People all over The Wesleyan Church are Speaking Up. There are entire churches who took the Speak Up Challenge recently. The Speak Up Challenge is that every person in every church would verbally share about his or her faith in Jesus Christ sometime between now and Easter. It may be new for some to do this, and it can feel awkward. But we pray and believe God is going before us and will open the doors for us to share about the most important news in the world.
I have received many ways through which people are sharing their faith with others. Perhaps some of these will spur you on in your quest to accept the Speak Up Challenge. Of course, we all need to be praying for someone who needs Jesus and then follow through with how the Holy Spirit opens the conversations about spiritual things. Praise the Lord with me about the courage of others who have shared in these ways in recent days:
- Our entire church is taking the Speak Up Challenge. As a pastor, I realize I’m not tangibly sharing my faith enough or even at all some weeks. That’s embarrassing to admit, but I need this Speak Up Challenge to get myself back into telling others about Jesus.
- When people ask me how I’m doing, I tell them, “I’m awful.” That’s not the usual response, so people follow up. At that point, I tell them, “I’m full of awe of what Jesus has done in my life.” Then the conversation goes from there and many times I get to share my faith verbally with an individual.
- I have a washing machine repairperson coming to my house this week. Pray with me that I’ll be able to share my faith with him this person.
- I shared my faith this week with someone I ride the train with and see every day to and from work. It was a great experience for both of us.
- I was in a meeting with our mayor this week. I asked him how I could pray with him and we struck up a conversation about the power of Christ through prayer.
- I saw the Speak Up Challenge on Facebook and decided to share my faith while at school with my lunch buddies.
- There is a road trip with a co-worker coming up soon. Pray with me that I’ll have the opportunity to “speak up” for Jesus with my colleague. I need courage and the right words.
The Speak Up Challenge is alive and well around The Wesleyan Church. I’m praying thousands in North America will take the Speak Up Challenge. The message about Speak Up is being sent around the Wesleyan world this spring too. In recent days I heard about two persons giving their lives to Christ in non-Christian nations.
You can be a witness. I can be a witness. Pray about this initiative. Together, the gospel will be spread and God’s kingdom will increase with new disciples in Christ around the world because of Christ’s work and our courageous witness for him.
You can learn more about Speak Up in the following ways:
Jim Dunn is executive director of Church Multiplication and Discipleship for The Wesleyan Church.
