10 creative ways to share your faith

Asking a question as blunt as: “Would you like to know Jesus?” feels uncomfortable for many Christians, not to mention those we’re trying to reach with the good news. 

Of course, the direct approach has its place, and may work for some. But for most of us, it’s a challenge to speak of Jesus in a natural way, perhaps at the supermarket checkout, or in the car with a friend.  

Here are ten accessible ways you can recommend Jesus to others. Pick one or two, and try them out this month. Let us know how you get on! 

1. Pray for five

Consider setting a daily reminder to pray for five people who do not yet know Jesus. Doing this regularly keeps your loved ones in your heart and builds intentionality. 

You could also try asking people: “How can I pray for you?” This shows care and can add a deeper dimension to your relationships. Keep a note of the request, pray and follow up on it. Offering to pray with someone around a particular need will take it one step further. As we pray, we are inviting the person into a conversation with Jesus. Praying with someone models what communication with God can look like and provides an opportunity for them to see for themselves evidence of answered prayer. 

2. Try a “would you rather…?” question

Once a question asked in the 1960s for psychological studies, “Would you rather…?” has since become a game show, a children’s book and a card game. It remains a popular concept that can be used to open interesting dialogue. 

For example, at Newcastle University, students were presented with a moral dilemma in the guise of a competition called Streets vs Beats. Participants were faced with a choice between authorising a donation to a local homeless charity, or taking home a pair of Dr Dre Beats headphones. The competition led to many meaningful conversations. 

Presenting two options to friends in general chat can be a lighthearted way to provoke further thought and discussion. The questions don’t always have to be spiritual but can often help move your conversation forward. Ideas include: “Would you rather there was a God or wasn’t?”, “Would you rather God was loving or just?” and “If you could choose, would you rather you were God, or Jesus was God?”

3. Don’t have the words? Use images

Answers to deep questions can be difficult for us to articulate. But pictures can provide an opportunity to gain an understanding of a person’s life and spiritual journey. The free app Soularium is a versatile, engaging tool that digs deeper without feeling intrusive. It helps people to articulate their feelings, beliefs and perspectives by using photographs to answer questions such as: “Which three images describe your life right now?” and “Which three images would you choose to describe God?” Or, for an offline experience, try the new Agapé UK card version, Unfilter’d. 

4. Create a new space

Natural spaces to gather and talk, whether it be chatting around a fire, over the garden wall, at the front porch or in the corner shop, are slowly declining. The evangelist Chris Duffett once placed a sofa in the centre of Peterborough and sat down with a sign which read: “I will listen.” He recognised the need for people to talk and be heard. What spaces could you create to invite deeper relationships and have more meaningful conversations?

Inviting others to take part in our hobbies and activities – gardening, hiking, eating a meal, watching sport, family celebrations and even some of our Christian traditions – can present opportunities to love and learn from one another. Relationships are two-way, so learn your neighbour’s names and, if they are from a different cultural background, seek to understand their own traditions. Don’t just focus on what you want to give them. Asking for help, expertise or recommendations earns trust. This is invaluable for recommending Jesus. 

5. Share your story

You have a brilliant story of God’s grace and love in your own life. But the conventional ‘three-minute testimony’ no longer cuts it in our soundbite culture. Instead, take time to prepare short, intriguing sentences in answer to three simple questions: “What was your life like before you followed Jesus?”, “Why and how did you become a follower of Jesus?” and “What difference has Jesus made to your life as a result?”

These prepared sentences can be dropped into conversation at the appropriate time, inviting people to ask a follow-up question if they are interested. Eliminate or explain any ‘Christianese’ such as ‘sin’ and ‘saviour’ and choose a theme for your story such as acceptance, or success, so it is more memorable and meaningful.

Ask someone who doesn’t follow Jesus to critique your story. Friends are likely to appreciate your desire to be sensitive to others, and it gives them the opportunity to hear it. They may share their own spiritual journey in return. 

You can also record and upload your story onto a platform such as YouTube or mystory.me and share the link with people you know.

6. Ask better questions

If a doctor gave you a diagnosis and medication without any consultation it may make for a quick visit, but you’d be concerned as to whether you’d received the correct treatment! Jesus asked questions, approximately 300 of them, even though he already knew the answers. Being lovingly curious by asking good, open-ended questions and listening well can show value, earn trust, help people learn, challenge ideas and even expose the heart, allowing us to see where Jesus might connect to someone’s life. 

A tattoo often reveals something significant about the individual’s beliefs or experience. Sometimes items people wear do the same. Show interest by asking what it means to them. Alternatively, make a list of the regular topics of conversation you have with those who don’t yet follow Jesus. What might be some good questions that would gradually transition the conversation on these topics from the superficial to the spiritual? 

Have a look at the Table Talk cards, Perspectives cards or Fusion’s Deep Meaningful Conversations deck.

7. Find a common denominator

Gather a few Christian friends together and begin a social group around a common skill or passion, then invite other friends to join. One lady started a watercolour painting group using quotes and Bible verses as inspiration for art. Groups based around novels, poetry, film and music provide clear opportunities to talk about themes, lyrics, attitudes and worldviews. The topic under discussion doesn’t have to be overtly Christian, the space itself invites opinion. As we hear more, it aids us in our understanding of how we can connect the gospel to our lives. Consider how you can use common interests to recommend Jesus to others. 

8. Make a connection online

Use social media channels to tell short stories of faith, quote a Bible verse or lyric from a worship song, ask a question, share a playlist of Christian songs or offer prayer. You could invite friends to an event, post links to a church’s livestream, podcasts, video content from places such as The Way UK (see our interview with Jesse Fellingham), the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics (OCCA), Streams.studio, or the Jesus Film Project app.

With millions turning to the internet for answers to life’s big questions, The Mentor Ministry by Agapé UK gives you an opportunity to anonymously engage with seekers. Signing up as a mentor means you’ll receive questions from spiritually curious people straight to your inbox. Even people in countries closed to missionaries are reachable through the internet. There is time to think, pray and respond, and a team available to offer support. All you need is a device and internet connection, and you can make an evangelistic impact from the comfort of your own home. 

9. Give something away 

Offering a free gift to a person at the bus stop, a waiter in a restaurant or a friend at the pub provides something tangible as a reminder of an interaction. City Vision approached people with the simple question: “May I give you a gift?”, offering a small cross. Lex Loizides printed credit card-sized cards with abstract nouns on them such as ‘happy’, ‘fearful’ or ‘disappointed’, and placed relevant verses on the back of each card. He would ask someone to choose the card that most relates to how they are feeling, as a way of starting a conversation and offering encouragement. 

You might choose to wear the Four wristband, which explains the gospel (see box). You can show it to others and ask: “Have you ever seen this before?” The band can then be given away as a reminder of the conversation.

10. Watch how you go

How we ‘go’ is as important as what we do or say. In Peter’s first letter, he urges us to prepare our hearts by setting apart Jesus as Lord, to prepare practically how to best communicate our faith in our context, and to love because, as Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13, without love, we are a “clanging cymbal” and “gain nothing” (v1-3). “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).