Recently, I spent a day with a group of churches, bringing together clergy, children and youth ministers, and lay ministers for a session on faith-sharing: sharing God's story and our own faith stories. I had been looking forward to the day immensely. If I am honest, this is what gets me out of bed in the morning. I love telling people about Jesus and helping others find the confidence to do the same.
The Confidence Gap
At the start of the day, I invited everyone to describe in one word how they felt about attending a session on faith-sharing. I expected words such as "exciting", "encouraging" or "life-giving". Some of those words appeared, but the overwhelming majority reflected something very different: fear, anxiety, guilt, pressure and inadequacy. It was a striking reminder of how little confidence many Christians feel when it comes to sharing their faith.
As the day unfolded, I encouraged people with a simple truth: everyone has a story. Yet I discovered that some had never fully realised they had a God story to share. They assumed that because they had not experienced a dramatic conversion or extraordinary encounter, their story was somehow less significant. I left that day feeling saddened and burdened. Not because people lacked faith, but because so many feared their story, or indeed God's story, would be rejected if they shared it.
That experience prompted me to reflect again on confidence in the gospel and why so many committed Christians struggle to talk about the very message that has transformed their lives.
Rediscovering the Gospel
One of the most surprising discoveries I have made over the years is that many committed Christians lack confidence when it comes to sharing the gospel. I know this because I have experienced it myself.
I became a Christian when I was seven years old. I knew the impact of Jesus being real, I also sensed that he loved me, cared for me and was significant. As a teenager, I began to understand more fully what he had done for me through his death, resurrection and ascension. Yet somehow, despite years in church, I failed to recognise that this was the gospel! The good news was not a complicated theological formula. It was simply that Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and invites us into life with him now and for eternity.
When I eventually realised this as an adult, I felt rather foolish that I had missed the simplicity and beauty of it. However, that experience became helpful later when I worked as a vocation adviser. One of the questions I often asked people exploring licensed ministry was, “What is the gospel?” To my surprise, many found it difficult to answer. They believed it, valued it and built their lives around it, yet articulating it felt much harder.
Perhaps part of the challenge is the world we live in. Our culture has changed dramatically. The internet and smartphones have transformed how we communicate and understand ourselves. We are more connected than ever, yet often more disconnected from one another. At the same time, recent research suggests people, partly aged between 11-35, are curious about faith and open to spiritual conversations. There is an opportunity before us, but it requires confidence. In his short booklet Have No Fear, John Lennox argues that Christians need not be intimidated by a sceptical culture. Rather than seeing questions as threats, he encourages believers to see them as opportunities for gracious conversation about Jesus.
That confidence does not begin with having all the answers. It begins with knowing our own story.
Every Story Matters
Many Christians feel they do not have a testimony because they have never experienced a dramatic conversion. They compare themselves to Paul on the road to Damascus and conclude that their story is ordinary. Yet Scripture offers us another example in Timothy, whose faith was nurtured by his mother and grandmother from childhood. His story mattered because it revealed God's faithfulness across generations.
The truth is that every Christian has a God story. Sometimes it is dramatic, but often it is found in the everyday moments of life. It may be the peace that comes in the middle of anxiety. It may be God's provision during a difficult season. It may be an encouraging word spoken at just the right time. These stories are evidence of a living God who continues to guide, comfort and sustain his people.
When we share these experiences, we open the door for others to ask questions. People may argue with doctrine, but it is much harder to dismiss someone's personal experience. Sharing what God has done in our lives creates natural opportunities for conversation and points people towards Jesus. Lennox makes a similar point in Have No Fear, reminding readers that effective witness is not about winning arguments or having every answer, but about honestly and courageously sharing the truth we have come to know in Christ.
Confidence to Share
Ultimately, our confidence comes from remembering why Jesus matters. He is the reason we gather, worship and pass faith on to the next generation. In a world searching for meaning, purpose and peace, Jesus remains the good news. He is the Good Shepherd of Psalm 23, the Prince of Peace who walks with us through every valley.
As I reflected on that day with clergy, children's and youth ministers, and lay leaders, I realised that the greatest challenge was not a lack of commitment or conviction. It was a lack of confidence. Too many people were carrying the fear that their story was not important enough, not dramatic enough, or that it would simply be rejected. Yet the truth is that every follower of Jesus has a story worth telling because every follower of Jesus has encountered the grace of God.
If we truly believe that Jesus changes everything, then sharing the gospel is not an optional extra. It is our privilege and our calling. As John Lennox reminds us in Have No Fear, we do not need to be intimidated by the questions and uncertainties of our age. We can speak with humility, honesty and confidence because the gospel remains good news.
Our children, young people and communities need to know the big ‘why’ behind our faith. The answer is beautifully simple: it is Jesus. And that is both God's story and our story, a story that is always worth telling with confidence.
*Have No Fear: Being salt and light even when it’s costly, John C. Lennox (10 Publishing, 2018)