CMBA recently spoke with several local church members about their perspective on evangelism and how they regularly share the gospel. Be inspired by their boldness, challenged by their ideas for sharing their testimony, and encouraged by the love for others that drives these conversations to introduce them to Jesus.
Seth Johnson, Three Rivers Baptist Church
Seth Johnson is a student athlete studying Information Integrated Technologies at the University of South Carolina. He looks for opportunities to have gospel conversations through acts of kindness toward others, telling people that he’s praying for them, or regularly reading his Bible in public areas.
“I know from personal experience that the only solution to the hopelessness and identity crisis is to find your hope and identity in Jesus Christ. It only makes sense that I share the solution,” Seth says.
He uses a few different methods of sharing the gospel. He might ask an engaging question like, “what’s the biggest problem in the world,” or “do you think you are a good person?” In response, he uses Scripture references to guide the conversation back to Jesus. Other times he gets right to the point.
“My favorite method is to just ask if they would like to have a conversation about Jesus. I am hardly ever denied by this approach, and usually end up having the most deep and heartfelt conversations. I’m not limited by a script and can directly address people’s concerns,” Seth says. “Every conversation like this has allowed me to share the gospel and encourage the person to read the Bible for themselves, and I have built the most lasting relationships this way.”
Seth doesn’t shy away from faith discussions that might get heated, like one he experienced with a faculty member. After sharing historical and archaeological evidence that support Jesus’ existence and the truths of the Bible, Seth stated that the only remaining question was if Jesus was the son of God. After cursing and insulting Seth the individual walked away from the conversation.
To believers who don’t regularly share their faith Seth reminds that God is present with His people (Matthew 28:20, Psalm 23:4, and Joshua 1:9) and that the only way to improve at sharing your faith is to do it regularly.
Leah Denman, City of Refuge Church
Leah Denman has been a Christian since 2016. She is married, owns her own mental health therapy practice, and is a founding member of City of Refuge Church. Leah’s father was the pastor in the church she grew up in so “I knew having a relationship with Jesus was important,” but she struggled to articulate the gospel in a way that was easy to understand until she went on college mission trips. Using evangelism booklets to engage in campus conversations helped to “get our feet wet in the process of what it’s like to share the gospel.”
Leah credits City of Refuge’s missions-minded discipleship model as having helped her begin to regularly share her faith, which she now incorporates in her daily life and work.
“It’s been a journey. Sharing the gospel was more nerve-wracking as a new believer, but now I look at it as helping others understand the good news that I found and to see that Jesus is the only way,” Leah explains.
To those who struggle with feeling a “pressure to save someone” with just the right words, Leah reminds that “ultimately, it’s Christ who saves people. Once that mindset shifted for me, I got a lot bolder and better at sharing the gospel.”
Leah recalls a friendship where she repeatedly explained the gospel through conversations and meetings over a period of time. She admits becoming discouraged, thinking “I’m sharing this good news…why is it not good news to you?” Then one day, during a casual conversation, the person decided to follow Jesus.
“I saw the Lord’s faithfulness in that situation, He works and leads people to Himself,” Leah says, adding that “in sharing the gospel, we have to remember God’s faithfulness even when people aren’t receptive. It can be discouraging when you’ve shared the gospel countless times, yet people still cling to the things of this world thinking that can fulfill them. God meets people where they are and not necessarily in our timing.”
Not all of Leah’s gospel conversations have gone smoothly or ended in a salvation response. She recognizes that “when people come from a place of pain it can be hard to accept the gospel as good news,” and this compels her to share even more.
“We have to remember that was where we once were. We have to be willing to walk with someone into those hard places,” Leah says. “I remember the hard parts of my life and how Jesus has continued to be faithful to change me. Bringing that hope and light to someone else drives me forward. We can live on mission every day.”
Elijah Perz, Three Rivers Baptist Church
College student Elijah Perz is a part of Michelin’s Tech Scholar program, majoring in mechatronics. In the last year his faith has grown to the point that he wants to share it more with others. He’s seeing natural opportunities to share Jesus with people in his workplace and with friends. He’s also realized how easy conversations can be to start.
“Just go out of your comfort zone and I promise you will see so much fruit and be very encouraged,” Elijah says. “Sometimes if you just live out your faith others will notice.”
While playing basketball with friends recently, Elijah saw that one of the other players had a tattoo of a cross with a Bible verse. He asked about the story behind the young man’s tattoo, which led to an extended conversation about life, struggles, and faith. The players exchanged cell numbers and Elijah continues to text him occasionally to check in because “sometimes all it takes is asking about someone’s cross tattoo, and you’ll end up talking about the most important thing in the world – Jesus.”
When he encounters people who laugh at his faith or say they don’t believe in God, Elijah refocuses on eternity. “Thinking about eternity makes things a whole lot more serious. You start to not care about what people think of you because you just want them to know the truth,” he says because, after all, it’s far worse for them to die without Jesus because you were afraid to tell them.
“If you’re a Christian and you aren’t actively sharing your faith, you are not alone. It takes courage, practice, boldness, and stepping out of your comfort zone. It may feel uncomfortable at first but and you won’t regret a second of it,” Elijah says.
Visit www.ColumbiaMetro.org for additional evangelism resources, including access to a five-series evangelism video resource located on CMBA’s official YouTube Channel. CMBA has launched GO Days, specific dates throughout the 2025 calendar year when all members of the CMBA Family of Churches are encouraged to actively share the gospel. The next CMBA GO Day is scheduled for June 30.