faith sharing

Would Your Church Benefit from Overcoming Its Faith Sharing Barriers?

September 17, 20244 min read

Is your church full of disciples who are comfortable sharing their faith and do so frequently?  If so, congratulations! Your church has obviously intentionally invested well in the formation of mature disciples. Unfortunately, prevalent faith sharing is not typical for most mainline churches.

Why is it that sharing our faith is such a barrier for us Jesus followers? There are a variety of cited reasons, but below is what I hear most often. Notice the scripture following each statement that challenges these common reasons for disciples not sharing their faith.

  • I don’t feel equipped or knowledgeable enough to share my faith with others.

Here’s the knowledge you need: you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. And you will be My witnesses, first here in Jerusalem, then beyond to Judea and Samaria, and finally to the farthest places on earth. Acts 1:8 (VOICE)

  • My faith is private to me.

 “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”  Matthew 5:14-16 (MSG)

  • I’m afraid of offending people.

So don’t be ashamed of the testimony about the Lord or of me, his prisoner. Instead, share the suffering for the good news, depending on God’s power. 2 Timothy 1:8 (CEB)

  • Evangelism? Ugh, that’s for people who knock on strangers’ doors or yell at people (proselytize) from street corners.

Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 (MSG)

  • That’s the pastor’s job - not mine. The pastor has special training for this purpose.

Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. 1 Peter 3:15 (MSG)

Jesus made it clear that as His followers, we are to stand ready to share our faith; the Holy Spirit will provide the words and courage to do so. How is your church working with congregants so they become more confident and comfortable sharing their faith? Here are a few tips to get you started:

  1. Create consistent opportunities for congregants to share their faith inside the congregation so they build up the confidence to do so in their everyday life.

  2. Build a culture where faith-sharing becomes common and natural by going first. As a leader, share your faith story with other congregants in a way that is conversational and unintimidating. This will also begin to break the stigma that evangelism often has.

  3. Offer immersive equipping opportunities where congregants can gain the confidence and hear different methods of faith-sharing. This will enable congregants to find their unique voice for faith-sharing that is comfortable and natural.

  4. Begin early with children and youth. Encourage faith sharing in the youngest generations so it becomes part of their natural discipleship.

  5. Ensure your church’s discipleship pathway includes faith-sharing.

  6. For those of us who are United Methodist, help those who already are or those about to become members understand that our membership vow includes prayer, presence, gifts, service, and witness.

  7. Help your congregation understand that without its congregants sharing their faith and introducing Jesus to new people, the church’s likelihood of survival is close to nil.

Building a positive, natural culture of faith sharing will overcome the fear, trepidation, and lack of confidence many find when it comes to faith-sharing. What tips above might help your congregation be more eager to share their faith? What’s your first step in increasing your congregation’s faith-sharing practices?

If your church is looking for a resource, consider the small group study, Unpacking Your Faith Story.  This four-session series will help those in your small group journey together to learn to capture their faith story and practice sharing it.  Join others in a safe place to discover, practice and gain confidence in sharing and living out your unique faith story as God calls each of us to do.  Great for all-church studies or groups such as existing small groups, Sunday school classes, and evangelism teams.


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Kay Kotan

Kay’s purpose is to Equip and Empower Leaders of Faith Communities How to Engage in More Effective Ministry. Kay Kotan is the founder of You Unlimited (coaching, consulting and training company) and The Greatest Expedition – a collaboration of more than twenty thought leaders providing resources and insights for a congregational journey to develop new MAPS (ministry action plans) to reach new people in your community.  Kay also launched Multipliers’ Movement – a gathering of kingdom multipliers for sharing, equipping, and encouraging. She is a CoachU and Advanced CoachU Graduate, an accredited coach (PCC: Professional Certified Coach) with the ICF, International Coaching Federation, a Certified Path 1 Coach, and once served on the faculty at Coaching4Clergy. As a passionate lay person, she has a banking background and has been a business owner for more than 25 years. Kotan has served as a church developer for conferences and worked with churches, pastors, conferences, and judicatory leaders across the country for more than a decade. She is most proud to be the wife of Bob for over 30 years and the mother of their adult son, Cameron. Kay is the author of multiple books, workbooks, and resources including Gear Up: Nine Essential Processes for the Optimized Church, Cry From the Pew, Full Schedules, Barren Souls, Being the Church in the Post Pandemic World, and Journey Preparation: Surveying Your Church’s Landscape, as well as the co-author of the books titled: IMPACT!: Reclaiming the Call of Lay Ministry, Small Church Check-Up, Insights on Productivity, Renovate or Die – Ten Ways to Focus Your Church on Mission, Ministry 3.0 and Get Their Name , Ten Prescriptions for a Healthy Church, Necessary Nine – Nine Things Effective Pastors Do Differently, Launching Leaders: Taking Leadership Development to New Heights, Strategy Matters: Your Roadmap to Planning a Strategic Ministry Planning Retreat, Voices of Christmas: A Daily Devotional for Advent and Expanding the Expedition Reach Through Marketplace Multipliers. Mission Possible for the Small Church. Inside Out: Everting Ministry Models for the Postmodern Church, and more. Kotan and her co-author Bradford published their third version of the best-seller, Mission Possible: Simple Structure for Missional Effectiveness. Mrs. Kotan spends her time investing in pastors, laity leaders, congregations, and judicatory leaders through equipping, coaching, and creating resources to help them discover and live into their fullest missional potential of effectiveness and fruitfulness to reach people for Jesus Christ. Through her enthusiasm, truth-telling, and passion, she challenges those who encounter her in both their thinking and their doing.

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