Christian Witness in Smaller Membership Congregations

An authentic, loving approach to sharing your faith story.

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Ever feel awkward when you try to share your faith?

You’re not alone. In some churches, outreach is a job. But for smaller membership congregations, it’s just life—welcoming a new neighbor, offering to pray for a friend going through a hard time, or sharing a meal with someone who needs a listening ear. No scripts, no pressure—just real conversations that open the door to faith.

That’s exactly why Christian Witness in Smaller Membership Congregations was created. Your church might not have a big outreach team, but that doesn’t mean you’re not making an impact.

In fact, churches like yours are often the heartbeat of their communities—hosting food drives, showing up at town events, and being the ones people turn to in times of crisis. And because of that, the best invitations to faith don’t come from the pulpit or a flyer—they come from you, in the everyday moments when God is already at work.

This course is here to help you step into those moments with confidence. You’ll learn how to talk about faith in a way that feels natural—like sharing your favorite book or a story about something that changed your life. Through storytelling, deep listening, and simple, thoughtful conversations, you’ll see how small moments—a heartfelt chat over coffee, a kind word to a struggling coworker, or an offer to help someone move—can plant seeds of faith in ways you may not expect.

Together, we’ll explore how to share your faith with humility and love, honoring relationships while gently extending the hope we carry. Because faith doesn’t spread through pressure or programs—it grows through real relationships, and you’re already in the perfect place to make that happen.

What You'll Learn

  • How to clearly and confidently share about your spiritual life using the language of the Christian tradition.
  • Strategies to help you listen deeply to the spiritual stories of those around you.
  • Ways to recognize and appreciate where God is at work in your story.
  • Opportunities to grow deeper and wider in your life of faith through spiritual practices and a rich understanding of your calling.
  • What it means to embrace your identity as a Christian witness.
  • Natural approaches for inviting others into faith conversations.
  • The importance of a faith community’s role in living out the story of Jesus.
  • Practical methods for sharing your faith in a way that plants seeds of hope and love.
  • Insights into the challenges of faith formation and Christian witness in the modern cultural landscape.
  • Hopeful models for how faith can grow and be shared in our world today.

About this Course

  • Modules

10

  • Learning Elements

85

  • Videos

27

  • Practices & Activities

16

  • Time

8 hours 30 minutes

  • Price

$55

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Here's What's Inside...

In this module you will:

  • Engage in spiritual practices to grow deeper and wider in your faith
  • Reflect on the ways that God has given you a unique story.
  • Practice identifying and appreciating God at work.

In this module you will:

  • Learn and notice the ways that your contexts, history, and increasingly secular age all influence the experience of hearing and sharing the Good News.
  • Recognize and reflect on the ways that faith forms in an increasingly secular age.
  • Experiment with some models of planting faith that seek to address our current secular culture and resistance to the institutional church.

In this module you will:

  • Trust in God’s power and develop your place as a witness.
  • Learn to trust God to face your fears about sharing our witness.
  • Develop a deeper capacity and comfort to talk about God’s work in your life.

In this module you will:

  • Learn how Jesus embodies the Good News and proclaims it.
  • Find ways to share about Jesus in your context that are authentic to you.
  • Develop your sensitivity to Jesus’ call to follow him.

In this module you will:

  • Learn skills for deep listening to God and your community
  • Engage in deep listening to fruitfully and wisely share your faith.
  • Expand your comfort zone in ways and settings for sharing your faith.

In this module you will:

  • Reflect on how faith is developed and nurtured in communities.
  • Invite people in your faith community to imagine with you how to nurture, grow and share your faith.
  • Experiment with some sharing approaches that specifically address our current culture.

In this module you will:

  • Explore ways to invite and plant the Good News as you interact with others.
  • Develop ways to deepen and share your own household’s faith.
  • Apply skills of noticing to open, explore and speak the Gospel.

In this module you will:

  • Understand God’s sending call.
  • Reflect on your calling both inside and outside of your paid occupation.
  • Practice listening to the call of God.
You'll Learn How to Tell the Story
A group of people sits in a circle, engaged in a thoughtful discussion with expressive hand gestures.

So many of us flinch away from the idea of evangelism, afraid of coming across as pushy, creepy, or self-righteous by bringing up “God stuff” with those we care about. It doesn’t have to be that way! We can and should invite others into Jesus’ love and way of life through heartfelt actions and words that make sense, that mean something, that make a difference. Let’s begin.

What to Expect

  • Lifetime access to the course materials, including a comprehensive course handbook.
  • A FREE account inside the Faith+Lead Learning Lab, a private online learning community where you can connect with other learners and leaders walking through this course.
  • If you're already a Faith+Lead member, click here to access this course—it's included in your membership at no additional cost: https://lab.faithlead.org/courses/christian-witness-for-smaller-membership-congregations/

Ready to Enroll?

Enroll in this one on-demand course today or unlock free access to this and all on-demand courses plus more with Faith+Lead Membership →

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Access to this on-demand course

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Access to an online supportive community

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Access to 20+ on-demand courses

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Access to all workshops and their recordings

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Access to member-only live Q&A monthly interviews

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Access to monthly group coaching

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Looking for just in-time training resources?

Use this on-demand course as a complementary ready-made resource for small groups, Bible studies, discipleship growth, and equipping lay leaders in your specific ministry setting.

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Meet Your Instructor

  • Jon Anderson

    Pastor Jon Anderson serves as Director of Rural Ministry at Luther Seminary. He recently completed eighteen years of service as bishop in the Southwestern Minnesota Synod of the ELCA.

Connect as you learn

Connect inside the Faith+Lead Learning Lab

Learning happens best when you do it together with folks who are on the same journey as you are.

That's why our private social network, the Faith+Lead Learning Lab, hosts conversations about course content with other learners, instructors, TAs, and community leaders.

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Study together with a small group or congregation

Want to bring Christian Witness in Smaller Membership Congregations to your Bible study, small group, or even your entire congregation?

Choose "Enroll a Group" at checkout and select how many people you'd like to provide access to the course. You can go through the course together in-person, watch lessons together via Zoom, or even create a private group in the Learning Lab where participants can connect asynchronously.

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