I have a friend who has mastered the art of witnessing for Jesus Christ. This is what I’ve learned from watching him.

When my friend meets someone he develops rapport by asking questions. He told me that everyone wants to feel important. Asking questions provides the best way to honor someone.

My friend follows a five step process to build report:

1. He asks several open ended questions… Listens…listens.
2. When rapport has developed he says, Tell me about your spiritual life… Listens… listens.
3. Then he says, I understand
4. Then—When I found Jesus Christ in my life…
5. Then—Would you like to learn more about Jesus Christ?

When he gets a positive response this is what he says:

• Would you like to learn more? How about going to our church? I can pick you up if you would like.
• Would you like to learn more? I can have our pastor visit you if you would like.
• Would you like to learn more? We can read the scripture together if you would like.

My friend responds to common scenarios this way:

• I don’t believe in God: Tell me about that. Listen… listen. I know how you feel. I felt the same way for a long time and then through a series of events I found Jesus Christ in my heart… Listen…listen
• I have a good spiritual life: Tell me about that… Listen… listen. Yes, I can understand that. I was kind of the same way until I found Jesus Christ in my heart… Listen… listen
• I go to church: Tell me about that…. Listen… listen I understand. I felt sort of like that until I found Jesus Christ in my heart… Listen…listen.
• My parents made me go to church and that turned me off: Tell me about that…Listen..listen. Yes that happens to a lot of people. I know how you feel. When I found Jesus Christ in my heart that turned the whole thing around for me. Listen… listen.
• I don’t believe in a God who lets children starve: I know how you feel. I often wonder how a loving God can allow evil in this world. I still struggle with that. I guess the answer lies in faith. I know that God loves us so much that he gave his son Jesus Christ to help us make it through all the bad things that happen. I can’t really explain faith. It is sort of like the yeast that grandma put in the flour to make the bread rise. Faith is like that. It sort of permeates through my entire body and spirit giving me hope in this evil world... Listen… listen.

This technique is not a script. This is just an approach. Each of us can use our own words in a way that we feel comfortable.

Here are a few things that I noticed my friend doing and not doing when he is witnessing:

• He never points. Instead he opens his hands and spreads his arms with a little width so it was not too obvious. This open gesture helps people feel comfortable and invites them to be a friend.
• He never uses the “you” word. He uses “I” statements instead.
• And he never argues, pushes the idea or counters with statements that may interfere with rapport. He says that the most important thing is keeping rapport intact. “Remember,” he says. “You are planting seeds not growing the entire crop.”