Six Steps to Talking About Jesus
- Mark Thompson •
- 13 September 2013
Think of the people around you: your family, your workmates, the man at the newsagency, your neighbours. Is there a single one of them who doesn't need to be following Jesus? Yet like so many Christians, do you feel uneasy about reaching out to people? Perhaps you feel unsure about where to start and what to say? Six Steps to Talking about Jesus is a short course that goes back to square one, and helps you make a start. Over six interactive sessions you'll look at:
- the core motivation for reaching out to others
- how to depend on God in prayer
- how to invite people to read a book or come to an event
- how to tell your own story of what God has done for you in Christ
- how to explain the gospel of Jesus in a simple way.
This is a course designed to be done in a small group context (3-8 people), and does not require an 'expert leader'. It is ideal preparation for a church mission. To run the course you will need:
- the text of each study (printed out or distributed digitally) for each person
- the leader's notes, which are a separate download
- a way to show the video content to your group.
(This is an introductory level course in evangelism. See also our Two Ways to Live course, which is a little more challenging and stretching.)
Download a free sample from our online store.
About the authors
Simon Manchester has been a minister in the north, south, east and west of Sydney. He is married to Kathy and has three kids in their 20s—all of whom give him many reasons to be thankful for Christ.
Simon Roberts is married to Alison and has two daughters. He was previously employed by a church in Sydney to run their School of Ministry, which builds and equips congregation members for the work of service. Simon is currently the senior minister at St Mark’s Anglican Church in Malabar, Sydney.
Introduction
Think of the people you meet each day. Your family. Your work colleagues. The man at the newspaper stand. The lady in the seat opposite on the bus. The old friend you catch up with after work. Your tennis partner. Your hairdresser. The guy sitting by himself in the park at lunchtime. Of all the countless people who cross your path—some known to you well, some hardly at all—is there a single one of them who shouldn’t be following Jesus? Is there a single one of them who doesn’t need Jesus?
Of course the answer is “No” (to both questions). But many Christians feel overwhelmed and inadequate when it comes to reach- ing out to those around us. We’re unsure where to start and what to say, and more than a little fearful that we will make fools of ourselves.
This short course starts from square one, and helps you make a start. Over six interactive sessions you’ll explore topics like:
- the core motivation for reaching out to others
- what the gospel of Jesus really is
- how to depend on God in prayer as you speak to others
- how to solve the problem of ‘But I hardly know any non-Christian people’
- how to invite people to take positive steps towards knowing Jesus (through reading a book or coming to an event)
- how to tell your own story of what God has done for you in Jesus
- how to explain the gospel of Jesus in a simple way.
The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is good news. And good news is always worth sharing. Our prayer is that through this course you will be motivated, encouraged and equipped to make a start—even a small one—in doing just that.
We are very grateful to Ken Noakes and Sandy Grant for their contribution to the development of this course.
— Simon Manchester and Simon Roberts, November 2006
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