IT’S ALL ABOUT BEING INTENTIONAL. When we are taking specific time to meet people on campus (boardwalk, beach, airplane, etc.) there are a few things to remember:
Prepare. Before you get into that conversation, pray that God would work through you and that you would not get in the way of His work. Success in evangelism is not based in whether or not someone responds to Christ, but whether it was done through the leading and power of the Holy Spirit.
Listen. People want to be understood; if you don’t listen to them and care about their background, beliefs and personality, why should they make the effort to understand yours? Ask questions and listen to the answers before you start sharing about yourself. (A list of good questions can be found below.)
Be clear. Be urgent. Paul tells Timothy to be ready to preach the Word in season and out of season; make sure you are able to present the Gospel in a way that makes sense to someone who has never set foot in a church. Avoid or explain ‘christianese’ – words like grace, praise, sanctification; also, avoid subjects that don’t have anything to do with receiving salvation (creationism, end times, predestination, speaking in tongues). Present the need to make a decision. Check out www.FourSpiritualLaws.com for a good outline of the Gospel.
Great Conversational Questions
Questions that lead into spiritual topics are a great tool to begin or transition a conversation that aims toward Christ’s work on the cross, here are about 30 that may help:
1) Do you actively pursue spiritual growth?
2) How often do you think about spiritual things?
3) How has this experience affected the way you look at God? (Usually after some significant event in someone’s life.)
4a) What is your religious background?
4b) What was your religious background as a child? Was it positive, negative or neutral for you? Why?
4c) Do you have any spiritual beliefs now?
5) Do you believe God exists?
6) What is your concept of God? Do you view Him positively or negatively?
7) Have you ever come to a point in your life where you trusted Jesus Christ? May I tell you how I came to that point?
8) Do you find that faith or spiritual values play a roll in your (work/day/marriage/perspective on life)?
9) If you could be sure that there is a God, would you want to know Him? Or if you could know God personally, would you want to?
10) (Bring a friend to church or a Christian event, then ask…) What did you think of it? Did it make sense to you? Have you ever personally encountered God? If you could would you want to?
11) Do you go to church? Why or why not?
12) What do you think are the basic beliefs of Christianity?
13) We’ve been friends for some time now and I have never really talked to you about the most important thing in my life, may I take a few moments and do so?
14) Is church something that has influenced your life? Would you like church to become a bigger part of your life?
15) How do you think someone becomes a Christian?
16) Can I share the thing that I’ve found most important to be as a (student/parent/boss)?
17) What do you think about before you go to sleep at night? (If anxiety or guilt rob them of sleep at night, introduce the peace found in a relationship with Christ.)
18) Most people in America say they believe in God. What does believing in God mean to you?
19) Have you ever experienced God? If so, how?
20) Has anything dramatic ever happened that convinced you that God is real? What do you think it would take?
21) What do you think happens after you die?
22) Is there a heaven? Hell? What do you think determines where someone ends up?
23) If you died today where do you think you would go? Why?
24) What barriers keep you from believing in/trusting in God?
25) Who do you think Jesus is?
26) Do you feel that you have been moving towards or away from God?
27) Have you read much of the Bible? What parts?
28) What would you say is the main point of the Bible?
29) The Bible can be a confusing book, can I share with you what I’ve been learning about it’s main themes?
30) I’ve done some reading on the things we’ve been talking about, do you mind if I email you an article or two so you can give me your opinion?
PS – Sometimes we’ll use a national research survey to start a conversation. To learn more about this tool visit: http://quest.CampusCrusadeForChrst.com