One of the biggest challenges facing small group members and leaders is how to actually share their faith in a way that others who don’t know Jesus will hear it. One powerful way is through the use of personal stories. They can spark abrupt laughter and bring the most stoic to tears. They are part of us.

Also, when we share our stories, we also gain permission to introduce the author of that story -- God. If you’re trying to build relationships with others, it’s important that you clearly communicate the truth of the gospel in your own life to someone who has never heard it.

Here are some ideas for training small groups to help bring their stories -- and the stories of those they share with -- together with God’s story:

Sharing Our Story

• Guide group members through the process of telling their own stories. A clear account consists of three parts: 1) what your life looked like before you trusted Jesus; 2) an easy-to-follow explanation of how you chose to put your faith in Jesus (so others can follow and learn from your example); 3) how your life has changed because of your relationship with Jesus. For those who became Christians at an early age, the story might be a little different. They’ll still want to share how they’re growing in Jesus and how that’s affected their lives and the decisions they’ve made.

• Share your own faith story with the group, then hand out paper and pens and give people 10 to 15 minutes to jot down notes about their own stories, hitting on the three points listed above as best they can. Once group members have finished a rough draft, have them pair off and share their stories with each other. For this meeting, ask everyone to go no longer than three minutes, and to keep their ears open for churchy words or phrases. For example, instead of saying “saved” or “accepted Christ,” suggest “decided to follow Christ” or “decided to become a Christian.”

  When the speaker has finished, have the listener share two or three good things about the person’s presentation and one thing to work on. If speakers went a lot longer than three minutes, help him or her think through what could be cut out to make the account shorter. Then switch roles.

  Once everyone has shared, bring the whole group back together to talk about what they’ve learned. Encourage them to continue working on and perfecting their stories. The goal is not to put together a “perfect” story, but one that’s easy to share and shows how God has worked in their lives. Use details, characterization, humor, and emotion. Make it real to the listener. Leave out nothing. Hype it up. Use a little drama. Paint a scene. Help others to know Jesus the way you know him.

Helping Others Share Their Stories

When anyone shares a story from his or her own life, it is because he or she trusts the hearer with the information. Creating a safe, welcoming relationship is key in sharing faith. Therefore, Christians should not only be good at sharing their stories but also at hearing, listening to, and learning the stories of others.

Train your small groups to ask good questions and to hear the life stories of others. Good questions are personal. Good questions are natural. Good questions are in respond to what someone is already telling you or to a shared experience. Good questions show a person that they are cared about and want to be heard.

• Instead of asking, “How was your vacation?” ask, “What was the most unforgettable part of your vacation? Why?” Instead of “How was your weekend?” Ask who they spent their time with and what they most enjoyed about those people. Being more intentional shows that you want to listen to others’ stories.

• Invite a guest to your training session to share his or her personal story, so attendees can practice asking questions. You might bring in a single parent, a recovering alcoholic, a pregnant teenager, someone struggling with depression, or someone who’s been seriously injured. Encourage your group to interview your visitors with whatever questions they’d like to ask. Afterward, ask your group: What did you learn from these stories? What does it mean to for us to “walk in someone else’s shoes”? Now that you’ve heard these stories firsthand, what actions do you feel moved to take?

• Encourage your groups to take a fresh look at the people around them everyday who don’t have a relationship with God. Challenge group members to pick one person and pray for him or her every day. Also challenge them to learn others’ stories—to ask questions, to share meals, to truly listen. This will open doors to share Jesus in ways that are personal and specific, and bring God into the person’s life in ways that have the most meaning and make the most sense.

Remembering God’s Story in Your Life

God wants all of our stories to be linked with his story. So in order to better share how to connect with Jesus, have group members take a closer look at the places where God has connected with them. Break into subgroups, and discuss the following questions:

• Share about a time you felt close to God. What are some things you learned about God during that time?

• Now, share about a time when you felt distant from God. What did God teach you during that time?

• Tell of a time you realized that God could meet the needs of someone you cared about and you were bold enough to share that with the other person.

Gather back together as a larger group, and share your answers. It might be a surprise -- as well as a relief -- for many members of your group to realize that even those not-so-happy chapters of your stories are part of God’s story.

Staying together as a larger group, discuss the following questions:

• As you look around your town and your world, what are some needs you see that you think Jesus probably wants something done about? How could you see God connecting to and meeting those needs?

• What gifts and abilities are represented in our group? Which local needs could they help meet?

• What are we going to decide to do, as a result of this discussion?

Once you've learned the answer to that last question, get out there and do it! And may God bless you as you bring the Jesus who knows and wants to be a part of our stories to those around you!

Adapted from Outreach Ministry in the 21st Century (Group Publishing, Inc., January 2007).