Mal Fletcher on sharing your faith this Christmas

When was the last time you sprang out at unchurched friends and shouted: 'Surprise!'?

A church that practices surprise positions itself to be heard above all the clutter of marketing messages.

A Christian who lives a surprising life - going beyond the call of duty to deliver the Kingdom message and example - rises above stereotypes and gets a hearing.

This Christmas, we can create buzz about our Lord. Armed with the gospel you and I can be the natural buzz creators in our circles of influence!

We can make the gospel visible. We can show how useful our faith is to us - for example, in decision-making, building friendships, handling money and so on.

We can tell people about the hero of the story - showing them that our faith is not simply built around a religious dogma, but a vibrant relationship with a Person.

We can give people a 'preview' of what God can do for them, by praying for their specific needs and then asking them how things have changed as a result.

We can give them something to can pass on to others, by offering practical Bible wisdom for real-life needs or problems -- rather than simply Christian clichés.

We can also reveal how the gospel delivers on what it promises, by putting our whole lives on the line to receive and demonstrate God's promises.

Finally, we can show that the gospel is a message filled with mystery and, yes, even danger.

The gospel is surprising. It calls us to love those who hate us, to give to those who can give back to us, to walk the extra mile and turn the other cheek.