“You’ll Need This Someday”

How do you get professional hockey players to take a free book about the gospel?

When Alex gets up to talk, he tells some stories from his playing days, shares his own spiritual journey, and offers them a copy of An Anchor for the Soul. How does he get them to take the book? “Men hate it when you tell them they’ve got to read a book.”

This is what he says. “I’ve got a little book I’d like to give you. You don’t need to read it now, but I’d like to encourage you to put it where can find it later. You’ll need this someday when you have questions about God that you can’t answer. Just find a safe place to store it so you’ve got it when you need it.”

Does it work? “I’ve never had a player turn me down yet,” he told me.

This approach takes the pressure off everyone. I’m much more likely to listen if you don’t tell me how or when I have to respond. If we give people breathing space, they are more likely to remember what we said and respond positively somewhere down the road. Keep that in mind the next time you share Christ with a friend or a loved one.