Good morning,

This morning my Bible reading plan took me to 2 Timothy 2:2: “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”

That word entrust got me thinking: How do we actually teach people to share their faith? This Tuesday Paul Watson gave our class a simple framework for passing on skills. I think it fits evangelism beautifully.

The letters are MEWL — Model, Equip, Watch, Leave.

M — Model

Model simply means show them how to do it. You and I are at a distance, so I try to model my own evangelism by sharing my experiences in these emails. If you're training someone locally, you can let them come with you.  When that is not practical tell them what you’re did and why.  Be sure to share both the good and the difficult times.

People learn by seeing.

E — Equip

Equipping takes many forms.

Sometimes equipping means casting vision so people understand why sharing their faith matters. Sometimes it means providing tools and materials. That’s one reason we built the website hereslife.com — to put practical evangelism tools in your hands.

Many people need help overcoming their timidity and fear. The person discipling me asked me to read Acts 1:8 and pointed out that that Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would give me power. I needed a new self-image — to know that God loved me and would empower me to witness.

W — Watch

Watch means walking with someone as they take their first steps.

If possible, go with them. If not, at least have them tell you what happened:

• What did you do first?
• Then what?
• How did that feel?

And remind them: Success in witnessing is simply taking the initiative to share the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God. They are not responsible for changing hearts. God is.

L — Leave

Eventually, you step back and let them share their faith on their own. You are not leaving the relationship — you are simply acknowledging that they can do it now. And you keep cheering them on.

A Christmas Example

Our church is equipping us with a postcard we can use to invite people to an afternoon outdoor Christmas party.  We have arranged for a jumping castles, kids’ activities, and a clear Gospel message. Having the postcard makes inviting easier. My wife will probably take a picture of and send it be social media to her friends.  I will use the physical card. 

But I know some of my friends can’t come on that date. So I’ve also been looking for something people can use anytime and found a card with a QR code for the Jesus Film.

You can say something like:

“Here’s a great video for your family to watch during the school holidays.”

It’s simple. It works. And the film is available in over 1,000 languages.

If you’d like to order some cards, here’s the link.  Write me if you want the artwork to print your own cards. 

As you plan your week, think about who you can Model, Equip, Watch, and Leave. Equipping others takes planning — but it’s worth it. Multiplying evangelists is exactly what Paul urged Timothy to do.

Let’s pray…

"Lord Jesus, thank you for this special time of year. Show us how we can equip people to share your love in both word and deed with those around us.  We want to see your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen"

P.S. Who do you think would be encouraged by this email?  Forward it to them and let them know they can walk alongside experienced cross-cultural evangelists by visiting: https://hereslife.com/encouragement