How to Share the Gospel on Thanksgiving Without Being a Turkey

By Greg Stier, Op-ed Contributor Thursday, November 25, 2010

"What are you thankful for?"

That's it. That's my "brilliant" idea for sharing the gospel in a simple and natural way this Thanksgiving. Ask the question and then just listen and affirm. The person you are talking to will most likely ask you what you are thankful for. This is your opportunity to crack the door open to a spiritual conversation. Maybe it could be something like…

"Of course, I'm grateful for family and friends like you. I'm thankful that I live in this great country. But, most of all, I'm thankful that I have a relationship with God and not just some religion."

This idea of Christianity being a relationship with God verses a religion has allowed me to dive into countless conversations about the good news of Jesus with neighbors, baristas, strangers and friends. There is something surprising and disarming about it. I find that it usually spurs questions or comments from the person I'm talking to. Questions and comments like,

"What do you mean you don't have a religion?"

"Why do you call it a relationship with God?"

"I've never thought of it that way. That's a pretty cool way to look at it!"

After that I share the Gospel story in a way that focuses on that relationship. To do that I uses The GOSPEL Journey Message that Dare 2 Share developed to clearly and simply share the GOSPEL:

God created us to be with him.
Our sins separate us from God.
Sins cannot be removed by good deeds.
Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again.
Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life.
Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever.

Of course, I don't just quote those six points. I explain them and seek to use them to trigger more and deeper conversation. Some people are interested to go deeper. Some accept the message, others reject it and still others need time to think about it.

So this Thanksgiving my challenge to you is to ask people what they are grateful for and then share what you are grateful for. Use it as a natural way to share the good news. Along with enjoying grandma's pumpkin pie help others to "taste and see that the Lord is good."

Happy Thanksgiving!

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.