How can we share the gospel with someone who practices a religion other than Christianity? What about when preaching isn’t welcome—or isn’t even allowed? 

As our communities and neighborhoods become increasingly diverse, these are questions more Christians like us are facing. Think of your friends, neighbors, coworkers and even family members. You probably know someone who practices a different faith than you. 

One way we can share our faith with people of other religions is through interfaith dialogue—respectful conversations between people of different faiths. Specifically, we can engage in Christian interfaith dialogue, which focuses on understanding one another, building relationships and creating opportunities to talk about the good news of Jesus. 

For many believers around the world, interfaith dialogue as evangelism is not just an effective approach to sharing the gospel—it’s the only way they can openly tell others about Christ. 

Click here to skip ahead to Practical Steps or here for Resources for Sharing Your Faith.

What is Interfaith Dialogue? 

Interfaith dialogue is defined as a respectful conversation between people of different faiths (you might also hear it called interreligious dialogue). 

These conversations can happen in many settings, from organized community events to chats over coffee. The goal is to build trust, foster understanding and create comfortable spaces to discuss faith. 

For Christians, interfaith dialogue goes beyond discussing religion in a general sense. Christian interfaith dialogue is intentional by nature, guided by our desire to share the good news and hope found only in Jesus and is always rooted in love for our neighbor.

Why Christians Engage in Interfaith Dialogue

A biblical foundation

The Bible gives us many examples of God’s people engaging with those who hold different beliefs and worldviews. 

Jesus regularly mingled with people from diverse religious, cultural and social backgrounds. He interacted with Samaritans, Romans, tax collectors and those who were often overlooked or rejected by society. Jesus exemplified the way we ought to lovingly interact with people of different backgrounds (even religious backgrounds) than us as He engaged people with both truth and compassion. 

When a religious leader tested Him by asking what the greatest law was, Jesus summed it up with two commands: 

His parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), further describes how we are to extend love and mercy beyond cultural, ethnic and religious boundaries. 

The apostle Paul also demonstrates how we should thoughtfully engage with people of different faiths. When he visited Athens, he took time to understand the culture around him before pointing people toward Jesus (Acts 17:16-34). 

Scripture encourages Christians to approach these conversations with both conviction and kindness. Paul writes: 

Similarly, Peter instructs believers to always be prepared to explain their faith: 

Christian interfaith dialogue offers one practical way to live out these biblical principles. 

Why Christian Interfaith Dialogue Matters

Interfaith dialogue can create opportunities that might never occur through formal programs or presentations. It builds trust, creates space for meaningful and intentional spiritual conversations, and helps Christians better understand those they wish to reach with the gospel. 

Rather than beginning with a sermon, this kind of dialogue begins with building relationships through simple acts of friendship: offering hospitality, an invitation to tea, sharing a meal or hosting a neighborhood party. 

With time, we can build trust with our friends, invite their questions and eventually welcome deeper conversations. Genuine relationships can open doors that would otherwise remain closed to the gospel. 

In this Focus on the Family^Ⓡ article on Interfaith Dialogue, Pastor Ken Silva, vice-president of Evangelism Explosion North America, shares, “In the context of interfaith dialogue, love people, show an interest and ask permission to share. Not from the standpoint of confrontation, but sharing ‘why I believe.’ More as personal disclosure and not debate.”

Rather than approaching interfaith conversations as debates to be won, we should approach them as opportunities to build relationships and bear witness to the hope we have in Christ. 

A warning against compromise

It’s important to note that engaging in interfaith dialogue does not mean compromising our biblical beliefs. As Christians, we must remain firmly grounded in the truth of the gospel while listening respectfully to others and seeking to understand their perspectives. 

“You can love people, even immoral people, and not compromise your commitment to the truth,” says Pastor Silva. “It’s important to maintain our moral integrity in the world in which we interact.”

Amaya’s Story

We sat down with Amaya,* a ministry leader living and serving in a region where public preaching and evangelism are restricted. Despite those challenges, she and her family have found ways to share the hope of Jesus with their neighbors through hospitality and building relationships. She and her family regularly engage in interfaith dialogue as a way to share their faith. 

“To build relationships in a community where others are not from our faith—in some communities, it’s very easy,” Amaya says. “They don’t like preaching … but they see our style of living. They see our style of leading our lives … For me, it’s not difficult to stay in a community where others don’t share our faith.”

Through everyday interactions and conversations, friendship and hospitality, Amaya creates natural opportunities to talk about her faith and introduce others—many of whom follow a different religion—to Christ. 

One story Amaya shared with us was about how her landlord began to put her faith in Jesus. Amaya and her landlord became friends, which led to an opportunity for Amaya to share her faith naturally. Eventually, her landlord trusted in Jesus, and even experienced miraculous healing.  

“We were very close with our house landlord and she was very relational with us,” Amaya says. “She used to come to our home and we used to go to their home. When we were very close, she asked, ‘What are you doing? Once a week … people are coming to your house and you are singing, you are praying. We are listening.’” 

Amaya used that opportunity to invite her landlord to the weekly prayer times she would host at home.

“Because of our relationship with them, she started coming to our cottage prayer time and she invited her whole family. … Slowly we saw that she also started putting her faith [in] Jesus.” 

When her landlord shared that she had been experiencing pain in her ears, she asked Amaya to pray for healing. 

