Equipping Believers as Trained Witnesses

Equipping is the second biblical component of God's Plan for Sharing. The vision is straightforward: every believer equipped to share as a trained witness. Churches that invest in equipping move beyond good intentions and give their people the confidence, tools, and knowledge to articulate the gospel clearly in everyday life.

Effective equipping combines biblical foundations with practical training. When believers understand both what they believe and how to communicate it, personal evangelism becomes a natural outflow of their faith rather than an intimidating task.

What Equipping Looks Like

Equipping takes shape through several intentional practices within the local church:

  • Training sessions that teach believers how to share their personal testimony and present the gospel clearly.
  • Teaching presentations and videos that model effective witnessing approaches.
  • Small-group practice where believers gain confidence through role-playing and peer encouragement.
  • Ongoing discipleship that reinforces evangelism as a lifestyle, not a one-time event.

Resources to Support Equipping

The North American Mission Board provides several resources to help churches equip their members:

  • Pastor/Church Preparation Guide — available in English and Spanish, this guide walks church leadership through the GPS framework and how to implement equipping in the congregation.
  • Videos and Teaching Presentations — downloadable presentations for both PC and Mac that can be used in training settings.
  • Association Guide — resources available through Outreach, Inc. to support equipping at the associational level.

Visit the Resources page to access these materials.

Connecting Equipping to the Broader Vision

Equipping does not stand alone. It flows out of a foundation of Praying and leads naturally into Sowing and Harvesting. When a church prays for the lost and then equips its people to share, the gospel advances with clarity and compassion. Explore the full Vision to see how all four components work together.