This is a really good question and an important part of being a Christian.
Jesus’ command
In Matthew 28:19–20 Jesus said: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”
This has 4 parts:
- Go
- make disciples
- baptizing them
- teaching them
If you are a Christian, you are a disciple too and so this command is for you, and for all who call themselves Christians. You may think that this is too hard and a bit much for ordinary people. Jesus knew that for some of us, this would seem impossible, so He finishes His command with the promise, “I am with you always, to the close of the age”. None of us have an excuse for not witnessing, telling others about Jesus, and giving people the opportunity to come to know Him for themselves.
How do you start?
As we start each day, ask God to give us opportunities during the day to tell someone about Him. It would be a good idea to have some Bible verses that you know, and maybe others have used, with you that help people to see the importance of thinking about these things. If you have asked the Lord to help you, then, anyone you meet during the day is someone He has sent to you with the opportunity to tell them the Gospel.
If possible go in pairs
Sometimes we will find ourselves in situations where we are on our own and God just opens the door for us but, if possible – especially if you are new to this – go with someone who has more experience than you and will lead the way for you.
Conversations with strangers
Starting a conversation can be really hard but if you hope to say anything, say something in the first 10 seconds of meeting them: “It’s a nice day…….”, “How are you today?”, “Is this seat free?”, “I think you dropped this…”, “I see you are reading the newspaper, what are the headlines today?”
Conversations with people you know
If you know them or feel that you would like to start with something different from the above starters, ask the Lord to guide you in the conversation. If they begin to talk about themselves, listen and see if there is anything you could use as a bridge to a conversation about the Lord.
The broken world
This is probably something everyone can relate to as we see problems of every kind from natural disasters, murder, crime, the pandemic, wars and unrest etc. They would probably agree the world is a mess, you could use this as a bridge to use the 3 circles presentation. See this presentation or any other such demonstrations. You could use a quick Bible summary of God’s story summarizing the Bible from Creation to Jesus, (and judgement if you think it is appropriate.)
Your testimony
From this you can share your story of how you came to know God using the 3 headings:
- What I was like before I came to know God
- Why I came to know God
- What has changed since I have met Him.
Finishing up
If you have been able to get this far in a conversation, it is possible that the person listening has been challenged about something or is interested in pursuing their search for the truth. Before you leave, challenge them in some way:
- Are you interested in knowing more?
- Are you interested in knowing the one true God, who loves you and has done everything possible so that you can come to know him?
Respond to them as appropriate. Give them a Gospel portion, or evangelistic tract or something that will have a contact number, address or church location so they can follow up if they wish to.
As you leave
Thank them for their time and ask them if there is anything they would like you to pray about. If appropriate, pray for them right then and there. If they have been willing to give you their contact details, tell them that you will be praying for them and that you or someone from the church will contact them in a few days. Assure them that there is no pressure but encourage them in their search of the truth.