How Do You Help Lead a Seeker to Christ?

This is the third post of a five-part series based on Pastor Daniel Im’s book, The Discipleship Opportunity: Leading a Great-Commission Church in a Post-Everything World. In his previous post, Daniel helped us understand the mindset of a “sleeper”, and how to best walk alongside them. You can read it here. In this post, Daniel will talk about the type of church-goer that he calls a “seeker”—someone who isn’t a Christian but is curious about learning more.

Why do I feel empty after . . . a breakup? . . . sex? . . . finishing a show? . . . eating? . . . hanging out with friends? . . . achieving a goal? . . . meditation? 

There are seekers—interested non-Christians—all around you asking questions like these. They aren’t apathetic. They are curious and know that there is more to life than the daily grind, but they aren’t fully convinced that they know what that more is. So like the way you test-drive a car, they’re test-driving different belief systems to see if they work, how they feel, and what effect each one has on them and those around them. 

Do you know anyone asking questions like these among the people you live, work, study, and play with? Do they know that they can talk with you? And would you be ready, willing, and able to have a conversation with them on any of these topics? How about in your church? If people come to your church with questions like these, do you have a welcoming and safe place where they can ask them?

In the Bible, we read that curiosity and interest alone aren’t adequate for salvation. They are what precedes it, but to be saved, a seeker must confess and believe. That’s why Romans 10:9 says this: “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Contrary to what pop culture often tries to communicate, research shows that many non-Christians are interested in Christianity, are willing to talk to others about their beliefs, and will step foot into a church to explore faith. This is why the Interested/Uninterested Matrix is so important to grasp. It shows us that we need to reach, disciple, and speak to seekers differently than sleepers. 

How to Disciple the Seekers

For the seekers in your community, equip the disciples in your church to be better friends with the non-Christians in their lives. Encourage them to intentionally merge their universes of Christian friends and non-Christian friends. And celebrate all this by sharing the stories of when the disciples in your church practice radically ordinary hospitality toward those they live, work, study, and play with. 

Unlike sleepers, seekers are interested in exploring faith, so at some point they will want to know the evidence behind Christianity. They will want to know who Jesus is, why He died, what it means to have faith in Jesus, why we should believe the Bible, what the role of prayer is in a Christ follower’s life, and more. Some seekers will go to their Christian friends one-on-one with their questions. Others will bring up the topic casually within a group conversation. Some will stream your church service online, and still others will step foot into your church—for a service, program, or class. However and wherever it happens, seekers will look for answers to their questions about life, faith, and Jesus. 

Equip the Disciples to Listen and Respond 

You can answer seekers’ questions through a short-term class or event where you answer life’s biggest questions. The Alpha course is one that many churches use (but not the only option). Another way is to equip the disciples in your church to answer the questions that seekers may ask! The easiest way to do this is by inviting the disciples in your church to participate with their interested and seeking non-Christian friends in whichever discover next step you offer. By listening to the content, hearing the questions that non-Christians are asking, and learning how others respond, the disciples in your church will be better equipped to engage in spiritual conversations with non-Christians. 

Another way to do this is by offering a deepen next step on apologetics and/or evangelism for the disciples in your church. You can cover the same topics, but in a classroom environment with a textbook. Now, whatever curriculum you decide on—and in whatever format you decide to offer this next step—just make sure that you aren’t solely focusing on information transfer. So in addition to teaching about the evidence for Christianity, teach your disciples how to communicate the gospel as a story, how to use different metaphors for gospel presentations, and how to share their testimonies in a winsome way. Give them the opportunity to witness to each other during the class. Assign them homework to practice what they’re learning. And pray together—asking God to provide everyone with opportunities to use what they’ve learned with the non-Christians in their lives. 

In our next post, we’ll learn about those who don’t know why they should give of their time, talent, and treasure in response to the great commission. (the consumers).