I stand before a wall. Perplexed. Beyond the wall lies a world I'm trying to reach for Christ. But I'm overwhelmed by my many limitations. Resources. How will my money ever stretch that far? Geography. How can I reach out to people I may never see? Language. Culture. Generational differences. There seem to be so many limitations.

By Michael Ebert

Most people wouldn't think that smoke alarm batteries could provide an opportunity to share Christ with someone, and, until 1983, I didn't either. But there I was attending a national gathering of Christian college students, knocking on doors with a friend and asking people if we could replace their smoke alarm batteries and share some information about God.

"While we're out today," my friend explained to the first homeowner we visited, "we're also asking people if they would like more information about how they can know God personally. Would you be interested in that?"

Next it was my turn. As we approached the house I said a quick, silent prayer, thought about something else I'd rather have been doing, then forged ahead knowing that if I turned and fled my friend would catch me. I knocked on the door, introduced us and explained about the smoke alarm batteries.

"My son-in-law just replaced them last month," announced the older lady who answered the door. She looked anxious to get back to whatever she had been doing. I wanted to leave, but by now it seemed almost like my friend was blocking the escape path.

"Well, my friend and I are in town attending a conference where we're learning more about having a relationship with God," I said. "Can I share some information about that with you?" She didn't really answer, so I quickly began reviewing the booklet we'd been given at the conference that day.

Just a few months earlier I would have had to admit that I didn't give much thought to how I could point conversations toward Christ. What made the difference? Partnership. Because some friends took the time to help me learn how to share my faith and then go with me as I did it, I was learning to overcome some barriers in my life that had kept me from telling others about Jesus.

I had begun attending a weekly meeting of Christian students early in my freshman year of college. A senior there really made a big impression on me. Mark was open about his faith in Christ and talked about it with such ease that it didn't put people off. His faith was so genuine that it made other people interested in what he had to say. Another friend, Jeff, invited me to join his Bible study.

Mark and Jeff helped me become better grounded in my faith and taught me that I too could share it with others. I wrote my testimony and they helped me hone it down to five minutes. I learned how to start conversations that can lead to spiritual matters. I accompanied Mark and Jeff several times as they spoke to people about Christ, and before long I was doing the same thing. In individual settings and larger group gatherings, I was telling people how they could have a relationship with Christ.

Growing up, I had heard almost every week in church that Christians need to take the gospel to the world. I knew in my head that I should be telling people about Christ, but I let my fear of rejection, my lack of experience and my desire to be comfortable keep me from it. All those personal barriers were still present when I met Mark and Jeff, but their friendship helped me overcome them. They empowered me when I didn't want to share my faith and helped give me courage when I was afraid of how someone might react. They also helped fill in the gaps in my experience and knowledge about sharing my faith. And all of it was much more enjoyable when shared with some good friends.

The Bible is filled with examples of enabling partnerships, starting right at the beginning when God saw that it was not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). Moses argued that he lacked the ability to speak to Pharaoh, so God teamed him up with his brother Aaron (Exodus 4:10-16). Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego trusted God and gained strength from each other as they faced a ruthless king and certain death (Daniel 3:16-18).

When Jesus sent a group of 72 people to prepare the way for Him, He sent them two-by-two (Luke 10:1). When the church at Antioch responded to God's call to send out missionaries, it sent a team--Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:1-3). But the most remarkable partnership is the one for which God has chosen each believer. He has called us to partner with Him in taking the gospel to the world (Matthew 28:16-20).

POWER in partnership

Can we share Christ by ourselves? Sure. Can God bring someone to Himself without any help from us at all? Without a doubt!

But joining arms with fellow believers in the effort to reach people for Christ brings all kinds of advantages that, on our own, we don't have.

In short, partnership gives us more power for sharing Christ:

Perseverance. The strength gained in teaming up with other Christians also gives us endurance. Alone, our fear, lack of experience or desire to be comfortable might cause us to give up when things get tough, but the partnership of other Christians will help us press on.

Opportunity. Sometimes on my own I don't see all the open doors available to me for telling others about Christ. Other Christians and my church can open my eyes to dozens of faith-sharing opportunities I didn't even know existed.

Worldwide impact. Partnerships can take me beyond my normal sphere of influence. Missionaries are the best example of this partnership. My parents were introduced to Christ by a Southern Baptist pastor while Dad served in the Navy in Yokohama, Japan, during the Vietnam War. If it hadn't been for the faithful prayers
and offerings of Southern Baptists in churches back in the United States, that pastor might never have made it to Japan. Through prayer, financial support and by helping to educate others, we can support believers who are ministering in places we'll never see and impacting people we'll never meet.

Encouragement. Isolation breeds discouragement, but a partnership forged to accomplish a worthy goal energizes and helps build momentum. After the Vietnam War, studies showed that prisoners held in complete isolation were more likely to break down under interrogation and give information to the enemy. But prisoners who could interact--even if only by tapping Morse code on the walls--held up to the rigors of captivity much better. Just as interaction with allies strengthened prisoners of war, fellowship with other believers gives us strength for our mission.

