Gospel Fluency now more accessible

Do you ever feel awkward, unqualified or unprepared to discuss your faith? Do you know someone who’s curious about Jesus, but you’re not sure what to say next? If you answered ‘yes’ to either question, the Gospel Fluency series could be a great blessing for you and your congregation. The series is a five-part video resource with discussion guides designed to help you build confidence and discover the joy of sharing the good news of Jesus in everyday life.

Pastor Nathan Hedt, one of the presenters and creators of the series, says that ‘like learning a new language, becoming fluent in the gospel takes vocabulary, context and practice’. ‘These sessions help you develop all three – step by step, with simple tools and encouragement along the way.’

Building on the popular Gospel Fluency workshops, which have already helped more than 500 people across the LCANZ, the video series provides practical tools and encouragement for sharing faith naturally. Joanne Chamberlain, a presenter in the video series who has facilitated many of these workshops, says, ‘People are often surprised by how easy it is to share their story – and how God’s story, ours and other people’s stories intertwine.’

She says that one of the most meaningful parts of facilitating the workshops has been watching people take time to pray intentionally for others. Joanne reports that feedback from the workshops has been consistently positive, with one participant describing the course as ‘a real encouragement to step out of [their] comfort zone and not to be frightened to share the gospel of Jesus with others’.

Congregation members from Wodonga Lutheran Parish in Victoria have also felt blessed by the workshops. Lisa Enever says, ‘The workshop reminded me that I’m not alone when I share the good news of Jesus; God is with me every step of the way. I don’t have to do it in my own strength, and it starts with simply loving and sharing with the people already in my life.’ 

Andy Enever reflects, ‘The workshop gave our group confidence, useful strategies and shared language to talk about Jesus naturally in everyday life.’

Now, those same insights and tools are available to every congregation, small group or ministry team through a set of five videos, accompanying discussion guides, and resources for further reading and training. Each of the five sessions includes a short video (15–20 minutes), a discussion guide and practical exercises designed to help you grow in confidence as you speak about Jesus in your everyday relationships.

‘The goal isn’t to turn you into an expert evangelist,’ Pastor Nathan says, ‘but to help you become fluent in the everyday language of grace and truth, so that talking about Jesus feels natural and life-giving.’

Over five sessions, participants explore the foundations of gospel fluency, including prayer, biblical foundations, mapping relationships and attentive listening as part of gospel sharing. They also learn practical tools for introducing Jesus in everyday life and practise sharing in community with confidence.

‘When people begin to unpack the “why”, “who”, “what”, “when” and “how” of gospel fluency, the concept of sharing the gospel becomes considerably clearer – and somewhat easier,’ Joanne says.

You don’t need to be a leader, pastor or gifted evangelist to put gospel fluency into practice. The series is for all of God’s people in workplaces, families, congregations and communities. Jesus said, ‘You will be my witnesses … to the ends of the earth’ (Acts 1:8), and this resource reminds us that Jesus has already equipped us for that calling, right where we are.

‘My prayer is that through this Gospel Fluency series, more members of our church will discover new joy in the gospel, new confidence in God’s calling and new eyes to see how he is already at work in your relationships and community,’ Pastor Nathan says. ‘May these sessions equip those who take part to share the good news freely, faithfully and fluently, so that others, too, might encounter the life-changing love of Jesus.’

Find out more and access the Gospel Fluency series at www.lca.org.au/gospel-fluency

Promote Gospel Fluency in your congregation with our bulletin inserts and PowerPoint slides at www.lca.org.au/bulletins-and-announcements/gospel-fluency