Lifeway Research data found that nearly six in 10 believers do not know any methods for telling others about their faith in Christ.
The study, "Evangelism Explosion Study of American Christians' Openness to Talking About Faith," surveyed more than 1,000 American Christians.
According to The Christian Post, the survey found that 54 percent of participants said they are "willing" or "eager" to tell others about Jesus, but 66 percent of Christians said they were not familiar with "methods for telling others about Jesus."
The survey also showed that 52 percent of Christians in the study believe that encouraging someone to change their beliefs is "offensive and disrespectful."
"For some Christians, their love for others compels them to suggest this offensive thought. For others, this discourages them from speaking up about what they believe," said Scott McConnell, the executive director of Lifeway Research.
He said it's a "bold idea to encourage someone to consider converting the center of their life to be Jesus Christ."
About 70 percent of Christians said they had not shared their faith with a stranger in the past six months, but 93 percent said they were open to "having a conversation about faith with a friend."
Still, only 52 percent said they had shared a story about their faith with a non-Christian friend or family member in the last six months. Also, 57 percent said they had not invited those non-Christian friends or family members to church in the past six months. And some 64 percent reported that they had "prayed for the salvation of a friend or family member in the past month."
"Praying for someone to follow Christ comes more easily than talking with someone about it," McConnell said. "It isn't clear if the proverbial cat has the tongue of some Christians or if they're not connecting with non-Christians in settings where these conversations can take place."
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Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.
