What is your faith sharing profile?
From research by Share Jesus International
SJI carried out research in an attempt to better understand how different people share their faith, to celebrate what is good and help us all stretch ourselves too. Respondents from a range of denominational backgrounds gave a sample size that was almost three times the necessary size to make the research credible. On the back of the research, six faith sharing styles were developed by combining quantitative audience data with qualitative in-depth interviews.
The research helped understand four main tensions when it comes to faith sharing and these tensions form the underlying basis of the faith sharing styles:
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Moment vs Journey. Do people come to faith in a moment or is it a journey?
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Personal vs Corporate. Is faith sharing something I do by myself or is this something we do together?
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The Message vs The Person. Do we begin a faith sharing conversation thinking about how we can communicate the message of Jesus as quickly and effectively as possible or do we look to the person we are talking to, to take the lead?
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Word vs Action. Is faith sharing done primarily by what we say or what we do?
The six faith sharing styles are:
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Bible Revealer. The Gospel message is urgent and everybody needs to hear it! You have a deep confidence in God and the power of Scripture and you are passionate about sharing the good news of Jesus. You don’t shirk away from your convictions and you tend to be more direct in sharing your faith, proactively looking for opportunities and also challenge people to make a response.
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Compassion Revealer. Actions speak louder than words. You have a servant-heart and you want people to feel loved and valued. You have a deep desire to show how Christians love others and the world by following Jesus’ example of loving the last, the least and the lost. You want to reveal God’s compassion as you serve practically. When you think about people’s faith journey, you see acceptance as foundational. People need to know that they are loved.
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Life Sharer. You have a story to tell and your story is about how God has worked in your life, which can often revolve around specific moments. Telling your life story is your most comfortable way of sharing about your Christian faith. Your story naturally points to the beneficial impact faith has made on your life. As well as sharing your story, you are comfortable airing your struggles with life and faith, and encouraging others to share with them. You are also likely to listen well and want to hear where other people are at and how the Christian faith can help them.
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Intentional Disciple. You love to journey with people. There is no division between your Christian life and everything else. Your Christian faith impacts everything. You are likely to have just as many unchurched friends as you have Christian friends. You carry a sense of responsibility that God has placed you in the relationships to share about Him. People know you are a Christian and you are not embarrassed by this. You are happy to be different to others and have a confidence in what you believe. You have the ability to talk about Christianity in a way that makes sense to the people you connect with who are outside of the church.
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Team Player. We’re in this together. You love the beauty of the church family. Different people from different backgrounds drawn together as one family. As one body, we each have different gifts and when it comes to sharing faith, you love to see how the body of the church works together to help bring somebody to faith. You see your role as complimentary to the role of others in your church fellowship and are happy to play your part. You see others as being more competent at explaining the Christian faith and see your role as connecting your contacts to those who can share Jesus effectively.
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Open Connector. You’re always open for a God conversation. You aspire to live your life well, showing people how God affects your life. You know yourself well. You really don’t want to appear pushy when it comes to sharing your faith. You’re not a salesperson for God. Rather than being confrontational and direct, you instead always leave the door open for conversations about faith. When a moment to share offers itself, you will take the opportunity to speak about your faith calmly and confidently. You have the words to express what you believe.
Individuals can take a quiz to help them discover which of the six faith sharing profiles best describes them. SJI have also helped local churches to receive their own faith sharing profile to see the overall shape of their congregation.
See details here.
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From research by Share Jesus International, 07/01/2025