When I joined Corporate Chaplains of America out of Wake Forest, NC, I had no idea how much it would change the way I shared my faith. They hired me to come back home to Birmingham and open up the market for chaplaincy. Before I started, I spent three weeks in training learning both the “business side” (how to sell chaplaincy) and the ministry side (how to actually be a chaplain).
One night, I went out to dinner at Red Robin with Mark Cress, the founder of Corporate Chaplains. Mark had been a businessman in Richmond before God called him into vocational ministry. He sold his business, went to seminary, and eventually launched CCA. Over burgers and fries, I got to see his heart up close. He’d glance around the restaurant and say things like, “See that businessman over there? He might be smiling, but maybe his marriage is falling apart. See that waitress? She’s probably working two jobs just to keep the lights on. God loves her. She’s someone’s daughter, maybe someone’s mom.”
Mark saw people differently, through the eyes of Jesus. And that night I realized I had a lot to learn.
The biggest game-changer for me came when I learned about permission-based evangelism. I had always been comfortable sharing my faith, but honestly, sometimes I was too pushy. It’s easy to make evangelism about me trying to close the deal instead of letting the Holy Spirit do His work. If I’m being brutally honest, I was probably good enough to “talk someone into” praying a prayer. But did they really mean it?
Permission-based evangelism took the pressure off me and put the control in the other person’s hands. Now, when I sense an opportunity to share, I simply ask, “Would it be okay if I told you how you can have a relationship with Jesus?” If they say no, I stop. No forcing. No pushing. Just respect. Because the Holy Spirit is a gentleman, He doesn’t force Himself on anyone.
But if they say yes? Then I share boldly, with everything in me.
One of my seminary professors, Dr. Roy Fish, once said, “On average, it takes seven times for someone to hear the gospel before they say yes to Jesus. The real question is, are you willing to be number six?” That one stuck with me.
Now my approach is simple: pray for eyes to see and ears to hear, look for the opportunities the Holy Spirit tees up, and always ask permission. No more manipulation. No more pressure. Just Spirit-led conversations. And funny enough, when I stopped pressing and simply followed the Spirit’s lead, I saw more people come to Christ than ever before. Go figure, God’s way actually works.