was fresh out of the chute as a brand-new Christian, when I experienced my first taste of Christianese from well-meaning folks who had no idea they were confusing me.

The friend who had encouraged me to yield my life to the Lord beamed from ear to ear as I answered the altar callterms unfamiliar to me. As I stood tearfully at the altarknees knocking, heart poundingthe service came to a close, and church members swarmed forward to welcome me into the faith.

Christianese, noun. A language or linguistic style that is understood only by, or appeals only to, practicing Christians.

Then it happened. With joy on their faces, they began shaking my hand or hugging me, saying: Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord? I had no clue what to do. Was it a command? If so, how should I respond? Hey, Id just committed my life to Christ, and I barely knew what that meant.

 century ago, maybe it was talk of being rescued from spiritual bondage that drew a puzzled eh? from non-Christians. Perhaps it was the mental picture of being washed in the blood of the Lamb that led the uninitiated to conclude that Christians were a peculiar people indeed.

Todays version of Christianese may have evolved, but the church-y speech we sometimes use to share our faith may still be confusing or even offensive to the very people we hope to reach.

Another problem is that our terminology might not resonate with people in our postmodern, non-Christian culture. People may say they believe in Jesus, but their meaning may be different from yours and mine. Perhaps they believe He was a historical figure, a sort of real-life Santa. But have they trusted Him with their life?

And, if you think youve clarified matters by asking if your listener has a saving faith, you may draw another blank stare. Saved from what?

Words like testimony, witness, or convicted make many people think of a courtroom scene.

Fellowship is a good term, but youll rarely hear it used by a company bowling team or group of Little League mothers.

Christianese Lexicon
Postmoderns may have vague, or even negative impressions of what we mean when we use certain insider language.

Here are some terms you might want to avoid or explain thoroughly:

born again Many non-Christians free-associate this term with Bible-thumper. Read John 3 with your listener and make it clear this is Jesus own description of spiritual rebirth.

the grace of God God is light on His feet? Grace needs explainingtalk about the generous goodness of God that results in undeserved forgiveness and acceptance. Explain that grace is a priceless gift.

receive Christ Is this similar to receiving a check in the mail? Talk instead about making a life-time commitment to Christ.

repent This word may conjure up visions of wild-eyed, bearded guys carrying World Ends Tomorrow signs. Explain that this means changing your attitude and lifestyle to one that pleases God.

sin Although we need to use this word, it may not be meaningful to many postmoderns unless we combine it with terms from their own culture. Try describing sin as self-destructive or dysfunctional behavior and attitudes. Give examples.

walk in the flesh Most people are familiar with the word flesh as a crayon or nylon color. Better to speak of self-destructive behavior resulting from rejecting Gods ways and doing things in our own power.

walk with the Lord Instead of evoking visions of a daily stroll with an invisible companion, discuss how Gods presence is real and makes a difference in your daily life.

Word of God Which particular word of God? Use Bible or explain what you mean by the phrase.

The Lord led me Jesus laid it on my heart God told me to may prompt your uneasy listener to hum the Twilight Zone theme or dial 911 for assistance.

ven asking someone if he or she has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ may draw a blank stare. How can you have a personal relationship with a historical figure, one skeptic wrote to her Internet buddies. Youll have to lay the proper theological groundwork before a relationship with God makes sense to many people.

And laying that groundwork doesnt mean using words that belong on a seminary campus. Justification, salvation, unregenerate, and sanctification confound even some of us long-time believers. Heavy-duty words may make our message sound more authoritative, but we defeat our purpose if our audience tunes us out.

Words like sin and judgment may be stumbling blocks for a postmodern generation. Ad writer, author, and youth worker Ginger Sinsabaugh suggests relating concepts in specific, contemporary terms. Sin is an awfully big three-letter word, because people dont know what it means, she says. Try breaking it up into chunks, such as Jesus helps me overcome the road rage I experience between 3 and 5 p.m. every day.

Ginger has written Act Now! Offer Ends Soon (Regal Books/Gospel Light) to encourage Christians in using a fresh approach to sharing the gospel. Just like milk, Christian terminology has an expiration date. Keep your testimony irresistibly fresh with language thats right for today, she advises.

With all the dangers implicit in using the wrong words to share our faithand we do need words to share our faithwhat should the on mission Christian do?

Begin with relationship-building. Building trust and gaining credibility take courtesy, genuine respect for and interest in the other person, and a willingness to listen more than you speak. Pay attention to how your listener communicates, and take cues from that to determine what terminology will be effective in having a meaningful dialogue.

Be real. When we want to share Christ with friends, we tend to put on our church hat and speak Christianese. I need to speak Gingerese with my friends, Ginger says. If I dont, I sound phony.

 Think of the four Gospels, she adds. They were written by a fisherman, a doctor, a tax collector. They all have their own voice. If Luke tried to be John or Mark tried to be Matthew, it wouldnt have worked.

As an exercise in how your words come across to the uninitiated, take a stroll down memory lane to the first time you heard now-familiar Christianese terms. What did youll be blessed mean to you? Did convicted make you feel like a criminal? Did quiet time conjure up the vision of preschool naps?

Heres another exercise: Write in non-Christianese language your experience of encountering Gods love and forgiveness. Challenge a friend to do the same and practice having jargon-free evangelistic conversations with each other, telling how Christ has changed your life in uncomplicatedbut contemporaryterms. It may feel awkward at first, but with practice, youll find genuine creativity and freedom in how you share your faith.

Take your example from Jesus. He used everyday taskslike drawing water from a well, fishing and planting fieldsto help people understand Gods desire to draw them into relationship with Himself. He used stories people could relate to based on their own lives. Youve been called to do the same.

Look for stories with a contemporary application and timeless message. Use descriptive words listeners find familiar and acceptable. In fact, use the word story in place of the terms testimony and witness for your explanation of how Christ transformed you.

Dont confuse clear language with simply trendy language. Just as we dont want to use words that are hard for the unbeliever to understand, neither do we want to water down the gospel in favor of sounding cool. We want to present our Savior and His message in a way that respectfully communicates His holiness as we connect with our listener.

Finally, remember you have a powerful Helper Who can be trusted to guide you in sharing your faith. After all, the same God Who gave us the incarnate Word has a strong interest in giving us appropriate words to share His message of eternal life and forgiveness todare we say it?a lost and unregenerate world.

Lynn Waalkes is a journalist and writer living in Hoisington, Kansas. She is a former book reviewer for the Christian Booksellers Associations publication CBA Marketplace.