evangelism
How to Introduce a Friend to Christ

Think About It

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt the time was right, the person was interested-but you just couldn't think of what to say to communicate the gospel?

Many of us can relate to that. We all need to be prepared and equipped for evangelistic opportunities. One of the best ways to prepare ourselves is to learn how to utilize tools and apply principles that can help us communicate the gospel easily and effectively.

Heart of the Matter

There are many ways to share your faith in Christ with a friend or acquaintance, and no one method is best for every occasion. But a tool like the Would You Like to Know God Personally? booklet can be helpful.

Why? 9 reasons

• It begins on a positive note, "God loves you."
• It presents the claims of Christ clearly.
• It includes an invitation to receive Christ.
• It offers suggestions for growth and emphasizes the importance of the church.
• It helps you stay on the subject.
• It enables you to be brief, confident and prepared.
• Its transferable method of presenting Christ makes it easy to use and easily used by others.
• It can be given to the individual.
• It is an immediate follow-up tool.

We want to be effective in the way we communicate, but our method is not as important as our attitude and dependence on the Lord.

Steps to Take

Here are a few principles to keep in mind when you have an opportunity to share Christ with a friend:

1. Trust in the Lord. Pray that He will help you clearly communicate the love of Christ.

2. Be personal. You are not trying to sell something, rather you are introducing a friend to Christ. Take a genuine interest in the person.

3. Listen and answer questions. If you don't know the answer, be honest and say, "I don't know, but I'll try to find an answer."

4. Remember the results are up to God, not us. We can say all the right words, but it is the Holy Spirit who must work in a person's heart to enable him to trust Christ.

Real Life Story

Paul became a believer his freshman year in college, and his life really changed. He had lots of friends, including people he partied with and the guys who played basketball with him. He was a popular guy until he tried to tell his friends about his new faith in Christ.

Paul lacked sensitivity when he talked to others about his faith. Telling them all about sin and hell, he made his friends listen to his story. It wasn't long before the guys stopped asking him to shoot hoops or hang out. That was all right with Paul. After all, he had some new Christian friends.

Jim lived in the same dorm with Paul and also trusted in Christ as a freshman. Jim was careful about the way he talked about his new faith. He tried to help his friends understand the changes in his life and prayed that they would still want to be his friend.

When the time was right, Jim used the Would You Like to Know God Personally? booklet with several friends. Some were not interested at all, but a few had good questions and wanted to talk again. One friend, John, received Christ and joined the small group Bible study Jim had been attending.