What next? Helping people take their next step towards Jesus
Across the UK, there are encouraging signs that people are more open to the Bible and to church than they have been in a long time.
Reports suggest Bible sales are rising [1], and people are coming to church for the first time, especially among the younger generations [2, 3]. Some are simply curious and exploring the Christian faith, while others are new to faith in Jesus and wondering what to do next [4].
I wonder if, like me, you’ve asked yourself: What next? When someone walks through the door, or finishes a course, or starts to ask the bigger questions – how can we help them take their next step?
Here are four themes we’ve noticed from our work at The Word One to One that might help in answering that question.
1. Everyone has a part to play
I love this story from a church in Northern Ireland. A woman new to church turns up one Sunday. A chat with the person she happened to sit next to leads on to a coffee, and then an invitation to the 321 course. Alongside that, they meet regularly to read John’s Gospel together using the Word One to One. Through friendship, looking at what the Bible says about Jesus, and getting to know the church family, wonderfully this lady comes to faith and is baptised. What I love most about this story is that it sounds so ordinary, yet God has been at work in an extraordinary way.
We can sometimes forget that the work of ‘making disciples’ isn’t just a job for church leaders. We might expect Ephesians 4 to say that leaders are given to do works of service. But Paul actually says in Ephesians 4:11–13 that leaders are given to equip God’s people for works of service, so that the whole body matures in Christ. This means that all of us as believers are called to play our part in helping others meet Jesus and grow to maturity in Him.
What really stands out in that story is not the believer’s ability, but rather their availability and intentionality. They were aware of the pathways the church had created for those curious about Jesus and prayerfully chose to walk alongside someone through them.
So let's pray for hearts that are ready and willing to be used by God to help others take their next step towards Jesus.
Resources such as A Passion for Life training videos and materials have proved a valuable way of envisioning and equipping everyday believers for this work.
2. Offer deeper connection
Many who come to church for the first time are not just exploring faith – they are seeking connection. Whether they come back is not often to do with how polished the service is, but whether they are noticed, welcomed and known.
Inviting people into our lives through opening our homes, sharing meals, and making time for a walk or coffee, can feel unremarkable. Yet in an age marked by loneliness, this kind of a connection carries surprising weight. When people not only hear the gospel explained, but see it embodied and lived out in ordinary life, following Jesus begins to feel tangible and real.
So let’s consider how we can make time and space to build meaningful relationships where faith in Jesus can be seen, shared, and explored.
3. Blend the organised and the organic
We’re seeing that evangelism and discipleship flourish where there is a healthy blend of “the organised and the organic” in local churches. Organised, meaning the intentional structures and pathways churches create – courses, groups, events. Organic, meaning the everyday relational moments where faith is shared naturally, in different contexts and conversations.
Structured evangelistic courses such as Alpha, 321, or Christianity Explored continue to be a great option, offering welcoming spaces for people to ask questions and explore the claims of Christ for themselves. But what if a natural next step, alongside a course, or perhaps after it, is to simply open the Bible with someone in a relaxed, relational way?
This is where The Word One to One can be so helpful. Available as books or a free app, it provides a simple, structured way to read through John’s Gospel and Acts, 1-to-1 or in small groups. The beauty of it is that you don't need to be a “Bible expert” or a trained evangelist. Anyone can do it – going in the power of God's Spirit, holding out the truth of God's Word, and trusting Him to be at work.
There's a double benefit. Christians grow in confidence as they read the Bible with others. And those exploring faith deepen their understanding of Jesus, discover how to read the Bible for themselves, and are gently drawn into the rhythms of church life.
In South Wales, one church encourages its members to invite every newcomer for a coffee and the opportunity to read the Bible. Almost everyone says yes. They’re now preparing for twelve baptisms – and many of these new Christians say reading the Bible with someone was central to their journey to faith. ‘It doesn’t feel like revival,’ the church leader reflects, ‘but it feels a bit like what we see in the book of Acts – share the Word, and the church grows.’
As pastor Colin Smith put it at the Keswick Convention in 2024: “I believe the greatest opportunity we have in evangelism in this generation, and the next, lies with ordinary believers engaging in conversation around the Scriptures with people God has placed in our lives.”
So who is God bringing to mind right now? Someone He has placed in your life who might just say yes if you invited them to read the Bible?"
4. Remember where the power really lies
Of course, in all of this, we must remember where the real power lies in evangelism and discipleship. It’s not in the strategies we employ, the slickness of a course, or the intellect of the Bible sharer – but in the Spirit of God working through the Bible and His people to bring people to Christ.
In this season of opportunity, God invites His church to faithful dependence on Him. As we pray, open His Word and invest in others, we can be confident that He will be at work, drawing people to Jesus and making His glory known.
References:
UK Bible sales increased by 134% between 2019 and 2025 – SPCK
Church attendance at UK evangelical churches is rising – Changing Church 2025 report, Evangelical Alliance
Church attendance among young people aged 11 to 18 has doubled, from 4% in 2020 to 8% in 2025 – Youth for Christ
Students are more open to reading the Bible than ever – Fusion Report – Pippa Elmes, Head of Partnerships at Fusion Student ministry, said in a recent Bible Society article: ‘Non-Christian students everywhere are picking up Scripture, often by themselves, then arriving at churches having met Jesus in its pages, longing to know more.’
Resources can be found at apassionforlife.org.uk
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