In effective communication, one must reach people where they are. Avoid assuming that people know more than they do when talking with them about Christ. Some are familiar with religious terms and Biblical accounts—others are not. Including necessary background and definition of terms takes time, but provides a solid basis upon which a decision can be made. Even if people do not understand what you are saying, they may not want to seem ignorant or may hesitate to ask questions. Few honestly say, “No, I don’t know what you mean.”
By asking questions as one shares the Gospel and by watching their expressions, we often can see when there is a lack of comprehension or understanding. This interaction helps one to assist others to make decisions when they are ready to make them.
Some individuals do have a Biblical foundation and can relate easily to what we are saying. Others have little or no church background, or worse, have been taught falsehoods or false doctrine! One of the greatest challenges anyone faces is unlearning what was thought to be true, but is not! An excellent book for laying a thorough Biblical foundation is The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus by John R. Cross. It is translated into a variety of languages including Arabic, and it is used by a number of missionaries on various fields. (Cross, J.R. (2003) The Stranger on the road to Emmaus. GoodSeed International.)
