In her book, He Sets the Captive Free, Corrie Ten Boom writes of a time when she was seeking to witness to a murderer who was in prison for his crime and would most likely never be released. She didn't know how even to begin to reach out to the hardened man, so she simply prayed this prayer: "Lord, help me to find a way to his heart."

Lord, help me to find a way to his heart. This might just be the best prayer in all the world when it conies to being present for Christ as a witness to the Good News. People have no responsibility to us to listen to the story we tell. People have no perceived personal interest in our story that would necessarily move them to give us their time, a time in which we could love them and live out the story of Jesus before them. Others are as busy in their lives as we are in ours so why would they stop what they are doing and give us their valuable time? Looking from their perspective, I can't think of a good reason. Therefore, Corrie Ten Boom's prayer may just be the order of the day: Lord, help me to find a way to his or her heart.

The bigger issue with which we are dealing is that of finding ways to truly be present for Christ in our world and particularly within our sphere of influence. What does it mean to be here? How shall the Church live in this place at this time? How shall we be a witness to Jesus? These are our "witness" questions.

The Word of Jesus to us is "Go...and make disciples of all the nations" (Matt. 28: 19). But what does it mean to "Go"? How do we connect with people in such away that they will listen to our story and give Jesus a hearing? How do we find the way to the hearts of people?

These are ministry questions worth pursuing.