For the past 25 years, I've been working alongside local churches and individual Christians who are eager to become more effective in sharing their faith. During this time, I've come to realize that while many believe evangelism is important, they often feel like someone else is better suited for the task.
This could be because, in many churches, we are taught specific models or methods for evangelism, which we sometimes perceive as the only way to share Jesus. When we struggle to follow the prescribed formula, it can leave us feeling like we've failed as Christians, discouraging us from trying again.
However, the truth is that God has made each of us unique, and the New Testament demonstrates various ways to share our faith. For instance, we see examples of hospitality (Luke 5:27-32), testimony (John 9:11), invitation (John 4:29), and even cultural dialogue (Acts 17:16-34).
At Share Jesus International, the charity I work for, we decided to conduct both quantitative and qualitative research to explore how practicing Christians typically share their faith. The research uncovered four key tensions:
- Do we expect people to come to faith instantly, or do we see it as a journey?
- Is faith-sharing a solo effort, or something we do together as a Christian community?
- Should we focus on communicating Jesus' message quickly, or allow the conversation to unfold naturally based on the other person's lead?
- Is evangelism primarily about what we say or what we do?
Based on this, we identified six profiles that reflect the various ways Christians share their faith. We've also created a brief quiz to help believers discover which profile best matches their approach to evangelism.
We've been testing this quiz in churches across the UK, and the results have been incredibly encouraging. First, the profiles help take the pressure off—we don't all have to share our faith the same way. Second, they allow us to celebrate the natural ways in which we evangelize. Some of us excel in showing God's compassion through our actions, while others are great at walking alongside people over the long term. Third, these profiles offer us opportunities to grow, providing ideas to become more intentional in our faith-sharing efforts.
When a local church takes the quiz together, it highlights how different approaches complement one another, offering new insights and perspectives. We are all uniquely designed to share the Gospel in ways that resonate with different people.
In today's world, there is a noticeable loss of hope. But as Christians, we hold onto a hope that is found in Jesus. While it can be daunting to share our faith, much of that fear stems from the belief that we must do it in a particular way. I firmly believe that our society needs to hear the message of Jesus, and my hope is that this quiz will help us celebrate the unique ways God has designed us, giving us more confidence to share that hope.
Here's a quick overview of the six faith-sharing profiles:
- Intentional Disciplers: Those who love journeying with others.
- Team Players: Those who share their faith collaboratively.
- Open Connectors: Those always ready for a God-centered conversation.
- Compassion Revealers: Those who believe actions speak louder than words.
- Life Sharers: Those with a story to tell.
- Bible Revealers: Those who see the Gospel as urgent.
You can take the quiz here: https://www.sharejesusinternational.com/sj-quiz/ Once you complete the quiz, you'll gain insights and ideas to help you share Jesus more effectively.
Andy Frost is the director of Share Jesus International and works alongside Care for the Family on the Kitchen Table Project, helping parents and carers nurture faith in the home. He is the presenter of the new resource, 'Children's Faith: A Whole Church Approach to Family Ministry' which can be obtained from https://kitchentable.org.uk/church/wholechurchapproach/
