Faith in conversation

Amid the buzz surrounding the Bible Society’s Quiet Revival report,¹ CMS graduate and pioneer missioner Laura Evans, who works with people in their 20s and 30s, reflects on her own experience of sharing faith.

About five years ago, I felt the gentle nudge from God to be more intentional in the way I share my faith with my friends. I began by inviting friends over to dinner with the pre-agreed intention to discuss my faith.

It was, in some ways, nerve-wracking. However, I also found that the foundations of these friendships were strengthened and that there were wonderful moments of connection. Usually these moments occurred when I explained not what it is to be a Christian but why and how I personally became a Christian.

Perhaps the art of giving your testimony is nothing new. Yet, there are several reasons why I feel people still respond to it. Firstly, our own personal stories show who Jesus is in a way that does not cast judgment or condemn others.

1 Peter 3:15 often comes to mind: “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect….”²

That last part is particularly important in a world that feels increasingly divided. Christians must stand out in the way we build loving bridges with those around us. Our words have impact, as James well knows,³ so the language we use matters. I have found that talking about how God’s love has changed me, not how others need to change, translates who God is in a way that is more understandable.

I have also found that talking about my own personal experience of God breaks down some presumptions about what it means to be a Christian.

Sharing about an encounter with the God of love is a far cry from the headteacher-in-the-sky that God is often supposed to be. Yes, some people might write you off as crazy; it’s nothing that dusting yourself off won’t fix.⁴

Nonetheless, never underestimate the element of surprise in talking about who God really is.

I was talking to one friend about how Jacob wrestled with God⁵ in light of my own wrestling. As my wrestling was metaphorical, so they thought Jacob’s was. I ended up reading them the full story and, as well as blowing their mind a little, it helped change their perception of the way that God interacts with God’s people.

In a world of fake news and AI, I believe that people are craving authenticity. Therefore, it is important that we are authentic in the way we share our stories and talk about our faith.

I asked another friend if there was a way that I could refer to the Bible that would translate better. For example, perhaps describing it as “the word of God” would carry more meaning. Her response was that I should, “call a spade a spade”.

For her, it was more important that I was transparent and honest in what I was talking about than I tried to dilute it or dance around it.

Humble authenticity has value; it is why people do “Instagram v Reality” posts. We know that not everything we see online or in the media is real. There’s an opportunity for Christians to be the real difference in talking about our faith.

The onus is often now on people to decide for themselves what is true and not fabricated for likes or enhanced by AI. Social media algorithms often mean that our online accounts are echo chambers that reinforce our beliefs with little challenge to them. There has been a cultural move towards people deciding what their own truth is.

As a result, I have found that people also struggle more and more with the idea of obediently submitting to a sovereign God. The language itself is a barrier.

Jesus’ words that those who love him will obey him⁶ are, one friend told me, what make Christianity sound dangerous. As we talked around this, I explained that it was the beauty of who Jesus is and the fact that he calls us to love that means it’s not a red flag for me. However, I also see it from their perspective. How could you blindly obey or even trust someone that you don’t know?

Yet, people having the ability to decide their own truths means that they understand you having your “own truth”. Being respectfully and gently transparent about it is something that people value (at least in person if not online).

Showing how your own life has changed in surrender to God’s love and God’s ways kickstarts the conversation. People connect with it more than being told to accept a higher authority they have little context for.

It is, perhaps, no wonder that people are hesitant to trust alongside the frequent reports of corrupt or incompetent leadership in all spheres that has brought so much disengagement.

Talking about my own journey of surrender, and how that has conversely brought life, is sometimes challenging and difficult but equally surprising. I have also found that, having taken the initial step, people do come back to ask more questions once they know that you are an open door.

Over the last couple of years, a dear friend of mine named Charlotte (who self-describes as having no faith) has agreed that we can record some of our faith-based conversations. We hope to start releasing these in the next few months.

In some ways, these recorded conversations feel like the culmination of the last five years. I am grateful to those friends who have been willing to listen to me on the subject of my faith.

I once would have supposed people dismissive about religion “in this day and age” but I have found that people are still seeking truth. Respectfully, gently and (if I might add) authentically, surprise them with yours.

In 2024, we shared 52 stories of where people saw God at work in their lives. You can read them at https://www.hopehour.org/blog.

Laura, 35, is pioneer missioner at St Matthew’s and St Luke’s churches in south Oxford, with a remit to work among the 20s and 30s age group. She studied for a Diploma in Theology, Mission and Ministry with CMS Pioneer Mission Training.

Notes

1. https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/research/quiet-revival ↩︎
2. 1 Peter 3:15 NIVUK ↩︎
3. James 3 NIVUK ↩︎
4. Matthew 10:14 NIVUK ↩︎
5. Genesis 32:22-32 NIVUK ↩︎
6. John 14:23 NIVUK ↩︎

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