Will We Be Christ to Others?

The majority of teens (especially non-Christians) says someone who listens without judgment (66% Christian, 72% non-Christian) seems like a person who’s comfortable sharing their faith.

Do we reflect the love of Christ without judgement?

Are we comfortable sharing our faith with others? Not in a “it’s my way or hell” way, but with ears open to hearing the spirit of the other person?

This is telling in light of past Barna findings which showed that a number of Gen Z who had interacted with church or Christianity said church was not a safe space to express doubt.

Gen Z teens desire conversation partners who are open to difficult topics.

Are we comfortable discussing difficult topics in ways that lead others to the love, grace, and mercy of Christ?

Which of the following characteristics would you use to describe someone who is comfortable sharing their faith? Select all that apply.

Non-Christians very much dislike when:

Christians quote scripture or texts from the Bible as evidence for Christianity
(24% not very appealing, 34% not at all appealing)

The person wants to pray for the non-Christian as part of the conversation
(19% not very appealing, 30% not at all appealing)

They are asked to give the reasoning behind their own lifestyle choices or beliefs
(23% not very appealing, 18% not at all appealing).

If a Christian wanted to tell you about their faith, how appealing would the following approach be? % among self-identified non-Christian teens

The next time God leads someone into your life, pray that his Holy Spirit will fill you with such an anointing that you become the ears, eyes, and hands of Christ, affirming them as a person. After all, Jesus considered that person of such great worth that he died for them.