BCAN (Bristol Christian Action Network) Helping Christians Respond To Social Needs Bristol Homeless Forum Share Your Faith

Introduction

You don't have to be an evangelist to be able to share what you believe with other people. Every Christian can do this in a way that is clear, simple and attractive; in a way that is natural and comfortable for you, and is enjoyable for the people you talk with.

You might be surprised by how much your faith is strengthened when you are able to be honest about what you believe, when you can communicate it confidently and attractively, and when you are not worried about the questions people might ask you.

The seminar will be led by Paul Hazelden. Paul has been training people in different methods of evangelism since 1982, and has worked with a number of churches and evangelistic organisations. Much of the seminar material was developed while he was working for Open Air Campaigners, but the main focus is on helping people have constructive one-to-one conversations.

Who it is For

The seminar is primarily aimed at Christians who wish to share their faith more effectively, but it is also suitable for and open to those who are not Christians (or who are not sure whether they are) but perhaps they work with Christians, or perhaps they wish to understand more clearly not only what Christians believe but also when and how it is appropriate for Christians to talk about their faith - and when and how it is not appropriate!

For these people, we aim to reassure them about the techniques and methods Christians use to communicate their faith, we want to empower them to respond helpfully if they feel it is not being done appropriately, and we also want to hear from them about their experience of being on the 'receiving end'. This helps to keep the session both honest and grounded.

What is Covered

Our primary aim is to be practical - to talk about the things which matter most to the people who attend. We want to help you do what you really want to do, and to offer practical and effective answers to the problems which get in your way.

The seminar will provide you with a simple three-stage strategy for talking about your faith. It is an approach you will find to be natural and easy, it will enable you to go at your own pace, and it can be used by anyone.

We will also address the four basic problems which prevent many Christians from talking about what they believe.

• They don't understand what to do. They think they ought to be forcing their beliefs onto unwilling people, and (quite rightly!) they don't want to do it. You need to understand what God wants you to do and say, because He really does want the best, both for you and for the other people you are with.
• They don't know how or where to start talking about their faith in a natural way. If you feel uncomfortable when talking about what you believe, you will not enjoy the experience, and neither will the people you are talking with.
• They are not confident about what to say when they do start talking. If you can't summarise the gospel message in under a minute, you probably can't explain it clearly when you have an hour.
• They are afraid they will not be able to answer the questions that arise. What do you say about suffering, other religions, evolution, the Crusades and contradictions in the Bible?

In addition, this interactive seminar will give you the opportunity:

• to explore ways of talking about your faith that work for you;
• and to find answers to those questions you have always worried about.

Most importantly, it will not just enable you to talk with other people about what you believe - you can be confident that you are not only telling them about a God of love but also demonstrating God's love in the way you interact with them.

If you are not a Christian, it will reassure you that the Christians you know should not be attempting to pressurise or manipulate you into anything - and if you feel that they are doing this, you can do something constructive about it.

When and Where

At present, there are two seminars planned for 2015.

• One Saturday. 16 May 2015, 9.45 am - 5.00 pm. Location: One25, Grosvenor Road . Please bring a packed lunch.
• Three consecutive Tuesday evenings. 12, 19 & 26 May 2015, 7.30 - 9.30 pm. Location: Crisis Centre Ministries, Carpenter House, 32-34 Stapleton Road, Bristol, BS5 0QY (Map).

If you are able to go to either seminar, we suggest you go on the Saturday. However, the three evening sessions give you time to try out what you learn, and share the results the next week.

Costs

The seminar is part of the Helping Vulnerable People programme, so anyone who has enrolled for the whole series has already paid.

For everyone else, we ask for a donation to cover our costs of £10 in advance or £12 on the day. This includes tea, coffee and biscuits and a comprehensive set of notes. Please bring a packed lunch if you can, but there are local places to buy lunch if this is not possible.

Booking

Please book in advance, or at least let us know you intend to come, so we can ensure there are enough sets of notes for everyone. You can book online or download the contact details and a booking form on the flyer.

• Online booking form
• Share Your Faith flyer with booking form
• Share Your Faith A4 poster
• PowerPoint advert