• Create opportunties by making new friends.
  
• Listen to what people want to talk about.
  
• Pray for your lost friends.
  
• Invite lost friends to the church you go to. Either for worship service, a meal, Bible study, or just fellowship.
  
• Introduce spiritual matters naturally.
  
• Go out of your way if you have to,
  to include your lost friends in your interest.
  
• It is better to always go with another person when visiting.

If you are given a name of someone to visit, memorize the name and the information you are given about the person.
When you go to their home, don't block their drive.
Park on the street, if possible.
Notice the clues of the family's interest and size, such as toys in the yard, well-manicured yard, boat trailer, etc.
Ring the doorbell and step back one or two steps.
Do not appear too anxious to get inside as if you had something to sell.

Smile, identify yourself, and tell the purpose of your visit immediately.
Say: "Mr. Jones? I'm ____________ and this is my friend ______________, and we are from the ______________ Church. We would like to come in and visit with you for a few minutes,
if it is all right."

With the situation in most communities, it is important for people to know immediately where you come from and why you have come. If they do not invite you in, ask if there is a more convenient time for you to come back,
or if you may leave a tract or a church bulletin with them.

• Pray for the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
  
• Better for 2 people to go together. Sometimes there may be small children around wanting to talk to their parent the same time you are witnessing. The other person can keep the children's attention. It is better that one person do most of the witnessing. (unless the Holy Spirit leads the other person into making a comment or to take over the presentation)
• Be friendly and pleasant.
  
• Have good eye contact and a firm handshake.
  
• Give honest, sincere compliments.
  
• Accept any apologies and move on to another subject.
  
• Ask questions that move smoothly from natural things to spiritual matters. Earn the right to be heard by listening to and showing interest in all the person's answers.

Use these suggestions to keep conversation moving towards spiritual matters.

1. Ask about the person's spouse, children, hometown, and so on, and draw parallels to your experience if there is any.
2. Ask, What do you do in your spare time? Show interest in any hobbies, sports, community activities, and so on, that are mentioned. Draw any parallel you know with your experience.
3. Ask, When you attend church, where do you go? Ask other questions about the person's religious background. Relate that background to your own experience or to that of friends and relatives who have had similar background, if there is any. You may choose to give your personal testimony at this point. Do not include the 4 truths og the Gospel in your testimony. You will give them in the presentation.
4. Ask the first exploratory question in the Good News presentation.
A. Have you come to the place in your life that you know for certain that you have eternal life and that you will go to Heaven when you die?

If their answer is yes, ask, Would you mind sharing when you accepted Christ? If the person gives the right answer, follow up with questions about his or her level of commitment, such as questions about baptism, church attendance, and discipleship.

If the answer is no, continue the presentation. Note that if you haven't given your testimony earlier, now would be a good time to share your experience.

B. Ask, Suppose you were standing before God right now and He asked you, "Why should I let you into My Heaven?" What do you think you would say?

If the person answers correctly that Jesus Christ is his or her Savior and Lord, talk to him about his or her personal experience and his or her assurance of salvation.

If the person answers something relating to his own good works, you can be relatively certain he or she does not understand the gospel. Continue by asking the question: Is there anything else? to allow the person to get all his or her substitutes for Christ out in the open. Again note that the presentation emphasizes a sympathetic concern and an emphasis on what you have discovered.

C. Move into the transition to the Good News presentation. Say, Remember, when I asked you if you knew for certain that you have eternal life, I shared the good news that the Bible teaches we can be certain. I have some more good news. May I share it with you?

It is important to ask for his or her permission to share the good news. This will prevent the person's cutting the conversation short later.

Use the transition statement in the presentation to move into "God's Purpose" portion of the presentation.

If the person says that it is not all right for you to share the presentation, graciously say: "Well, I'd like to share it with you sometime. It will only take about 10 minutes. Maybe sometime we can get together at your convenience. Sometimes he will say, "Well, if it is that short, go ahead and tell me now." Keep your presentation to 10 minutes except for questions that he or she might ask to prolong the conversation.

The important matter is not to get sidetracked or stopped before you can get to the Good News presentation. Do not try to force someone to listen if he or she does not give you the privilege to share with them. Some people seem ready to receive your witness, even glad, while others are indifferent.

A presentation of the gospel is incomplete unless hearers are challenged to accept the Christ of the gospel. A deliberate effort should be made to lead the lost person to accept Christ as Savior.

It is biblical. (Matthew 4:19; Matthew 9:9; John 1:45-49)

It is logical. The Good News of Jesus is an offer.

It is practical. Millions of people have been saved when someone invited them to accept Christ in a one on one context. Many of the people who respond during a public invitation already have accepted Christ in response to a person-to-person invitation. A lost person may avoid worship services because he or she is under conviction and does not want to hear the gospel or its invitation. A Christian can take the gospel to the lost person and give him an invitation to accept Christ. The gospel and an invitation should not be confined to a church building. God intends for Christians to carry the gospel and an invitation to the world - not wait for the world to come to a church building.

By nature, man is slow to move spiritually. He needs encouragement to respond to the offer of the gospel. Paul understood this. He said: "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." (2 Cor. 5:11) Favorable impressions made by the gospel may die quickly if lost persons do not act on deep impulses which they feel. It is a great tragedy to let someone remain uncommitted or lost who would have made a decision if the personal witness had appealed for a decision to accept Christ.

Offering a person-to-person invitation should be considered carefully. The witness should know exactly what they are going to say when asking for a commitment. The time for asking a person to accept Christ is a tense moment. This is not a time for a witness to be unsure of his or her words. Present the gospel. If they want to accept Christ as their personal Savior, help them pray the sinner's prayer. Make sure you have a follow-up on the person or person's who did accept Christ. Check with your church on what kind of follow-up they present to the new Christian.

If they choose not to, do not fail to press for a decision. That extra urging may be just what the lost person needs. Never be insulting; never question the integrity of the lost person; never put your own desire to have the lost person accept Christ above the integrity of the lost person. The extent of such second efforts must be determined by the Holy Spirit's leadership.

Leave a gospel tract with the person and encourage him or her to read it carefully that night. Remind him or her that they can accept Christ at any time and in any place. Say: If you do accept Christ, will you please give me a call just as soon as possible? My name, address, and phone number are here on this tract.

Close the visit in prayer, thanking God for the opportunity you have had. Leave the home amiably, expressing appreciation for the time the lost person gave you.

"Go The Distance"
Courtesy of Midi Farms

© 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006

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