Pushing the Boundaries
Sharing the gospel in North America has its own unique set of difficulties. Many people are resistant to hearing the gospel, and many believers feel uncomfortable with the idea of talking about their faith. They don’t want to offend anyone, and they’d rather keep to themselves. But 19 believers from Le Sentier Church in Gatineau, Quebec, went out of their comfort zone to share the gospel.
The church has hosted four Ignite evangelism training events, using the training and Scriptures resources from ShareWord Global. After their most recent event, the group of newly trained believers went out into a neighbourhood in Ottawa and began speaking with people.
"I approached Nabil inside the passenger station,” one participant, Yves, shared. “He was on the phone. I hesitated to speak to him at first, not wanting to interrupt him; he saw me and seemed to be motioning to wait, so I waited and when he finished calling, I approached him. I asked if he was interested in receiving a Gospel of John, telling him that it was an extract from the Bible. Nabil declined my offer, telling me that he was a Muslim. I respected his wishes, but we continued to talk to each other on various subjects.
“I was able to present my testimony to him in a concise way by telling him that before knowing Jesus Christ, I was trying to seek God. One day a classmate told me about Jesus Christ and of His sacrifice on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins. A veil was lifted from my face, and I understood from that moment the meaning of the forgiveness of my sins. My conversation with Nabil allowed me to present to him the saving work of Christ for my life, but certainly also for his.”
Relational evangelism is about sharing the gospel through meaningful conversations. It’s getting to know the hearts of those around us and sharing the love of Christ with them. As believers, it’s our duty to share the Good News. Of course, it can be difficult. Speaking with strangers, sharing our testimony, it can all be nerve-wracking.
Stani had never shared the gospel before either. “Being shy and introverted by nature, I still felt urged by the Lord to attend the training given by Shareword Global,” Stani said. “I had many fears about reaching out to people and sharing my faith with them, but talking to other believers in the group gave me great encouragement, especially as I realized that I was not alone in feeling fear. I decided to take a step forward and get started. I can testify that the Lord was there with me to strengthen me and give me courage!”
It only takes a single conversation to plant the seed. Even though it can be difficult to get started, getting together with others in your church and doing outreach together will give you the confidence you need to share your story. God is there in all things and gives the words others need to hear. All you need to say is yes.
