Have you ever felt the tug to share with someone about your personal relationship with Christ, but you did not know how? Maybe you have known a friend for some time, prayed for them, and yet the time never seemed "right" to share Christ with them.

What about the passenger in the seat next to you who opens up to you about their life, but you don’t fully give them the answer you have found?

And then one of the most difficult positions of all—the family member who needs God desperately, and yet you just can’t bring yourself to tell them how to find Christ?

If you can relate to at least one of these situations, you are like many Christians today. Many of us experience fear when it comes to sharing our faith with someone else. Since the United States and Canada aren’t dictatorships, where a person would be imprisoned (or worse) for sharing their faith, there must be other reasons we are falling short. There are few external reasons today for neglect in this area of our lives. You won’t be jailed. If you are appropriate in your approach, you probably won’t get fired. If you are wise about how you share, you most likely won’t lose a friendship.

This booklet will help you learn about sharing your faith. It presents many different ways in which you may present Christ to others. The plan of salvation is presented in a simple, biblical manner that will help you become an effective person in building relationships and sharing your faith with those persons around you who do not have a personal relationship with Christ.

To become a successful witness for Christ, we must first take personal inventory of our own spiritual relationship with Christ. Once this is done and we know that our relationship with Him is what it should be, then we can be best used by God. Use the following as a checklist to use prior to sharing your faith.

To be Successful in sharing our faith we—

1. Must be saved and know it. "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13).
2. Must be clean in heart and life. "Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (2 Timothy 2:22).
3. Must make a definite consecration of self to God for definite service. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12:1-2).
4. Must be filled with the Spirit. "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
5. Must be a person of prayer. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).
6. Must be willing to cultivate relationships with lost people.
7. Must be a person who looks for opportunities to share your faith.
8. Must be willing to memorize scripture. "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you" (Psalms 119:11).

1. Be sure of your own Christian experience.

2. Be courteous. Never interrupt when someone else is talking. Be a good listener.
3. Be patient. Never allow yourself to become provoked.
4. Be compassionate.
5. Be sincere.
6. Be serious, never frivolous or superficial.
7. Be bold. You are an ambassador for Christ.
8. Be neat and clean in your personal appearance.
9. Be true to those with whom you deal. Never tell them they are all right if they do not have a conscious knowledge of the presence of Christ. BE SURE to obtain the permission of the seeker to bring someone else into the picture. Never betray a confidence.
10. Be in a spirit of prayer as you deal with each individual. Do not underestimate the power of prayer.
11. Be careful of the manner in which you deal with those of the opposite sex. As much as possible, work with your own sex and your own age. It just makes good sense.
12. Be sure to answer all questions with scripture, if possible. Know the "Roman Road" and the plan of salvation.
13. Be sure to AVOID being sidetracked from the main purpose—winning the person to Christ is your top priority.
14. Be willing to take plenty of time. Don’t rush the individual.
15. Be kind and understanding even though you find you are inadequate for a particular situation.
16. Be ready to instantly seek the help of an advisor when you face a situation that demands experience and training, which you have not yet received.

1. Do you ever think about spiritual things?
2. Where would you say you are in your spiritual journey?
3. What is your concept of God? Do you view Him positively or negatively?
4. Have you ever made the discovery of knowing Jesus Christ in a personal way or are you still in the process?
5. If you could be sure there is a God, would you want to know Him?
6. How do you think someone becomes a Christian?
7. Can I share the thing that has been the most important to me as a mom/dad/boss?
8. Most people in America say they believe in God. What does believing in God mean to you?
9. How would you describe your view of God? Of Jesus? Is He a reality to you or simply a vague concept?
10. If you were to die tonight, are you sure you would go to heaven?

1. Buy books like John Grisham’s The Testament, Jan Karon’s Mitford series, or the Left Behind series by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye to pass along to friends. Follow up with a dinner or talk over coffee to discuss the spiritual applications in the books.
2. Adopt a younger Christian friend to mentor. Then commit to find ways together to share your faith with others, and hold each other accountable to carry out your intentions.
3. Know a sports fan? Take one to a major sporting event and tell him or her the testimony of a famous Christian athlete. Then tell your friend you have at least one thing in common with the athlete—your faith in God.
4. Exchange e-mail addresses with people you meet and share the gospel on-line. Point e-mail correspondents to www.thegoodnews.org or other evangelistic web sites.
5. Make a commitment to share your faith with a non-Christian friend. Then keep a prayer list of non-Christians you will pray for daily, and take the opportunity to share the gospel with them when you sense the time is right.
6. Start a "brownie brigade." This can be done in groups or individually. Simply bake up some goodies and take them to neighbors, shut-ins, retirement home residents, the office or any place close by where people might need a lift. Tell the recipients you were motivated by the love of Christ.

