How to Use Email to Spread the Gospel Without Sending Forwards

Are you a Christian that's interested in spreading the gospel of Christ, but cringe or shy away at the thought of doing so through email forwards? You may have received some of these messages that read something like this, "If you love Jesus then you'll forward this to everyone in your contact list." While some of those messages are inspirational and compelling, their delivery method can be annoying to some. If you feel this way, you're not alone. Many Christians want to spread the good word in keeping with the great commission, but they don't want to be pushy or annoying.

Sometimes, the right gift delivered in the wrong package can ruin everything and thwart your efforts. Instead of sending an email forward that may get deleted before it's opened, try using an email signature instead.

Here's how it works. Go to your personal email account task bar and select "email options" or "options". Then go to "signature" and create a new email signature or edit an existing one. Make sure you're doing this for personal email only and not at work. Unless you work for a Christian company, they will probably frown on you using work email in that way. Then again, if you work for yourself, then you can make the call about whether to use the signature when you're contacting prospective or current clients. That's a case-by-case call that is best left to you. Remember this, however. Scripture says that if we are ashamed of Christ then He will be ashamed of us in front of God. See Luke 9:26.

Here is one example of what you could write: "If you died right now, would you go to heaven? If you're not 100% sure, visit xyz website to find out." Include a hyperlink to a website with content that can witness to the person that reads it. Be sure to connect the hyperlink to the words that describe or name the site. This is done for two reasons. First, it increases the website's search engine rankings. Second, people don't like to click on something that reads, "click here".

They know how to recognize a hyperlink when they see one. Also, people are much less likely to click on a link when they don't know where it will take them. Remember the story of Alice in Wonderland? Do you also remember all the doors and holes that lead to some mysterious place? That makes for an interesting children's story but not a great internet experience.

Happy witnessing.