“Then we prayed and she saw that her pain was gone. So, she was totally healed.”

Sharing the gospel without preaching

When we asked how she and her family share the gospel in her community without preaching, Amaya said: “Through our story, especially. Not reading the Bible, but through our story, we can share Jesus. We can share our faith with our community.” 

Amaya also starts gospel-centered conversations with her neighbors through Jesus Film Project^Ⓡ films and short videos (available for free on the Jesus Film Project watch page or mobile app). 

“I would encourage someone to share their faith in the community when preaching is discouraged. There are many ways. We can call our neighbors [for] teatime or any fellowship. We can call them and we can show the JESUS film. 

“We have many short films. We can share our faith by showing these short films. After every short film we [ask] questions. They love to be invited into our home for fellowship of tea, maybe snacks. It’s a very good platform to share our faith.”

Using Stories and Media to Open Doors for Interfaith Dialogue 

Stories have the unique ability to connect people across cultures, languages and beliefs. A good story can capture our attention, engage our emotions and invite us to think deeply about our lives in ways few other things can. 

Jesus understood the power of storytelling. Throughout His ministry, He frequently taught through parables—stories that revealed deeper spiritual truths. Rather than giving His followers information outright, His stories invited them to reflect and wrestle with the meaning behind His words. 

We can follow Jesus’ example by sharing the gospel through stories. And thanks to today’s technology, we can easily share stories through media such as movies, short films and video series. 

Stories shared through video or film can help people encounter truth in a personal and relatable way. They can often open doors through conversations that might feel difficult to begin otherwise. If you are looking for media to help spark deeper, faith-centered conversations, the Conversation Starter collection on the Jesus Film Project watch page is a great place to start. Each video includes questions you can use in your conversations. 

Practical Steps to Build Relationships With People of Different Faiths

Here are six practical ways we can create connections with people from different backgrounds. 

1. Learn about their faith.

Taking time to understand another person’s beliefs demonstrates respect and helps us navigate those deeper, spiritual conversations. It can help us better understand the questions, experiences and perspectives that shape their worldview. This also allows us to share our own worldview, giving them space to consider how our faith in Jesus affects our lives. 

Learning about other faiths does not necessarily weaken our own. If you’d like to grow in your understanding of other worldviews while strengthening your confidence in the gospel, I encourage you to explore apologetics (the verbal defense of one’s faith) and worldview resources such as this blog post about Objective Truth and Worldview and others by our friends at Sightline™, another Cru^Ⓡ ministry.

2. Practice active listening.

Good conversations require good listening skills. Instead of jumping right into trying to persuade someone, take time to listen to their story. Ask thoughtful questions and try not to interrupt them or interject with your own opinions while they are answering. Here are some questions you can start with: 

• What role does faith play in your life? 
• How did you come to believe what you believe? 
• What gives you hope? 
• What do you think happens to us after death? 

When we listen well, we show someone that we respect them and keep the door open for future conversations. 

3. Practice hospitality.

Hospitality is a powerful way to demonstrate the love of Christ. And it doesn’t require throwing a fancy party or a hosting formal get-together. You can create a connection with someone simply by opening your home, sharing a meal or even offering a cup of coffee or tea. 

As Amaya’s story showed us, we can impact someone simply by inviting them into our lives in these simple ways. 

4. Look for shared experiences.

Even when you don’t share the same beliefs, it’s usually not hard to find common ground. You may find connection points in: 

• Family relationships
• Career challenges 
• Parenting 
• Community concerns 
• Hopes 
• Personal struggles 
• Goals and dreams 

Sharing common experiences helps us create natural connections with others, showing them that just because we may believe differently does not mean we have nothing in common with each other. It can also be helpful for us to show how our faith in Christ affects each of these areas, giving us a chance to share about Him. 

5. Pray consistently.

We stay connected to God when we pray consistently. James 5:16 tells us, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (NIV). 

Pray for the people you know who don’t yet know Jesus. Ask God to open their hearts to Him, to create opportunities for conversation and dialogue and to give you wisdom to know when to speak and when to listen. 

6. Trust God with the results.

It’s easy to feel pressure to say exactly the right thing when engaging in interfaith dialogue or to want to see immediate “results.”

But while we are to share the good news of Jesus with those we know, it’s not up to us to change hearts—that’s God’s department. 

Our job is to faithfully share what He has done for us, seek and take opportunities to point others to Him and to trust Him with the rest. 

Resources for Sharing Your Faith With Someone from Another Religion

Are you looking for practical ways to help you engage in meaningful spiritual conversations? Consider exploring: 

• The Jesus Film Project app 
• Ministry resources such equipment and discipleship tools 
• NextSteps – a tool to help you follow up after gospel conversations
• Sightline’s resources on evangelism and apologetics 
• More Jesus Film Project blogs (check out the “Share Your Faith” category)

Take the First Step 

Who is one person in your life who follows a different religion? Maybe it’s a neighbor, coworker, classmate, friend or family member. 

Consider taking one simple step toward building a deeper relationship with them: an invitation for coffee, tea or even lunch. Ask thoughtful questions. Most importantly, pray for an opportunity to listen well, show the love of Christ and openly share your faith with them. 

Be encouraged—you don’t need to have all the answers. Interfaith dialogue does not need to be complicated. God can work through ordinary conversations, acts of hospitality and sincere relationships if we allow Him to.