through a relationship with someone who is already a Christian. Here are some ways you can help your friends or family find Christ:

Tip #1: Pray for Them
Pray for them by name. Pray that God will remove specific obstacles to them coming to Christ. Pray about the times you meet them, for opportunities to learn more about what they believe and to share your own faith. If they are going through a tough period, you could even offer to pray with them!

Tip #2: Listen
Take a real interest in their feelings and their views. Ask them questions about what they believe. Look for points of contact – things that they are interested in – to draw the conversation towards Christ. Give them a copy of the gospel to read and ask for feedback.
Hint #2: Using the Gospels

Tip #3: Honesty is the best policy
Be open about your own faith. Don’t gloss over the hard side of being a Christian. At an appropriate time, tell them how you became a Christian and/ or why you are still a Christian.

Tip #4: Examine your lifestyle
Our friends and family judge the quality of our faith by our lifestyle. Aim to live in obedience to God’s Word so that you may bring glory to Him.

Tip #5: Introduce them to other Christians
This may be through some low-key social events or inviting them to a suitable event or service at your church. People are often impressed by the warm and friendly community that they come into contact with.

Strangers

Sometimes it is appropriate to give a gospel to a stranger.  In fact this is often easier than giving one to somebody you know well.  

We are not suggesting that you push them into the hands of people with whom you have had no conversation, or that you just leave them where people might find them.  Pray that the Lord will give you opportunities to talk with people before giving them a gospel.

What we would encourage you to do is to look for opportunities were you can share that you are a Christian and you can give the gospel away saying something such as: “You might find this interesting – it is part of the Bible”.  If possible explain that at the back there are additional pages on knowing God and a card to send off for more information.

Opportunities to give the a gospel to a stranger might come in all sorts of situations – in a hospital waiting room – on public transport – or any other place were you end up chatting to somebody.  While wanting to share our faith with others we also need sensitivity towards people. It is important to choose the right time.

Hint #1: How to Share
Hint #2: Using the Gospels
Hint #3: Hot Potatoes
Hint #4: Share Your Stories