Mission Thinking

I recently read Tim Keller's top ten tips for personal evangelism. I think this is really helpful for us at church when we are thinking about personal mission.

What Tim has to say fits in really well with what we have been talking about this year with regard to personal mission. That is, mission is anything on the spectrum from connecting with or talking to a non-Christian to sharing the gospel with them. 

1. Let people around you know you are a Christian (in a natural, unforced way)
   
2. Ask friends about their faith - and just listen!
   
3. Listen to your friends' problems - maybe offer to pray for them
   
4. Share your problems with others - testify to how your faith helps you
   
5. Give them a book to read
   
6. Share your story
   
7. Answer objections and questions
   
8. Invite them to a church event
   
9. Offer to read the Bible with them
   
10. Take them to an explore course
    

Tim apparently goes on to say that we too often start with 8-10 because we think these are what count as true evangelism, but we need to start with 1-4 with most people. Indeed we may need to loop through them several times before we can move on to 5-10.

Of course, all this must be under-girded with prayer. As we learnt recently from John 3 that it is only by the work of God through his Spirit that we come to understand and appreciate the one who was lifted up to face the darkness so we could be brought into the light of eternal life.