5 Ways to share the gospel across cultures

By Katherine Hafley

We don’t have to be experts to share the gospel with someone different from us. Instead, we need to remain faithfully obedient in sharing our faith.

1 Contextualize the gospel.

When sharing with cultures different from ours, it’s essential to explain it in a way that makes sense to their context. As long as the gospel remains the central message, we can help them understand.

2 Ask lots of questions.

When we train mission teams, we always tell them to ask about the Five F’s – family/friends, festivals, food, future and faith. These questions open the door to diving deeper and provide ways to clearly present the gospel.

3 Displaying our faith in little ways.

One of the best ways to start gospel conversations is by interjecting our faith into conversations and actions. We can tell our friends we will pray for them if they are hurting or mention something from a recent sermon.

4 Use visual resources.

Visual tools provide a great way to help present the gospel message. Whether it’s the 3 Circles or a movie like “The JESUS Film” (translated into 2,000 languages!), visual resources provide a great way to ensure a clear gospel presentation.

5 Love them like Jesus.

It sounds simple and it is. When we love radically and unconditionally as Jesus does, our words and actions look different to those who don’t know Him and people take notice. Many gospel conversations can start when our lives reflect the Savior, not the world.


Published January 24, 2023

Katherine Hafley

Katherine Hafley works as a NAMB Journeyman in Clarkston, Georgia, where she spends her time serving refugees and helping to lead and train mission teams to do the same.