Introducing 'Witness: Equipped to Share the Good News'

Over the past few years, as I’ve worked with congregations in the Great Lakes region to help them develop a missional imagination to love their neighbors, I’ve had requests for resources that will help them speak the good news of the gospel. How do we share the gospel story? How do we tell people about Jesus Christ?

When I was in high school, I had excellent evangelism training through M.O.S.E.S, a program in our church. We basically learned the "evangelism explosion" method of knocking on doors and asking people if they would go to heaven or hell should they die tonight. Although we knocked on many doors in the 80s and 90s and engaged in many spiritual conversations with those strangers, that same method would never work in my neighborhood today.  

That's because more people today than in decades past are unfamiliar with Christianity or the church. Some people are even wary of Christians and spirituality in general. It is increasingly common to meet people in our neighborhoods who have never heard the gospel, or have never walked through the doors of a church building. And while some people may have some familiarity with religion, and maybe even Christianity, many don't believe it's relevant to them or their life today.

So, how exactly can we share this good news with our neighbors in a society that's uncomfortable or uninterested in faith? Is there a formula that we can teach our churches?

The challenge is there is not a formula—but there is a recipe.

The ingredients for being a gospel witness today are now available in a free curriculum from Resonate called Witness: Equipped to Share the Good News. This downloadable resource provides five sessions with short videos, small group guides, and a participant journal. As your small groups, adult education class, youth group, or other community go through these sessions together, you’ll learn about how Prepare, Be Present, Proclaim, Participate, and Power come together to help us be gospel witnesses.

We are excited to provide you with this vital resource, and we pray that the Holy Spirit will use it to change hearts and lives in your congregations and communities.

You can download Witness at no cost to you at www.resonateglobalmission.org/witness

By Amy Schenkel, Resonate's Regional Mission Leader for the Great Lakes Region