Gospel Conversations 101
I can clearly remember the sheer terror that used to overtake me when it came to starting a Gospel Conversation. I knew there had to be a simple way to begin the conversation, but no one ever shared the “secret recipe.”
Enter....Personal Evangelism class in college. Our professor introduced two main types of evangelism to the class - relational and intentional evangelism. Relational evangelism came easier than intentional evangelism.
Relational meant developing long-term friendships for the purpose of sharing the Gospel. This didn’t seem too difficult.
Intentional meant sharing the Gospel with strangers. This was terrifying for me.
"Remember FIRE," my professor said.
F - Learn about FAMILY.
I - Ask about INTERESTS.
R - Inquire about CHURCH/RELIGIOUS BELIEFS.
E - Share the Gospel - EVANGELISM!
Such a simple tool. As a young college student, my professor gave me a tool that I can still use today. We can hand the same tool to our students.
Of First Importance….What is the Gospel?
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”
-1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (ESV)
Before students can share the Gospel, they must truly understand the Gospel message. Paul tells us the Gospel - the message of salvation through Christ - is of first importance. So, let’s start there.
Creation. Fall. Redemption. Restoration.
Creation - Scripture tells us that God created everything in seven days. When He made His creation, He made is perfect and sinless.
Fall - Adam and Eve, the first people, chose to disobey God in the garden. When they did, sin entered the world. Sin created a chasm between a Holy God and fallen mankind. Right after the fall, God made a promise the He would one day rescue His people.
Redemption - God’s promise of rescue came to fruition when He sent HIs Son as the Perfect Sacrifice for the sin of the world. As we read in 1 Corinthians 15:3, “Christ died for our sins….He was buried…He was raised.” Because of the atoning work of Christ, our lost world has Hope.
Restoration - God is restoring and building His Kingdom one lost soul at a time. He has promised that one day He will forever banish sin and make all things new.
In a lost and dying world, we have HOPE because of Christ. This is the Gospel.
We must….Pray!
Any student who has been raised to new life in Christ has been called to share the Gospel. Just as a soldier does not go into battle without their armor, a believer cannot effectively share the Gospel apart from the power of the Holy Spirit.
In preparing our students to share the Gospel with their friends, we must always begin with prayer. Why? The Holy Spirit is the one who works and moves in the lives of an unbeliever when the Gospel is shared. Students must understand that they are simply workmen, but the Lord is the one who yields the harvest. We need Him!
Practice.
There is nothing wrong with having students practice sharing the Gospel. Using the FIRE conversation stater above, walk students through what it would look like to have a genuine conversation with someone. These conversations can take place anywhere students spend time - the ball park, school, the mall, etc.
1) I DO: Model FIRE
Show students what it looks like to begin a conversation with a genuine, “Hey! How are you?” From there, steer the conversation into talking about the person’s FAMILY. Some great questions to begin with, “Has your family lived in the area long? Do you have any siblings?….” Allow students to see how a conversation naturally flows. After talking about family, find a clear Segway into discussing INTERESTS. Some questions to use are, “Do you play any sports? Do you work anywhere? What grade are you in?” These questions are great questions to help students break down walls and lead to a Gospel Conversation.
After talking about interests, the conversation can begin to move towards the person’s faith and beliefs. For the purpose of our acronym, this is titled RELIGION. This is where you will model for students how to ask questions that reveals someone’s beliefs. Some great options are, “Do you go to church anywhere? What do you believe about God? Where do you find your hope in difficult time?” Questions like these shouldn’t be forced, but it should be modeled for students how to let the conversation flow naturally.
Once determining what a student believes about the Lord and salvation, it’s time to begin sharing the Gospel with the lost. For students who aren’t comfortable sharing, it is a simple opportunity to invite the person to join them at youth group the next Wednesday.
2) WE DO
After two leaders model how to use the FIRE acronym, I recommend bringing up one student to help you re-demonstrate. This time, take short breaks and ask students where they think the conversation should go next. This will help you check for understand and guide them towards making the conversation flow naturally.
3) YOU DO
After allowing the students to guide you through a second demonstration, it is time for them to partner up. They will find this awkward and that is ok! Give them time to practice having an intentional, Gospel Conversation with their friend.
Just the Beginning.
Prepping students with the tools to begin a Gospel Conversation can open so many doors. There is no set way to start a conversation with a stranger. However, we have an amazing opportunity to equip our students and to send them out to reach the lost world around them. This is just the beginning. Once they see God work and move, they will gain confidence in starting Gospel Conversations in many different ways.