Avigo 10 as a Witnessing tool:
Time tested techniques with a high tech twist

Contents:
1) Cold Start
2) Using the tract
3) Follow up
4) The Roman Road
5) FAQ
6) Before you go

COLD START:

Under normal circumstances you probably already have a relationship with the person to whom you want to share your faith. We generally don't stop people in the mall and say, "come over here I need to show you something" and even if you're inclined to do that sort of thing you probably find your contact unresponsive. Here's a technique you can use to get a conversation going that will eventually allow you to share the Gospel message. Just remember the anagram FIRM. It stands for...

Family: Ask the person about their family, most everybody has got one in some form or another.

Interests: After you have a conversation going there's nothing terribly intrusive in asking about the persons interests and hobbies. You may have some in common.

Religion: You're getting a little more personal now. Ask about the person's faith(whatever it is), listen to them, and discuss what they believe.

Message: Ask if you can share what you believe about God with them. This is where you might break out your handy Avigo, a paper tract, a Bible for the "Roman Road," or just share your personal testimony. Just make sure you're comfortable with the method you've chosen for delivering the message.

USING THE TRACT:

The Avigo tract is based on the popular "Bridge To Life" gospel tract by the Navigators. This tract has been used by evangelical Christians for 30 years. I've added some elements from several other popular tracts and taken all scripture quotations from the modern English New International Version Bible. See the "Read Me" file for information on installing the tract in your Avigo.

Slide 1
This is just an intro screen it does nothing other than to visually introduce the subject matter. If you are more comfortable doing so you may start at slide 2.

Slide 2
This slide talks about the current state of man. We are cut off from having a relationship with God by our sins. Important points to emphasize here is that God loves us and wants to have a relationship with us. (related - Romans 3:23)

Slide 3
Since the beginning of time God ordained that the punishment for sin is death and death did not enter into the world until Adam and Eve sinned. Man cannot overcome divine accountability for his actions. All of us have sinned and in doing so we chose death over life eternal. (related - Ephesians 2:9, 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)

Slide 4
Revisit the notion that God does in fact love us anyway. In this slide we discover God's provision for covering our sins so that we can have a relationship with him. Emphasize Jesus' statement that "no one comes to the Father except through me." Jesus is the only way God has provided to know Him and to discover His plan for our lives. (related - John 3:16, Romans 6:23, 1 Peter 3:18, Romans 4:25)

Slide 5
We have to be willing to recieve the Gift of salvation God has provided. We can choose to live a life in sin, cut apart from God. he won't force us to follow Jesus. Emphasize recognizing that our sins have cut us off from God, the importance of repenting of those sins, and praying to God for Him to deliver us from judgment for our sins. (related - Revelation 3:20, Acts 26,20, Romans 10:9-10)

Slide 6
Ask that question of your contact and discuss their answer. If they are ready to recieve Jesus as their Savior then ask them, "Does this prayer express what you want to say to God?" If so then ask them to bow their head with you as you read each line and ask them to repeat it after you. 

FOLLOW UP

Well now you can't leave a person with no direction can you? Assure them that if they prayed that prayer and meant it in their heart then Christ has come into their life, they are a child of God, and he has given them eternal life. Encourage them to do the following things to continue to grow in their relationship to God.

Go to God daily in prayer

Read the Bible daily (Suggest they start with the Gospel of John)

Obey God minute by minute

Be a representative of Christ to the people they meet

Trust God for every detail of their life

Be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit

Become involved in weekly services at a local church

THE ROMAN ROAD

I'd like to include another effective way to share your faith(you never know, your batteries might be dead when you need the Avigo tract). "The Roman Road" walks you through key verses in the book of Romans. It's essentially the same information as in the Avigo tract but moving through God's Word in the Bible can be more effective with some people than a digital slide show. Here are the verses in order. I suggest you dog ear or bookmark the first verse and write pointers to the next verse in the margins.

Romans 1:16 (God's power can make us secure)
Romans 2:4 (God's power can result in change)
Romans 3:23 (Sin makes change necessary)
Romans 5:8 (God still loves us)
Romans 6:23 (Sin earns death but God gives life)
Romans 10:9-10, 13 (Confess, Repent, Believe, Call)


FAQ

What is sin? Sin is disobedience to God's Word. The Bible gives us certian principals to live by and to disrespect those cuts us off from a relatioship with God.

Was Jesus God? Yes, there are three persons of God. God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. They are all the same God but different forms of him. It can be difficult to understand but think of it like water which has three states(gas, liquid, solid) and yet is always still water.

What is Prayer? Prayer is talking to God. It is to your spiritual state what breathing is to your physical state. God wants us to talk with him he promises that he will hear our prayers and answer them.

Can I lose my salvation? No, if you continue to hold on to sin in your life it will keep you from having the most meaningful relationship to God but it will not take your salvation away. The Holy Spirit will convict you of the sin in your life and you should desire to be rid of it.

What is God's purpose for my life? God will reveal that to you in time if you dedicate yourself to the study of His word, and seek His purpose in your daily prayers. Fellowship with other believers in a local church will encourage you in your walk with Christ.

If you encounter other questions e-mail me so I can include them in future updates (gmills@concordnc.com)

BEFORE YOU GO:

Now that you have some nifty tools you may be eager to get out and share them. First stop and pray. Pray that God will prepare your heart to be used by Him, to deliver His message, for His glory only. Pray also that God will open your eyes to the hurting people around you. Ministering to people's needs is what God has commanded us to do and it often opens doors to sharing your faith.

copyright 1999 Greg Mills gmills@concordnc.com