How to discover God with your friends

What can the church do when it can’t gather together in one place? Simple – we can all share the love of God in word and deed wherever we are. The church can manifest the presence of Jesus, alive and active, in every neighbourhood and friendship group through us. You can live out a disciplemaking lifestyle in your everyday world.

The principles of MyFriends Lifestyle, summarised in the disc illustration, provide a simple and effective way to help your friends discover God. Here is a summary of the principles that we cover in more detail during MyFriends Training.

Love the people around you in generous, sacrificial, and ‘no strings attached' ways. Reach out to neighbours, friends, and family so they know you are thinking of them. Map your relationship circles using the Daisy Chain illustration.

Download: Daisy Chain (PDF)
Resource: How to love by faith

Intentionally pray for:

• People - pray for people specifically and with them when possible.
• Places - As you walk around your community, ask God to show you His vision for the people in that place.
• Peace - Pray for the values of the Kingdom to be experienced in that person or place.

Care for the people in your social circles in practical ways, being available to assist anyway you can in this crisis. Most importantly, ask how they are going and listen as they share.

Share how you are going including the hope, peace, and security that Jesus brings you. Talk about the difference Jesus makes in your own journey in these days (try and keep your story to 30 seconds or less).

Offer to pray with people (15 seconds) about their concerns. Pray gently, but boldly in Jesus' name, and with expectation that they would experience the living Christ.

Connect their experience of God with Jesus, knowing that He is alive, real, and close to them. He is available for them to know as their friend. You can know Jesus personally in your everyday experience:

• The Four
• God Tools App
• Jesus Film App

Release them to share their “God experience” with others. They will likely share their experience with their friends, and even more so with encouragement.

Form a group with them and their friends, either in a home or online, to learn how they can know Jesus as their friend through Bible Discovery reading together. This is a simple process with no prior understanding required so anyone can lead it simply following the questions. The MyFriends App provides an outline for Bible Discovery groups.

Ask: "Would you like to discover for yourself through simply reading the Bible how you can become a friend of God? Is there anyone else you know who would be interested to join you in that discovery? Discovery Bible Reading is very simple and can be done as a family or friends on-line. I would love to help you get started."