Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day!

Hello, brothers and sisters in Christ! As we now have more opportunity to be out and about mingling with family, friends, and strangers, I thought it more than appropriate to turn the wheel of this week’s blog over to my good friend Mr. Cory McKenna, the “Equipping Evangelist,” from the Cross Current Ministry here in Canada.

Cory is the most evangelistic person I personally know, and his enthusiasm to share Christ is truly inspiring. I pray his words will be a blessing and that the Lord will use them to inspire gospel witness in your walk this summer as you engage with those God sends your way who so desperately need Jesus as their Savior.

Cal Smith

Getting “Reset” for Great Gospel Conversations!

by Cory McKenna

In February of 2020, I had the privilege of producing the Gospel Reset Evangelism Curriculum in partnership with Answers in Genesis–Canada to effectively equip Christians to “reset” gospel conversations over coffee, starting from the very first verse of Scripture. So, let’s “go”!

Not so fast. Because just one month later, the world shut down and so did most such “coffee conversations.” Well, that was then, but thankfully this is now.

How Do I Get a Conversation Started?

With the world finally opening back up, the field-tested training and tools provided in this curriculum promise to make having spiritual conversations easy. However, as an equipping evangelist, perhaps the most common question I’m asked about evangelism with lost loved ones is: “But how do I get a conversation started?” The answer is simple: just like Jesus did.

Like Messiah modeled in conversation with the woman at the well (John 4), we can start in the natural and then swing to the spiritual by asking introspective questions based on meaningful things we share in common. Following his example, it’s been my experience that Canada Day provides the best common ground possible for getting great conversations started.

“Dominion Day,” Eh?

For many years, I’ve equipped saints to start conversations by surveying fellow Canadians about “Dominion Day.” Heard of it? Most haven’t. How about Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley? Does that name ring a bell? Likely not. Yet these are just two of many meaningful things we have in common as Canadians that can be used to start a natural conversation which can then be turned to the spiritual, allowing us to testify to what truly matters most.

To help you see how easy evangelism can be with the right training and tools in hand, here’s just a sampling of Canada Day survey questions I’ve used and taught over the years to start in the natural and swing into great gospel conversation:

Do you believe it’s important to know our history and share it with others? (I agree!)

Do you know what Canada Day was called until 1982? (Dominion Day)

Do you have any idea who or where this concept comes from in Canadian history? (It actually comes from the Bible)

Have you heard of Samuel Leonard Tilley? (He’s a Christian and father of confederation)

At this point, we both agree that it’s important to know our history and share it with others, which leads into the next question.

Can I share with you the short history of Samuel Tilley and the Dominion of Canada?

A dominion is a land ruled by a king. In 1867, Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley, a Christian and one of the Fathers of Confederation, was inspired by Psalm 72:8 to lead his fellow fathers to call Canada a “dominion” in recognition of the rule of Jesus Christ over this great land from sea to sea. It’s said that Samuel Tilley died with the desire that his grave read: “His trust was in Jesus.”

Does it surprise you that Christianity is at the centre of Canadian history?

Can I tell you my story of how and why I became a Christian? Then you can simply share your gospel testimonial and answer any questions they have. That’s it!

Conversing and Connecting with True History

In the big picture, biblical evangelism requires conversing with non-Christians to connect them with true history we all share in common. Not only do I equip saints to start conversations with Canadians on the common ground of Canadian history, but I also equip saints to start conversations with all lost people on the common ground of world history using the memorable and comprehensive framework of AiG’s “The Seven C’s of History,” also included in the Gospel Reset Evangelism Curriculum.

Gospel Reset Evangelism for Great Gospel Conversations

We all know that Scripture tells us to share the gospel, but where do we start? Who should I talk to, how do I start a gospel conversation, and what do I say when I get there? Through four engaging sessions, the Gospel Reset Evangelism Curriculum will supply you with biblical foundations, encouraging discussions, obtainable challenges, and practical methods for gospel ministry and accountability. Get “reset” for great conversations with this refreshing biblical approach to communicating the gospel message!

About Cory McKenna

Cory McKenna is the Founding President of The Cross Current (TCC), a local missions ministry that equips the church by example to normalize sharing the gospel. Find Cory and TCC online at: thecrosscurrent.com.