Five Barriers That Hinder Christians From Sharing the Gospel

As followers of Christ, we are called to live in the light of the gospel—to share its life-changing power in our everyday interactions, including our families, friends, neighbors, coworkers - our “oikos” (Greek for household, or circle of influence). However, despite the clear command of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20), many Christians are hesitant to share the good news. Today, the message of the Gospel is more urgent than ever. The world is hungry for hope, and the church must not allow silent barriers to hinder the Gospel

Check out these Five Key Barriers that Hinder Christians from Sharing the Gospel:

1. Fear of Rejection or Disapproval

One of the most frequently cited obstacles is fear—fear of what others will think, of being criticized, of losing friendships, reputation, or social status. In one recent survey, nearly half of Christians admitted they would avoid a spiritual conversation if they anticipated rejection. (Barna Group). When we base our willingness to share on how comfortable we feel, or how safe or successful we believe the outcome will be, we allow fear to stand between our gospel and our “oikos”—and thus between the gospel and another person’s life.

Encouragement: 

Remember that the gospel is not ultimately about you—it’s about Jesus and the hope He offers. As one author puts it: “When we focus on Jesus, his perfect love overcomes fear.” (navpress.com)

Practice: 

Make a short prayer list of 2-3 people in your relational sphere (your “oikos” or sphere of influence) whom you have not yet told about how Christ has changed your life. Pray for courage, then initiate one simple conversation this week (e.g., “Would you mind if I shared something that’s been meaningful in my life?”).

2. Lack of Gospel Clarity or Confidence

Another barrier is internal: many Christians feel they don’t know how to articulate the gospel in a simple way. Even though they may believe it, they don't believe they can “share” it. According to one article, this problem was described as “lack of gospel knowledge” or the inability to communicate the essentials effectively (Desiring God). When our confidence in what we share, or how to share it, is low, our willingness to step into everyday spheres of influence shrinks.

Encouragement: 

The gospel itself is powerful and clear—it doesn’t depend on your eloquence but on Christ’s work and the Holy Spirit’s work through you. (Desiring God)

Practice: 

Write down in one or two sentences what the gospel means to you and how Christ has changed your life. Practice sharing that with someone you trust. Keep it short—this helps you lean into relational contexts (your “oikos”) rather than waiting for a formal “evangelism moment.”

3. Apathy or Low Priority of the Lost

Some Christians simply don’t engage others with the Gospel because they don’t feel a pressing priority for non-believers. They may love Christ and live faithfully, but their relational circle doesn’t include non-Christians—or they seldom think of evangelism as their duty. One author argues that apathy (or lukewarm concern for the lost) is a subtle but deadly barrier (Desiring God). When we don’t view our everyday sphere of influence as missional ground, our gospel witness remains marginalized.

Encouragement: Jesus came for the lost, and the early church model was relational and everyday (Acts 1-2). Your “oikos” matters.

Practice: Map out your sphere of daily contact—household, workplace, gym, school, neighborhood—and ask: “Who among them does not know Christ yet? How often do I pray for them? When was the last time I invited them to hear my story of Jesus?” Make one relational move this week (coffee invite, prayer request, small act of kindness) for someone outside the faith.

4. Cultural or Relational Barriers

We live in a pluralistic world. Cultural sensitivities, relational norms, and fears of being disrespectful often hold us back. For example, one mission resource describes how lack of cultural awareness or misunderstanding hospitality norms hindered gospel sharing with immigrant neighbors (Center for Great Commission Studies). Also, research shows many Christians believe faith-talk is only effective with existing relationships (47% vs. 37% in earlier data) and many doubt non-Christians want to hear about Jesus (28%) (Barna Group). When we treat evangelism as a generic program rather than relationally rooted, we miss our “sphere of influence” and risk driving people away.

Encouragement: The gospel incarnates—it meets people in their language, culture, context (John 1:14; Acts 17:22-34). Your “oikos” is already bridged by relationships; use them.

Practice: Celebrate one relational bridge in your life—a friend, coworker, neighbour. Ask yourself: “What cultural, relational, or experiential barrier might exist between us? What can I do to understand or remove that barrier?” Make a small move: listen, learn, serve, ask questions—not to preach but to connect.

5. Saturated Schedules & Under-missioned Lives

Finally, our lives are busy and our schedules are full. Jobs, kids, commitments, church programs, social media—all consume time and attention. When we don’t intentionally weave our faith into our everyday “sphere of influence,” evangelism becomes something we hope to do someday rather than something we live daily. Data from a Barna research study shows spiritual conversations are exceedingly rare; many Christians don’t connect faith and everyday life (Barna Group). When mission is treated as an event rather than a lifestyle, our witness shrinks.

Encouragement: 

The early church framed mission as everyday: worship, but also waiting, witness, community (Acts 1-2). Your context is missional ground.

Practice: 

Choose one 15-minute window this week where you intentionally pause and ask: “Who in my relational sphere (oikos) could I think about, pray for, or engage?” Make a simple gesture: text a non-Christian friend, ask for coffee, invite to lunch, share a meaningful story of God at work in your life.

Conclusion: From Waiting to Witnessing

The time is urgent. The command remains clear: go, make disciples, be witnesses “in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Your everyday sphere—your “oikos” of family, friends, acquaintances—and your wider sphere of influence (neighborhood, workplace, community) are your mission field. But these five common barriers can silence you: fear, lack of clarity, apathy, cultural/relational obstacles, and saturated schedules.

Let this be your encouragement: you are not alone. The Holy Spirit empowers you. Your story matters. Your relationships matter. You don’t need a special programme or perfect words. You simply need faith, obedience, and relational presence. Let’s not wait for the “perfect time” or “big event.” Let’s live missionally now!

Practice:

Ask the Spirit: Who in my “oikos” needs to know the hope I have?  Ask: How can I live in my sphere of influence so that the gospel is visible and accessible? And then act—pray, connect, love, speak. The gospel isn’t optional. It’s urgent. And your witness may be the one that opens the door for someone to meet Christ.

References

Barna Group. (2018, May 15). Sharing faith is increasingly optional to Christians. Barna. https://www.barna.com/research/sharing-faith-is-increasingly-optional-to-christians/

Blankenship, J. (2025, March 25). Why fewer Christians are sharing their faith—and why that has to change. California Southern Baptist Convention.

Burchett, J. (2023, April 7). Overcoming barriers to sharing the gospel with your Muslim neighbors. Centre for Great Commission Studies.

Lee, S. (2016, June 11). Four reasons we don’t share the gospel. Desiring God.

Stapleton, W., & Friesen, D. (2022, November). Overcoming barriers to sharing the gospel. NAB Conference.