When do you come out and tell people you are a Christian?
Dr. Cynthia tells us that on outreach in America, she lets them know as soon as they meet. She is “upfront right off.”
Much of the time people learn she is Christian because of the gospel material she gives distributes (more on this in other videos.) If it is a holiday outreach or back to campus outreach people will receive a gift card along with a tract fit to the occasion. The situation is similar with the everyday tract she takes with her everywhere to give with a coffee card to whoever connects with her.
If someone receives a packet, they will soon find out that Dr. C is a Christian. So, her first goal is to make a good connection so that they accept the packet, and so that they think well of Christians once they have read the tract.
If you are in a church or working in a Christian booth when you meet people, they will automatically associate you with Jesus, so you don’t need to announce it.
What if you are in a place where you can’t easily give out tracts or talk about Jesus, like in a Muslim or other restricted nation? One thing you can do is wear a cross. Simply your smile and love from the Holy Spirit will shine Jesus through the cross. In fact, sometimes in a medina Dr. C will touch her cross and move her hand toward the people there with a smile, as if she is saying without words that Jesus loves them.
Dr. Cynthia gives us two important reasons that we let people know we are Christian when we meet them, or at least early on in a relationship. We talk about “The Esther Bridge” in our training. That is when you invite someone for coffee or other setting in which you can build a relationship. That is how Queen Esther approached presenting an important topic to the king. If someone already knows that you are a Christian when you invite them to meet with you:
- they can’t say that you tricked them
- if they are not interested in connecting with a Christian they won’t meet with you. That means you are freed to meet with someone else who is truly interested – or do anything else on your list.
WARNING: Dr. C is talking about meeting people in America or Europe, or in a restricted nation if you are clearly American. In the Middle East or restricted nation, one must great caution before being a vocal Christian – especially if you are a former Muslim. When to come out as a Christian in these situations is a topic addressed elsewhere.
