How do I share the Good News? In a word – STORY!

I recently heard a fantastic story about a London primary school girl being asked at church how she shared her faith in a multicultural setting. “It’s easy!” she said “I ask them to tell me about their God and then I tell them why I love Jesus.”

My goodness! I think she’s got it.

What a great answer! We often feel like we don’t know enough about our own faith, let alone other people’s so we keep stumm. But that girl’s answer is totally authentic and doesn’t require her to know anything other than her own personal relationship with Jesus, whilst remaining open to learn from others. Essentially, she is doing what every good missionary is taught.

Listen and hear the other’s story and then communicate your own story. By doing that you value them and their culture for what it is and you develop an understanding of their context to help better communicate yours.

Stories are game-changers.

There is a great little quote from Ivan Illich, Austrian philosopher and Roman Catholic priest, who as a child was forced to flee Vienna with his family during the Second World War. He was once asked what was the most radical way to change society; was it violent revolution or gradual reform? He gave an unexpected answer – “Neither!” he said, “If you want to change society, then you must tell an alternative story”. I think this applies to changing individuals, too.

Jesus told an alternative story of redemption to the Jewish people in the first century. Jesus was also a master storyteller who used parables to change the way we think and act. The four gospels are simply stories about Jesus told by individuals who were impacted by Him. Evangelists are simply people who naturally tell Good News (evangelion) stories. Stories change lives!

So, what story do you tell them?

Obviously, it depends on the context, but essentially you are communicating who Jesus is and what He has done for you. We see this model of witness in the gospels – “Come see a man who knew everything about me” (the Woman at the Well, John 4); “All I know is that I was blind but now I can see” (healed blind man, John 9). It’s really powerful to hear ordinary people with ordinary lives talking excitedly about an extraordinary encounter with an extraordinary Jesus. It doesn’t require that we read tons of books or know loads of theology; it simply requires us to tell of what he has done and what he is doing in our lives. (“They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony”, Rev 12:11)

How did Jesus do it?

One great example is Jesus’ encounter with the Woman at the Well.

First, and most importantly, Jesus got started by taking time out in a busy day to be available. Without time for conversation, we have no chance. I was recently shown up by Peter Dunn (from the Yorkshire Baptist Association) who is a master in this sort of thing. He came round my house for coffee and I introduced him to my plumber. In all my running around I had simply talked the plumber through all the tasks I needed him to complete, and left him to it, whereas Peter came in and just started taking the time to make conversation with him. Within a few short minutes, Peter knew more about this man than I did.

Second, Jesus engaged with the woman on her level and heard her story. He didn’t let social norms and cultural barriers stop him from crossing dividing lines of gender and race to talk to her about the issues that concerned her. He noticed that she was socially excluded. He heard that she was concerned with differences between who was considered holy and who was not. He heard that she was keen to receive spiritual water.

Thirdly, Jesus wasn’t afraid to have spiritual conversations. He listened to her and when the time was right he used the link of water to move from physical thirst to spiritual thirst. He didn’t force it, however. Jesus was in constant conversation with the Holy Spirit who revealed to him a word of knowledge to get her attention. We can all listen to the Holy Spirit as we talk to people; that way we are more likely to say something which unlocks a deeper level of conversation of spiritual significance and communicates God’s love.

Finally, Jesus told the big redemption story. When the woman asked Jesus about where God should be worshipped, he replied with a totally different paradigm about worshippers not engaging in this temple or that religion but in spirit and truth. We all need to be able to articulate God’s ultimate plan of redemption to the whole human race (1 Timothy 2:3-6). We may have the opportunity to do that in one go, perhaps with the help of a simple image or tract (I like using the 3 Circles approach - check out the 3 Circles videos on the ‘No Places Left’ Disciple Making Movement channel on YouTube), but often we get to do that a bit at a time focusing on one element which they need to hear – for example, that God accepts us as we are and we don’t need to earn His approval.

Do it your way!

God has given us all our very own story of redemption which no one knows better than we do. People can argue with your theology or your moral values, but they can’t argue with your story. You are the only person with your particular story and he’s placed you in this time and space with this particular person and conversation – so you need to be confident to do it your way. However, I do know that the more I share, the more articulate I become, the more I am in tune with the Holy Spirit, the more I am able to unlock the spiritual potential within every conversation. Don’t forget you are not brow-beating or intellectualizing, you are simply sharing faith simply as you go about your day and the rest is up to Jesus to open the door for your message.

Sharing Faith Simply

Co-working with God is at the core of who we are

5,000km of prayer, and counting!