Lexi Shipp: Lexi Shipp is a passionate writer, speaker, and Bible teacher. With a Bachelors in Religion and Masters in Human Services Counseling, both specified in Christian Ministry, Lexi is currently serving alongside her husband in Next Gen Ministry at Liberty Live Church. Working with middle and high school girls for years, she has a heart for connecting all generations of women and championing the next generation for the cause of Christ – starting within her own home as a mom. Lexi serves as a regular LifeWay Girls blogger, the Blog Team Lead for the SBC of Virginia’s Women’s Ministry Blog, and as a part of the SBCV Ministry Wives and Women’s Ministry Strategy teams. To read more of Lexi’s writings or to book her as a speaker, connect with her on Instagram @alexisleeshipp.
When it comes to sharing the gospel, it can be an intimidating idea for some – even for those of us who grew up in the church and have been surrounded by it for the vast majority of our lives. There are pastors and theologians of the belief that if you are not passionately sharing the gospel with anyone and everyone, you must not have encountered it for yourself. However, I think in a lot of cases, it is much deeper than that.
I believe many of the statistics we see on how many believers are supposedly sharing or not sharing the gospel has a lot to do with how we have trained them to do it. For example, if someone is highly relational and values having relational equity with someone, it may feel very inauthentic to dive into a deeply spiritual conversation without first having the time to develop a relationship with the receiving party (I.e. door-to-door evangelism or witnessing to strangers).
This concept, “personality based evangelism”, was life changing for me as I studied in Grad School at Liberty University. To learn more about it, I highly recommend the book, “Got Style? Personality-Based Evangelism” by Jeffrey Johnson.
Despite previous trainings, or lack thereof, or even how we are naturally wired and designed by the Lord, it does not mean that we are never expected to share our faith with whomever we may encounter, whether we are comfortable or not. One tool that I have found incredibly helpful as a guide in sharing the gospel is the 3 Circles.
When my husband uses this tool, he will actually draw it out on a napkin or piece of paper, which can help things click for those who are visual learners. For me, it helps keep me on track even if I am only visualizing it in my head as I ask questions and share.
Essentially, once you identify an element of brokenness in conversation with someone, you use that as an opportunity to connect with them. We may not have all experienced the same specific type of brokenness, but we have all experienced brokenness of some type. This is a crucial bridge in gospel sharing.
“I have not experienced exactly what you’re going through, but can I share with you what really got me through a season of brokenness in my life?”
Now, you have opened the door to share the gospel!
- Circle 1—Start by explaining God’s original design and how there was no brokenness, but then sin entered the world, which resulted in brokenness and is what causes the brokenness in our life.
- Circle 2—Ask for specific examples of brokenness (financial hardship, addiction, broken relationships, homelessness, etc.). Share that even though these are symptoms of being in a world broken by sin, there is hope!
- Circle 3—Explain that while it may not change our circumstances, there is redemption and hope! Through this, we are able to pursue God’s original design.
The link to the 3 Circles is listed here: 3 Circles – North American Mission Board
There is also an app available that walks you through each step.
Prayerfully, you find this tool helpful in sharing the good news of Jesus with those you encounter!
