Journey to Faith
Application
How can churches benefit from the study
We want to be effective in our ministry and outreach. The study could give us some insights to inform our ministry actions. We have drawn out 3 key applications from the study:
Persist in spiritual conversations and community invitations
Don't neglect online presence
Be willing to walk through the journey with non-Christians
1. Persist in spiritual conversations and community invitations
Almost every participant in the study cited the importance of having contact with Christians in their journey to faith. These contact points included invitations to Christian services, events, or home hospitality. They included opportunities for questions to be answered and important issues to be discussed. The research participants also witnessed the lifestyle of their Christian colleagues, neighbours and friends living in a good and desirable way. There were also trust and support over a period of time offering prayer, and meeting other practical needs.
Altogether, the many little things that happen over the course of a relationship can have a profound impact on someone’s journey to faith. It highlights the importance of being in relationship with non-Christians to build trust and support. It also highlights the need for invitations to Christian events, and having space for hard questions to be asked and discussed. We believe that relationships are vital in seeing people come to faith, but in order for them to achieve their full potential, there needs to be an intentionality of sharing the importance of Jesus in our lives.
2. Don't neglect online presence
A presentable online presence is helpful in facilitating others coming to faith. Many young people are looking for spiritual answers online. It is thus important for churches have a navigable and clear online space. Oftentimes, young seekers experience church online and form impressions.
Just as we would strive to make our churches welcoming on a Sunday morning, we should also strive to have welcoming online spaces that help lead people towards faith in Jesus Christ.
3. Be willing to walk through the journey with non-Christians
This research discovered that challenging events were faced by participants before they begun their faith journey. These challenging events included trauma (childhood or adult), work-related stress, mental ill-health, social isolation, pandemic lockdown, dissatisfaction with life’s current focus and priorities.
We can be more aware and supportive of our friends though their challenges. We can also be intentional about creating and building relationships with non-Christians, so they can have someone to walk the journey with them.