Blessing Your Neighbors: A Simple Approach to Sharing Jesus
Have you ever felt called to share your faith but weren't sure how to start? Many of us know we should be reaching others for Jesus, but the fear of saying the wrong thing or not knowing what to do holds us back. The good news is that sharing your faith doesn't have to be complicated or intimidating.
The Edge Community Church has embraced a simple yet powerful approach called the BLESS practices. This method gives us confidence in sharing Jesus with those around us in natural, meaningful ways.
What Are the BLESS Practices?
BLESS is an acronym that provides a practical framework for evangelism:
B - Begin with Prayer
Everything starts with prayer. Before Jesus did anything significant in His ministry, He prayed. He spent 40 days in the wilderness praying and fasting before starting His ministry. He prayed before calling disciples, before the cross, and before meals.
We need to begin by praying for people in our lives by name. This isn't about praying in front of them (though that can come later), but about consistently lifting them up to God in your private prayer time.
L - Listen
Jesus asked 307 questions in the gospels, and when people asked Him questions, He often responded with questions of His own. He was a listener who genuinely wanted to know more about people.
When you ask someone "How are you?" do you really mean it? Are you prepared to listen to their answer? Listening helps us understand people's needs and struggles, which in turn informs how we pray for them.
E - Eat
Jesus ate with all kinds of people—Pharisees, disciples, tax collectors, and those society rejected. Sharing a meal accelerates relationships like few other activities.
Think about it: between breakfast, lunch, dinner, and coffee breaks, you have nearly 1,500 opportunities each year to invite someone to share a meal. What if you committed to just one meal per month with someone who doesn't know Jesus?
S - Serve
Service is about meeting needs—physical, emotional, and spiritual. While physical service might involve helping someone move or providing food, emotional and spiritual service could mean sharing a helpful podcast, recommending a book, or offering a Bible verse that addresses something they're struggling with.
S - Share Your Story
There's an old saying that there are five gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the Christian—and most people will never read the first four. Your story of how Jesus changed your life can be incredibly powerful.
A simple framework: share who you were before Jesus, how you met Jesus, and who you are because of Jesus. Then explain that He can do the same for them.
Why This Approach Works Better Than Others
Studies show that while 96% of Christians believe sharing their faith is part of following Jesus, only 17% are familiar with any methodology for doing so. The BLESS practices provide a simple (though not always easy) framework that anyone can remember and implement.
You don't need a theology degree to bless people. You don't need to stand on street corners with megaphones or knock on strangers' doors. Instead, you can naturally incorporate these practices into your everyday life with people you already know.
How to Implement BLESS in Your Daily Life
Start by learning the names of your neighbors, coworkers, and those you interact with regularly. When you know someone's name, you can pray for them specifically and address them personally.
Remember that your context—your neighborhood, workplace, gym, coffee shop—is unique to you. Pastor Mike will never meet most of the people you know. God has placed you in your specific context for a purpose: to show others what it means to follow Jesus.
The mission field starts at home. The disciples were first called to reach Jerusalem—their hometown—before going to the ends of the earth. Similarly, your mission begins with your family, neighbors, and coworkers.
The Vision: From Stream to River
The Edge Community Church has developed a "1 by 10 by 100" vision for the next five years:
- One central hub in Suisun City that functions as both a house of worship and a center of community life
- Ten "spokes" or kingdom expressions reaching into neighborhoods across the region
- One hundred "multipliers"—people trained and equipped to bring the love of Jesus wherever they live, work, and serve
This vision isn't just about building a bigger church; it's about creating a movement that transforms Solano County through people who are committed to blessing others with the love of Jesus.
Life Application
This week, take these practical steps to begin implementing the BLESS practices:
- Make a list of five non-believers in your life that you can begin praying for by name.
- Choose one person from your list and commit to truly listening to them this week. Ask how they're doing and give them your full attention.
- Schedule a meal with someone who doesn't know Jesus. This could be as simple as a coffee break or lunch with a coworker.
- Look for one way to serve someone on your list, whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually.
Ask yourself:
- Who has God placed in my life that needs to know Jesus?
- Which of the BLESS practices comes most naturally to me, and which one do I need to develop?
- What fears or hesitations do I have about sharing my faith, and how can the BLESS approach help me overcome them?
- How might my life look different if I committed to blessing just one person each month?
Remember, you don't have to save anyone—that's God's job. Your role is simply to put yourself in positions where God can use you to draw others to Him. Start small, be consistent, and watch how God works through your willingness to bless others.