I recently caught up with my friend, Lance Amerman, whose local ministry–Worldview Questions–takes him around the streets of Sacramento armed with a camera, a microphone and thought-provoking questions about God, life and the world. After approaching people and filming their responses for the Web site, he often gets into off-camera conversations about the claims of Christ.
I asked Lance to share his top 3 tips for effective apologetic engagements as someone who does this kind of ministry on a regular basis. Here’s what he said:
1. Use questions to begin conversations. Ask questions to determine their worldview. Their answers may give you insight into their obstacles to faith in Jesus. Here are some questions I use:
- How would you describe God?
- How did the world get here?
- If you could ask God any question what question would you ask?
- Do you believe mankind is by nature good or evil?
- What happens to a person after they die?
2. Treat people as people. Look them in the eye. Remind yourself the person you’re talking to is made in the image of God. Learn their name. Understand where they’re coming from—their upbringing, education and occupation. Genuine concern is detectable. And if a person knows you really care about them more than winning a debate, they will listen.
3. Respond with the Word of God. Memorize Scripture so the Holy Spirit has something to draw upon in helping you respond in a way that reaches their heart and mind. Utilize tools the rest of the body of Christ has developed to strengthen your communication skills. For example, I highly recommend Mikel’s work at ApologeticsGuy.com to help you articulate truth found in the Holy Bible.
For more information on this local ministry, or to see real-life responses from the streets of Sacramento, visit WorldviewQuestions.com.