Servant Evangelism

7. Prepare neighborhood care packs of 9-volt batteries for use in smoke detectors. Attach a note with your name and phone number that says you’ll be glad to talk about a "charge" that can last forever. The same concept can work with light bulbs and a note about a "light" that never burns out.
8. Assemble and deliver gift packs with snacks for school or hotel staff, security workers, police or fire fighters. Include a gospel tract and contact information for you and your church.
9. Sunday school classes or singles group members looking for a project could ask the owner of a local gas station or convenience store if they could pump gas and wash windshields. When people ask why you’re helping them, say you’re trying to express the love of Jesus in a tangible way.
10. Adopt an office park or building and minister to the people there. Host a lunch, business seminar or other event to show you care. Consider offering an after-work exercise class or other activity in which employees might show an interest. Be up front about your motivation.
11. Drop in coins for a customer’s wash at a laundromat, or pay for someone’s car wash, subway fare or parking meter. Make sure they know your motivation is the love of Christ.
12. Volunteer for a literacy program. Literacy missions give you the opportunity to build relationships and show how much you care. Using the Bible as reading material makes sharing the gospel a natural result.
13. Sponsor a refugee family and assist them in settling into your community. Invite them to your church and spend time with them, showing them the love and concern of Christ.
14. Give away sports drinks or water at a biking trail or other outdoor recreation area. Tell those you serve you’d be happy to tell them how to never be thirsty again.
15. Do you live near a lake, river or the coast? Give away free bait at a boat ramp or local fishing spot. Tell fishermen you’d like to talk about the greatest fisherman you know—Jesus.
16. Print up time-change reminders in the spring and fall, and distribute the fliers at hotels, apartments or your neighborhood. Include a message about being set for all time (eternity) and a phone number where they can call you to discuss Christ.

Event Evangelism

17. Place small bags with candy or microwaveable popcorn on neighbors’ doors along with a note inviting them to your church, Vacation Bible School or other event.
18. Sponsor a women’s or men’s day at a local community center. Have Christian speakers on financial matters, health concerns and other topics. Include a brief presentation of the gospel under a heading like "Why Morals Matter."
19. Provide a free breakfast before Sunday school at your church. Invite your friends and neighbors to join you for the food, fellowship and a gospel presentation.
20. Host a car maintenance clinic. Checking the oil, tire pressure, hoses and belts can give you time to start up a conversation about the temporal nature of cars that rust and wear out versus the eternal nature of the human soul. Have youth clean windshields—an opportunity to talk about clear vision.
21. Place door hangers with a gospel message, your phone number and a bag of candy in your office, or ask permission to distribute them at an apartment complex or hotel. Write something like, "Taste the sweetness of Jesus. Give me a call to talk about it."
22. Partner with your Sunday school class or church to provide free pizza and drinks on moving day at a condo or apartment complex. Tell movers they’re welcome at your church and ask them if there is anything you can pray about for them. Tell them Jesus has lifted your burdens.
23. Take the lemonade stand into the 21^st century. Set up a free cappuccino stand at a store, mall or even in your neighborhood on Sunday morning. Tell recipients why you’ve taken the time to provide them with refreshment.

Lifestyle Evangelism

24. Adopt a college student who may be unable to go home during a semester break. Invite the student into your home for meals and to your church. Offer to engage in a study of spiritual values with him/her.
25. Are new neighbors moving in? Mow their lawn or rake their leaves. Help them get settled and begin to feel at home. Value this relationship. They are not projects or prospects. Get to know them. Dialogue is always better than monologue in bringing friends to Christ.
26. Make it your practice to be a good neighbor. Provide childcare, run errands and offer help when it’s needed. Living out a life of integrity, openness and caring will give you opportunities to tell people why those character traits are important to you. Always be ready to give credit for the source of your lifestyle.
27. Get involved with your kids in school, sports or other activities. Volunteer to serve as a team chaplain, water boy or whatever else a coach may need. Not only do you get to spend more time around your children; you’ll have opportunities to build relationships with their friends.
28. Begin a Bible study in your home or office. Invite those you know who have shown an interest in spiritual matters or have been questioning life issues.
29. Conduct a prayer walk in your neighborhood, office or campus. Pray specifically for non-Christians you know.
30. Pay attention to birthdays in your neighborhood or office. A card, cookies or other thoughtful items show you do care.

Source: Source – On Mission, May-June, 1999.