There are many different approaches to sharing the Gospel. This article is designed to show you some of the ways people share the Gospel. You decide for yourself which style is best for you and the person you are sharing with. Please check out the original site of this material, as they were gracious enough to share it with us. You can go there by clicking here.
CONFRONTATIONAL STYLE
2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word of God. Be persistent, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching (NLT).
CHARACTERISTICS: Confident. Assertive. Direct. These people say what they mean, without a lot of small talk. They aren’t afraid to talk directly about spiritual things.
BIBLICAL EXAMPLE: Peter, in Acts 2, is a biblical example of this style. Confrontation was nothing new to Peter. He was just a straightforward, all or nothing kind of guy. He jumped out of a boat, walked on water and even wrongfully cut off someone’s ear with a sword. So it was natural for him to stand in front of a crowd and tell it like it was. The Confrontational Style fit Peter because he had a naturally confrontational personality.
MISSION: Recognize that there are people around who need someone to confront them with the truth about God’s love. You need to know that you can be really effective at challenging people who are on the fringe of your group or those who are just playing the game when it comes to the Christian faith.
CAUTION: When you confront people with the truth, be sensitive to their feelings. I you push too hard you might turn some people off.
Colossians 4:6 says, Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
INTELLECTUAL STYLE
2 Corinthians 10:5 With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ. (NLT)
CHARACTERISTICS: Thoughtful about what they believe and why. Logical. Like to debate what is true. People with this style enjoy having deep conversations about spiritual things and tend to ask questions like What do you think? or How do you know?
BIBLICAL EXAMPLE: Paul in Acts 17. In this situation, Paul was talking to some of the most educated people in Athens. These guys were deep thinkers who probably would not have responded well to the confrontational style.
MISSION: Recognize that there are people around you who have questions about God and want logical answers. Also recognize that you are just the person to answer their questions and give them the facts they need to make an informed decision for Christ.
CAUTION: Give reasons and evidence for what you believe, but remember the goal is to be their friend and look for ways to share Christ with them, not to win a debate. Be careful not to build walls by getting into arguments.
1 Corinthians 13:1 says, If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but have no love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
INTERPERSONAL STYLE
1 Corinthians 9:22b Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ (NLT).
CHARACTERISTICS: Warm personality. Comfortable in conversations. Friendship oriented. These are the kind of people that others really like to talk to.
BIBLICAL EXAMPLE: Matthew in Luke 5:29. Matthew was still a new believer when he realized that his tax collector friends didn’t know Jesus. So he threw a party for them to deepen his friendship with them and to give them a chance to get to know Jesus and the disciples. We all need to build relationships with the people we hope to reach, but those who have an interpersonal style are specialists in this area.
MISSION: Recognize that there are people close to you who feel like they don’t belong when they are around Christians. They need someone to make them feel comfortable, and to earn their trust and respect. Watch out for those people, introduce yourself and include them in the things you do.
CAUTION: Make sure your priorities are straight: friendships are important, but so is the truth. Sharing Christ with someone often means challenging their whole direction in life, and that can cause some friction in your relationship. That’s a risk we must be willing to take because the stakes are so high.
Galatians 4:16 puts it like this, Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
INVITATIONAL STYLE
Luke 14:23 Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full’ (NLT).
CHARACTERISTICS: Open. Full of hospitality. Persuasive. Invitational people are quick to include others and find it easy to convince people to be involved in the things they are doing.
BIBLICAL EXAMPLE: The woman at the well in John 4. While Jesus was in Samaria, Jesus met a woman drawing water from a well. During a short conversation, Jesus convinced the woman that he was the Messiah. The excited woman ran back to the people in her town. Her goal was to get them all to come to hear Jesus or themselves. Her style was invitational. The result of her invitations was that many heard Jesus and trusted in Him.
MISSION: In a national survey conducted by Barna Research, 25 percent of the people polled said they would go to church if one of their friends asked them to. One out of every our people is just waiting or your invitation!
CAUTION: Be careful not to let others always do the talking for you. Don’t assume your job is done when people show up at the youth event or at church. Ask them what they thought of the event and look or opportunities to start a spiritual conversation.
1 Peter 3:15 says, Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
SERVING STYLE
Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father (NLT).
CHARACTERISTICS: Others-centered. Humble. Patient. Those with a serving approach see the needs in other people’s lives and find joy in providing for those needs.
BIBLICAL EXAMPLE: Dorcas in Acts 9. Dorcas was a woman who served others by doing good and helping the poor (Acts 9:36). People with the serving style do not serve others instead of telling them about Christ. Rather, they share Christ through their serving. They serve others in a way that brings attention to Christ and the difference He has made in their lives.
MISSION: There are people all around you who could use your help both physically and spiritually. You can put your skills to work by looking for opportunities to help your friends and family in practical ways, as well as getting involved in bigger service projects.
CAUTION: Make sure that you don’t try to let your actions do all of the talking for you. Just as words are no substitute for actions, actions are no substitute for words. Romans 10:14 says, How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
TESTIMONIAL STYLE
1 John 1:3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us…(NLT).
CHARACTERISTICS: Clear communicator. Interesting storyteller. Good listener. When they are prepared, those with a testimonial approach are able to share their personal experiences in a way with which others can identify.
BIBLICAL EXAMPLE: The blind man in John 9. After Jesus miraculously enabled the blind man to see, others wanted to know how he had been healed. He did not respond by confronting them or trying to reason with them. He just said, All I know is this: I used to be blind, and now I can see. We all have a story to tell about what God has done in our lives, but some people are especially good at sharing Christ in this way.
MISSION: Recognize that there are people around you who want and need to hear your story. You can put your skills to work by sharing your story one-on-one with your friends, at an outreach event, or at a youth ministry gathering.
CAUTION: Be sure to tell your story in a way that illustrates the truth of the Bible and relates to other people’s lives. In order to do that, you first need to listen and then relate what you say to their situation.
Copyright © 2000 by The North American Mission Board, SBC/Go! magazine.
Teens4Jesus would like to thank the NAMB and Go! Magazine for sharing this information with us.
(Taken from Becoming a Contagious Christian Youth Edition Leader’s Guide by Bo Boshers, Mark Mittelberg, Lee Strobel, and Bill Hybels.
Copyright © 2000 by Willow Creek Association. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.)
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