3 Ways to Share the Gospel This Christmas Without Being a Grinch

By Greg Stier, Op-ed Contributor Thursday, December 22, 2011

Ho! Ho! No!!!

Too many times we as Christians either avoid sharing the gospel with family and friends during Christmas or we do it in ways that are borderline ineffective or over-the-liine obnoxious.

Here’s a few examples of what not to do:

-Spike someone’s eggnog with Communion wine and then use it as an evangelistic opportunity to talk about the power of the blood of Christ.

-Stuff somebody’s stocking with a Left Behind DVD, “Testamints” (Yes, they exist) and a Harold Camping Do-it-Yourself Apocalypse kit (after all we are one week away from 2012!)

-Dress up like Joseph or Mary, buy a doll (male please) from American Girl and then boycott Santa at your local mall.

Please don’t.

But please do…something. A bigger mistake than trying something less-than-effective when it comes to sharing Jesus is doing nothing at all.

So here are three ways to share Jesus this Christmas without coming off as a Grinch:

1. Invite someone to a Christmas Eve service with you.

Christmas Eve services are GREAT ways of engaging others with the true meaning of Christmas. Don’t choose the midnight service so that you can go out to coffee and pie afterward and talk about it. Ask them questions like, “What did you think of the service?” and “Why do you think the Son of God came to the earth to be born in such humble circumstances?” Listen to their answers deeply and then engage in a conversation about the true reason for the season (aka “The Gospel!”)

2. Give them a book or DVD that will make them think about the eternal.

There are so many books or DVDs that can be given as gifts that become springboards for the gospel. From Soul Surfer to 3:16 by Max Lucado there are thought provoking and well done faith-based books and movies that can provide opportunity for evangelistic conversations.

Give them the gift and then follow up a few days later with something like, “Hey, after you get finished (watching or reading) let’s get together and talk about it.” Then have the conversation!

3. Send them this you-tube video.

We (Dare2share) produced this video for our evangelism training conferences a year ago. We decided to release it on youtube and were blown away by how viral it went. This powerful spoken word piece written and spoken by Dare 2 Share trainer and powerful spoken-word-artist/preacher, Jason “Propaganda” Petty, has over a million hits on youtube, video, Godtube, etc. It is a powerful explanation of the Gospel using the GOSPEL acrostic Dare 2 Share has used to train hundreds of thousands of teenagers with from all across America.

Why not send this video as a link to your friends, family, co-workers and classmates with a note that says, “I watched this five minute video and thought it was a powerful explanation of the good news of Christmas. Watch it and let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Have a Merry Christmas!”

Whatever you choose to do to reach out this Christmas make sure it’s bathed in prayer and done with a heart of love. Remember that the ultimate gift you can give to somebody on Christmas is the gift of eternal life…and it you want to throw a Testamint in there I guess that would be okay.

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:15

Greg Stier is the Founder and President of Dare 2 Share Ministries International. He has impacted the lives of tens of thousands of Christian teenagers through Dare 2 Share events, motivating and mobilizing them to reach their generation for Christ. He is the author of eleven books and numerous resources, including Dare 2 Share: A Field Guide for Sharing Your Faith. For more information on Dare 2 Share and their upcoming conference tour and training resources, please visit www.dare2share.org.