As Christians, we are all called to be evangelists and to share the good news of salvation with our family, friends and coworkers. The Easter season is the ideal time since the resurrection is the foundation of our faith. How can you explain the meaning of Easter to a non-believer, though?

Fortunately, it doesn’t need to be awkward or difficult if you follow the natural progression of a relationship.

Start With Friendship

Above all, we should always trust God will lead us in any given setting. Listening to the leading and prompting of the Holy Spirit will enable us to connect with people most in need of hearing the good news of Christ. You might look at the following ways to start a conversation about the Lord:

• Maximize an already established relationship by looking for opportunities to articulate the Gospel.
• When it comes to unsaved family members, try planting a seed and be patient while praying for guidance. Sometimes trying to make things happen on our time table will push a family member further away. Follow God’s lead and his time frame.
• You might find that a neighbor is searching for answers about faith and Christianity. Cultivate the relationship while maintaining your testimony and credibility by exampling good values.
• At work, be observant to find things you may have in common with a co-worker. Without violating any human resource rules regarding proselytizing, you can begin the friendship-building process. This can lead to casual conversations about faith.
• Be a good listener to find ways to open the conversation about salvation.

Discuss the True Meaning of Easter

Talking about Easter with non-believers needs to be approached as a fact-finding mission. If someone is curious, you will approach them differently than a non-believer who is defensive. A good way to discover where someone stands on faith is to ask a question like, “So what do you and your family do for Easter?”

If you are able to start up a conversation beyond that, you can build on the following points:

• The true meaning of Easter is that Jesus Christ rose beyond the grave.
• His resurrection grants eternal life in all who believe in Him.
• His resurrection confirmed He is the Son of God.

Guiding the conversation from secular activities in the discussion to the true meaning of Easter is a process. By starting off with a more superficial topic, it becomes easier to bridge the gap to the less superficial ones. As you continue building the relationship, the trust bond will form.

Invite Them to Easter Sunday Church Service

When a friendship has been formed and the conversation of Easter’s true meaning has occurred, extend the invitation to an Easter church service. Here are some suggestions to make the invitation successful:

• Pray for God’s help in giving you the right words when you speak with the person.

• Include a meal with the invitation. Lunch after the service provides an opportunity to discuss the experience and answer questions.

• Invite them to ride to church with you. This removes any obstacles about directions, where to meet you, etc.

• Acknowledge and have compassion for any insecurities they may have about going to church. Offer your support as an open invitation.

• Don’t overthink the situation — Just ask.

Follow up After Easter

Maybe your efforts were not as fruitful at you had hoped they would be. Don’t give up. Maybe Easter was just the planting season for your evangelization. Continue to nourish the seeds planted. Think of Easter as the starting point.

Consider these ways to strive for continued growth:

• Invite your friend to a Bible study.
• Ask if they would like to meet for coffee and church services regularly with you.
• Provide them with a Bible or the Story of Hope from Good Soil.
• Continue to pray for opportunities and reinforcements from other believers to bring Christ to this non-believer.

As you continue to be God’s instrument to reach as many souls as possible, do not get discouraged. You never know when God will use you to start a mission that someone else will continue. Have faith that you are changing many hearts — some you may not even be aware of this side of eternity.