In case you missed the Randy Newman Evangelism Seminar hosted by Pillar Church yesterday, here are some of my notes from the evening:

People today find the gospel and the things we believe to be ridiculous.

What skills people must have to evangelize:
• How to declare the gospel
• How to defend the gospel
• how to dialogue the gospel

We need to learn to ask good questions and to listen well.

Answering questions with questions
• Jesus did this most of the time
• Mark 10 – perfect example
• Paul did it too – Acts 17
• Same place multiple times – ongoing process
• Reasoned, explained, proved, etc. – conversational
• Mixed responses. Why? The gospel must be bad news before it is bad news.

Four ideas to remember and questions to ask:

• Some people just aren’t awake and not thinking spiritually at all / Really?

• Some things just can not be true / Can you explain that to me?

• Some questions are not serious or sincere / do you really believe that?

• Sometimes a gradual process or partial victory is best / investigative questions – where are they? Isn’t it possible? How do you know that?

Q & A:
How do we make our questions sound natural? Conversation dictates a level of comfortability. Ask easy questions.

What do you do when someone is not willing to talk about “spiritual” things? Find out what they are willing to talk about. Interests? Build a relationship.

There is no formula. God gives the growth. Pray and be sensitive.