By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer
LAFAYETTE – Sharing the Gospel with a stranger is as simple as starting a conversation about sweet tea and ending with an invitation to accept Christ.
During a session of the Youth Evangelism Celebration, Nov. 21, keynote speaker Ed Newton shared with nearly 6,000 students a “conversational” method for witnessing to their friends and others.
Newton said it is simply a matter of starting the conversation, finding something in common with that person, then looking for an opportunity to turn the discussion to Christ.
He said something as simple as a comment about sweet tea can lead to a chance to share about Him.
But, he underscored, the conversation must be authentic, and he said, you have to be intentional about asking some key questions, like: “What do you think it takes to go to Heaven?” “Do you mind if I tell you how the Bible answers this question?” and “Would you like to give your life to Jesus right now?”
“Right there at that sweet tea fountain machine, you can lead somebody to Jesus Christ, calling on the name above all names, right there in that divine appointment,” said Newton, pastor of Community Bible Church in San Antonio, Texas. “Could we live life that way? Could we live life on mission speaking of Jesus?”
Newton’s simple strategy for evangelism also included an invitation for the youth to bring a friend to an event for teens and collegians during the 2017 Louisiana Baptist Evangelism Conference at Temple Baptist Church in Ruston Jan. 23-24.
Students will gather at 5:30 p.m. inside the church family life center for a pizza party and entertainment.
Organizers are encouraging churches around the state to host simultaneous similar events and stream the live Internet broadcast of Newton’s message — to broaden the geographic reach of this initial event.
The event will kick off the Harvest initiative, a statewide campaign to engage 700 Louisiana Baptist churches to “pray for every home and share Christ with every person” in Louisiana.
“We are excited about this event,” said Steve Maltempi, youth strategist for Louisiana Baptists. “We want to see a great Harvest.
“Our goal is to reach every single person in the state with the Gospel,” he continued. “That includes every teenager and we need your help to do that.”
Practice encouraged
Though sharing about Jesus might seem intimidating at first, Newton said, with a little practice, anyone can become seasoned and over time lead many to a relationship with Him.
Newton encouraged the students to see every conversation they have with someone as a divine appointment to share the Good News.
“You’ll never know the impact and the effect of you being a witness for the person of Jesus Christ,” Newton said. “God has called you, ordained you, and divinely destined you to open your mouth and to share the message of Jesus.”
Several times during his message, Newton allowed the students to practice this “conversational” technique in groups of two. He also taught them essential Scriptures in Romans to help them understand the doctrine of salvation they would be sharing.
For more information about the Harvest student outreach event, visit http://labaptistyouth.com/harveststudents/.
