Core Values: Sharing Faith

This week I want to reflect on the Core Value of our Church which says, “We seek to share our faith and to encourage relationships with Jesus.”

This value is about birth and nurture.  Faith often has a long gestation period and when born always require lifelong nurture.

Many Christians fear the word evangelism, because they think it requires them being able to “preach” to their friends and family with careful and articulate theology.  And then, if the “sermon” doesn’t quite bring a convert, they are a failure.  The double bind is that, they also think that if they don’t share their faith, they are an automatic failure.  So many Christian live with severe faith anxiety.

The Good News is RELAX and “DON’T PANIC”.  (Good advice from “The Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”) 

Evangelism is God’s work.  God is always calling people to recognise him through all kinds of life situations.  How often do people pray, “God help me” when something goes wrong.  This week I heard Wayne Carey say that he bargained with God about his situation.  People have those experience of God. That’s what they are.  God is always doing it, breaking down people’s resistance, so that they can hear his Good News of acceptance and forgiveness.  In safe relationships, people tell these experiences; to try and understand them; to sort out what they really believe. 

Faith sharing is a composite of two skills.  The first, and I think most important skill, is to listen.  Listening shows genuine care and respect for the journey that your friend is on.  It build trust and leads to the second skill; the skill of sharing your own story.  Evangelism is not about preaching a formula of faith, but sharing the story of what Jesus Good News has meant for you.  For a few people this will include deep theological reflection and profound knowledge of the Bible, but for most it will be a story of God’s grace; a simply story of how God has helped them through interesting times.  Yes, the conversation will get sidetracked into controversial territory; church history, “religious wars”, moral dilemmas and debated Bible passages.  Yes, the sharer needs wisdom deal with the sidetracks.  The danger is that we stumble over the sidetrack and loose sight of the Good News for this person.  

A key question in faith sharing as you listen (the primary skill) is, “What Good News can I share with this person that will help them find faith and be happy?”  Remember it’s not about you.  If you don’t see a result, then you must trust God, for evangelism remains God’s work.  God will continue to provide opportunities for his story to be told.  God know, humans sometimes take a long time and a lot of sharing before they get it.

 Adrian