Like many of us, Jesus felt the need, at times, to simply get away from the crowds and have a quiet time. On one such occasion, his disciples earnestly went looking for him, and when they found him they declared, “Everybody is looking for you.”

I have discovered, in my travels, that many people are in fact looking for Jesus. They may not be consciously aware of him, but they know, deep inside, that something is missing. More than one person has shared with me, in my new ministry as ARM Ambassador, that they have come to the realization that the material riches of society just don’t satisfy those inner cravings for peace and security.

The times are ripe for evangelism, especially that natural kind of witnessing where we take that bold step, in love, and begin to share with someone the new life we are discovering day by day as a disciple of Jesus. In my travels recently, I have found myself in Anglican settings helping God’s people discover the basic ‘how-to’ of witnessing. I simply call it “Telling your story, sharing your faith.” I have a number of small books, written by Anglicans, of a very practical nature, which I usually refer to for reference.

During my last session on witnessing, at a gathering in the Diocese of Athabasca, I found myself drawing on the writings of Father John Bertolucci, an Evangelist with the Roman Catholic Church. Father John spells out his guidelines for personal evangelism, yours and mind, with found words: Care, prayer, dare and share.

Caring: Caring for people just where they are and as they are, in a loving, non-judgmental manner, is a vital ingredient in one-on-one evangelism. The key is to build a warm, caring relationship with the person you are trying to reach. Our caring will be felt and seen in the unconditional love of Jesus that we reveal in our own mannerisms, tone of voice, eye contact and a real readiness to listen with warmth and understanding. You might call all these part of the bridge building process of the bridge building process with another person.

Prayer: Without prayer, evangelism and personal witnessing is doomed to failure. As followers of Jesus, we need to pray daily for an opportunity to share the Good News and continue to pray for that very person that the Lord has brought across our path. Listen again to Paul on this vital matter of prayer, “Pray also for me that I may be granted the right words when I speak and may boldly and freely make known the hidden purpose of the Gospel” (Eph. 6:19).

Sharing: The third ingredient of active personal evangelism is sharing. During the months of October and November, as I carried out my new ministry as ARM Ambassador, I was privileged to share my faith journey on a number of occasions and always with the hope that my story would in some way light a spark for Jesus or kindle a flame in someone else’s life. How about you? Have you shared your faith journey with another person lately? Don’t keep it hidden, remember Jesus is counting on you.

Daring: Finally, comes the daring part, when God opens the door to actually lead someone to commit their life to Jesus as Lord and Saviour. In my workshops I always pass out a short four step process, undergirded with scripture of how to help someone commit their life to Christ, including a short prayer that they can say. In fact, I keep this little guideline in the front part of my Bible for quick reference.

Why do you suppose that have a struggle with personal evangelism? Is it fear? What will I say? Will I be rejected? Misunderstood? I am quite familiar with those normal human emotions of fear and anxiety, when it comes to personal evangelism. I have found myself, in many of these situations, to have a new inner conviction and assurance to witnessing to the living Lord, when I’ve learned not to struggle but to rest in the Lord and pray for an anointing of the Holy Spirit.

If I can be of any help in your own ministry of personal evangelism, please contact me and I would be delighted to pass on a number of vital aids and suggestions for this ministry.

The season of advent is upon us and during this wonderful season we prepare our heart with expectation and celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Take this opportunity to share Jesus with those you love. May you experience every blessing on your spiritual journey through Advent to Christmas, as you receive the Lord of Lords in the very manger of your hearts and lives.

Bishop Malcolm is the ambassador of ARM Canada and was formerly the Episcopal bishop of the diocese of Brandon.

The Rt. Rev. Malcolm Harding
Episcopal Visitor to ARM