THIS WEEK’S PASSAGE
Luke 10:25-37
BACKGROUND PREPARATION Before the session, think about your own views on evangelism. You may well be asked what you believe about it and why. You will need Bibles, pens and paper, a flipchart, a simple washing line and some pegs. You may also need a laptop and projector. www.yfcchurchresources.co.uk
What is it?
5 mins
Get your group to close their eyes. Go round your group and, one by one, ask them for an instant reaction to the word ‘evangelism’. Then go straight on to the next activity.
Good news Chinese whispers
10 mins
With the group in a circle, ask the group to think about some good news they have received in the last month. Ask them to simultaneously whisper their news to the person next on their left while listening to the person on their right. Pass on the message five times and then ask each person to share what they think they heard last. Then ask them to share their original piece of good news. Say that evangelism is all about sharing good news and involves both speaking and listening.
Divide the group into pairs. Each pair should then discuss the following questions:
• How do you feel about the word evangelism?
• How would you feel if someone asked you about your faith ‘out of the blue’?
• Have you ever had to talk about your faith with someone who was not a Christian?
• How did that conversation come about?
• What worked well and what clearly didn’t?
• Did you enjoy the experience or not?
Three stories
5 mins
Draw three interlocking circles on a flipchart like this:
Label the circles, ‘My story’, ‘Their story’ and ‘God’s story’. Explain that good evangelism is based on telling and listening to stories and there are three stories involved:
1. My story – My personal ‘story so far’. These are often referred to as testimonies: the work of God in our lives.
2. Their story – My friends’ individual stories so far.
3. God’s story – The amazing story of God reaching out to the whole world, including the story of Jesus; his life, death and resurrection.
Say: evangelism isn’t just for Christian experts. Instead, it should be viewed as something we do every day, simply because we love God and want others to hear about him.
Jesus the master storyteller
10 mins
Read Luke 10:25-37 and then discuss these questions:
• Why did Jesus tell this story?
• What questions and issues was he addressing?
Life mapping
10 mins
Hand out sheets of paper and pens to the group. Ask them to draw a line vertically down the middle of the paper and a horizontal line which crosses the vertical line halfway, as if drawing graph axes. Say that you are asking them to draw their life as a map, from when they were born to today.
Explain that every point they might plot on their map should represent an experience that they have had in their lives. These might include a whole range of experiences; hearing about Jesus, feeling close to God, feeling far away from God, becoming a Christian, feeling lonely, feeling really happy, becoming more willing to help people, getting angry etc. They may choose to represent their experiences as towns, lakes, mountains, roads, or any other feature they feel is appropriate.
Encourage them to include such things as:
• What was life like before they became a Christian?
• When, where and how did they become a Christian?
• What has life been like since – what impact has following Jesus had?
• What things are they and God currently working on in their life?
What holds us back?
10 mins
Hang a simple washing line across the room. Have a bowl of pegs, pens and paper at the ready. Get your group to write down one or two things that they feel hold them back from telling their story. Get them to peg the papers on the line.
Discuss these issues with your group. Then pray for God’s help to overcome them. After praying, as an act of faith and courage, get them to remove their fears from the line as a symbol that God has promised to be with them as they share their stories.
Conclusion
5 mins
As this session reaches a close, your group should now understand a little more that their life really is a story. The very facts of your story read like a ‘letter of recommendation’ to those curious about God. It may actually be the only such ‘letter’ someone ever gets to read; the only chance they get to hear about God. It’s a big responsibility on the storyteller, but such an exciting privilege! Just think: God working through you and your story will continue to impact others’ lives for eternity.
KEY POINT #1
This word ‘evangelism’ has often been misunderstood. Frequently, it gets associated with events, such as missions or ‘special’ outreach, or with super-confident speakers standing on the street corners, attached to the end of a megaphone. Sadly, we’ve turned it into something difficult and fraught with confrontation. Why? People are so intimidated that many simply don’t do it. In fact, evangelism is for everyone.
KEY POINT #2
It’s not a new idea to use stories as a way of communicating truth. Jesus was the master storyteller. He simply knew what made people tick, delivering the right stories to suit the different people he met. He made a way for people to ask questions and always knew how to answer them. Each of us has a story, too: a story of our life experiences and our journey with God. Your story can be really powerful in communicating truth about God.
