Why does Line of Departure offer witnessing experiences?

Line of Departure witnessing experiences exist to give “hands and feet” to our training. Participants will be given the opportunity to practice what they have been taught during the training times in casual, but intentional, settings. Witnessing experiences are chances for everyone to work through the information presented and create a real and transferable application for it. Through prayer and careful consideration, groups will be better prepared to use real-life situations for faith-sharing opportunities.

What happens during a witnessing experience?

First of all, we want every participant to have the chance to “leave the nest.” Too often, as followers of Jesus, we preach, teach, or take in a lot, but we never make it relevant or authentic for our friends, neighbors, and peers. We want each participant to practice entering an environment just as Jesus would have. Much of this philosophy will be communicated during our training. In general, participants will be given an “assignment” that translates into a very natural, non-threatening experience. Here are three words that help guide our thinking as we go into the harvest field during a Line of Departure weekend and beyond:

Worthy

By being available and sacrificial, we want to show people that we are worthy of being their friends. Before ever uttering a word, we need to earn the right to be heard—by serving, listening, caring, smiling, or doing something to show that we are friendly and safe people.

Safe

Many people want to talk about God, but not everyone is safe to talk to. We want to be good listeners that love people for their honest and seeking hearts. We are not meeting or serving people so we can argue with or “fix” them. We want to listen to them and respond to their statements and questions in compassionate and authentic ways, so that we never disqualify ourselves as true spiritual friends.

Real

We are not selling Jesus to anyone. People are not looking for a God that is formulated to fix them, clean them, and send them on their way. People need a God that is alive and enters into their real lives. We want to be honest reflections of that God. We don’t have all the answers, but we do have our unique and relevant stories about God.