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Experiences in witnessing shared in panel discussion


LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)–“Many of us wind up either feeling very guilty that we aren’t witnessing, or witnessing to everything that moves and feeling like we’re bumbling because we don’t know what to do,” said Cornelia Williams, an adjunct professor of Christian education at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
“You see a rushing crowd of people going down a river, drowning, and you don’t know how to help them and you’re desperate,” Williams said of the often-frustrating feelings Christians have regarding personal evangelism.
Williams was among several panelists discussing evangelism at the Louisville, Ky., seminary’s Pendergraph Women’s Ministry meeting March 9. The Pendergraph Women’s Ministry meets monthly to foster fellowship and learning for women at Southern.
An effective witness is a prepared witness, said Troy Bush, a Ph.D. student at Southern. He said Christians should focus on “being a witness, and not doing witnessing.”
“Being a witness focuses on who we are in Christ,” he explained. “Doing witnessing often focuses on simply what we do, how we do it and what we say. These things are important, but they are subservient to who we are in Christ.”
Bush noted several ways Christians can become and remain an effective witness: saturation and meditation in the Word of God and prayer based on that saturation and meditation. He also recommended fasting, keeping a spiritual journal or diary and utilizing evangelism resources.
Moving the discussion from preparation to application, Chandi Millet compared sharing the gospel in some situations to making a quantum leap across the Grand Canyon.
“Sometimes it’s not the gospel that’s so hard to share, but oftentimes it is how to bring up the gospel without feeling like it is an awkward transition,” she said.
Millet, a second-year master of arts in missiology student at Southern, emphasized how important it is to think through the gospel message and stick to the basics. Avoiding religious jargon while witnessing is a must because many non-Christians are not familiar with theological terms, she said.
She also offered several hints on how to broach the topic of evangelism with others through a list of indirect questions that should help put people at ease. An immediate question about personal salvation causes some to raise their guard. She suggested using less-threatening questions, such as: “Would you describe yourself as a spiritual or religious person?” “Growing up, did you and your family go to church?” or “Who has had the greatest influence in your life?”
Millet illustrated the need to clearly share at least one seed of gospel truth with people by telling about a brief witness she shared with a hotel employee. The employee asked Millet why she was at the hotel. As Millet talked about the marriage conference she was attending, she shared how thankful she was that God designed marriage. She said if it were up to her, she would somehow ruin it because she was selfish.
“I have no idea what God was doing in her, but she looked at me and her eyes welled up with tears and she hugged me and said, ‘Thank you so much.’ Although I only had a few minutes with this woman, I was able to share with her that God is holy, he has a plan, and I can’t measure up to it by myself,” Millet said.
Concerning evangelism in the workplace, Vicki Rainbow, wife of associate professor of Christian education and leadership Jon Rainbow, reflected, “When we are at work, we are there for the Lord, not for man. You need to think about daily who it is that you work for,” she said, citing Colossians 3:23.
Rainbow exhorted listeners to view their jobs “as a chance to make Christ attractive to fellow workers.” Being the best worker possible and respecting the authority of those in supervisory positions are two ways she discussed that can help Christians be the kind of worker from whom co-workers would want to hear about Jesus.
Women in the meeting also heard how to witness to those who are difficult to get along with.
“Have you prayed for that person? Have you asked God to allow you to see that person through His eyes? Have you shown that person love?” asked Rainbow, who is also the administrative assistant to Southern’s vice president of institutional advancement.
She assured that God would open up doors for an effective witness to “difficult people” as long as Christians sought his guidance.
Certified financial planner and former Southern Seminary trustee John Michael talked about starting Bible studies with non-believers in his workplace, saying that God’s Word can convict people of their need for a Savior. He gave seven suggestions for starting an evangelistic Bible study in one’s home:
— Start with two Christian families, a host family and a leader family.
— Be sure that one of the families consists of laypeople with secular connections.
— Do not fill up the study group with active church members.
— Invite various friends and families to attend, hoping for at least two or three unchurched families to participate.
— Encourage whole families to attend, including children 10 years old and older.
— Encourage a “lone” believer in a family to bring unsaved family members.
— Split the group in two if it gets too large.
Michael also suggested going through the Gospel of John verse by verse to help start a Bible study. Through the gospel, it is easy to emphasize Christ as the way of salvation and becoming a disciple of Christ through a “changed life,” he said.
“The purpose is to intentionally show people what it means to be saved and what it means to become a follower of Christ,” Michael said.
Michael himself was saved through an evangelistic Bible study to which some of his friends had invited him.
Williams concluded the session by telling about the distressed people in Liverpool, England, who anxiously awaited news about those on the Titanic. Signs were finally put up in the street near White Star Station that read “Known to be saved” and “Known to be lost.”
“Tonight, as we go home, we need to think about who would be on this list, ‘Known to be lost,’ and what we can do about it. We not only have a responsibility, we have a privilege and a joy to try to win them to Christ.”

Fritsch is a newswriter at Southern Seminary.

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  • Macon Fritsch