Resources. Christians partnering together can support each other--with money, ideas, communication, materials, our time--in that effort. Last fall I volunteered for a few days at a new mission church just outside of Atlanta. The building needed a lot of work and materials to ready it for the worship services scheduled to begin in a few weeks. The people living in the surrounding neighborhood didn't have the economic means to keep the mission operating. But the financial partnership of a church in another Atlanta suburb and the time given by volunteers made the renovation possible.

God is the ultimate One Who gives power to evangelistic partnerships, and without His blessing they won't be fruitful. Still, He has created us as interdependent beings and we are more productive and effective when we band together (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Home team advantage

For many Christians, our most effective personal partners for evangelism are living with us right under our own roof. Husbands and wives focused together on reaching others for Christ have many faith-sharing opportunities.

My wife, Linda, and I have some friends in Virginia Beach, Virginia, who have demonstrated to us just what kind of impact an on mission couple can have on a neighborhood. Jeff and Cindy McWaters live in a neighborhood of successful professionals. God's blessings and Jeff's business abilities have given the couple an
opportunity to live in a world that most of us view only from the outside.

"God helped us see the opportunity He has given us to reach out to the people around us," says Cindy. "These are people who need God as much as anyone else. We've always said we want to use our home to help bring people closer to the Lord."

When Jeff and Cindy moved into their neighborhood nearly eight years ago, they immediately started looking for ways to build relationships through which the message of Christ could one day be communicated.

Cindy joined a women's Bible study that included non-Christians and gave her opportunities to talk with neighbors about God.

They continued their long tradition of opening their home to neighbors for dinner gatherings and often inviting their pastor to join friendly get togethers.

"It really puts them a little more at ease about church when people have a chance to interact with a pastor in that kind of setting," Jeff says. "They see him more as a real person than someone up on a pedestal."

Such gatherings have earned Jeff official "grace sayer" responsibilities when neighbors gather to eat, but it's a distinction he gladly accepts.

"Jeff has recently had the chance to explain our relationship with Christ to a neighbor across the street," said Cindy. "I'm sure it's because we've developed a friendship with him and his wife over the years."

In addition to building intentional relationships with neighbors, Jeff and Cindy make a point of inviting friends to church events where they know the gospel will be presented.

Also, each year they buy several tickets to the Christmas program, held at a local theater, and invite some of their neighbors.

"We've planted a bazillion seeds," said Jeff, "and over the years several of the people who have visited church with us later began attending, came to Christ and became leaders in the church."

Through their hospitality and outgoing nature, the McWaters are a husband and wife team that is creating opportunities for the people around them to hear about Christ.

Co-workers for Christ

Just as a husband or wife can work together to share Jesus, partnerships in the workplace can be a source of strength and encouragement as Christians try to shine the light of Christ for co-workers to see.

Brian Anzaldua and Ron Cameron, who work for an electronics technology company in Atlanta, have learned the value of such partnerships firsthand.

"After I attended a Promise Keepers conference in 1996, I really felt God leading me to start a Bible study at work," recalls Anzaldua.

Within a few days, he discovered that a temporary employee had the same idea and had already organized a small group of Christians in a Bible study. That's where he met Cameron.

"We had lunch and discovered that we both had a heart for encouraging other Christians and reaching out to the non-Christians around us," Cameron says.

There were hurdles to get around, though. Company management worried about endorsing a religion and wouldn't grant the group official status. Another group contacted company officials hoping to have the Bible study banned. But Anzaldua and Cameron gently persisted and the management allowed the group to meet in the building during personal time.

"The extra attention from the controversy ended up working in our favor, because more Christians found out about us and more non-Christians grew curious," says Anzaldua. "We tried to make the study as open to everyone as we possibly could without compromising the scripture. I learned not to sweat the non-essentials."

What started as one Bible study has now grown to several and has spread to other corporate sites in the Atlanta area. Cameron recently led his group through a study subtitled Experiencing God in Your Workplace.

"It's really helping us see the mission field all around us," he says. "It's keeping us focused on ways we can point our co-workers toward Christ."

The Bible studies have resulted in conversations about Christ among some of the employees plus other testimonies of Christian faith which are evident throughout the company. For example, the site manager, who once nearly kept the Bible study groups from meeting, allowed a nativity scene to be included in last year's Christmas decorations.

Although the groups still don't have "official" status, when tragedy strikes at the company, Bible study group members often receive prayer requests from site leaders. And Christian workers who once felt isolated are energized and encouraged as they study scripture and pray for their co-workers.

"It's put a spotlight on the Christians in our office," says Anzaldua. "Many people have come to us with questions and that gives us an opening to tell them how they can know God."

Weaving a bigger net

The strength that comes from standing side-by-side with fellow believers allows all of us to see the enormous task of reaching the world for Christ as a little less overwhelming.

Our pastor drove this point home one Sunday not long ago when he handed each of us in the congregation a piece of string about 16 inches long. "On your own," he said, "you can put a hook at the end of your string and catch a few fish."

Then he instructed some of us to tie our strings to the strings of those sitting to our right and left. Others were instructed to tie their strings to those in the rows in front of them. After sorting out some tangled string, our congregation had joined to form a huge net spanning the entire worship center.

"Just think how many more fish we can catch together," our pastor noted.

Michael Ebert is Director and Editor/Chief of Publishing for the North American Mission Board and Publishing Director for On Mission magazine.