Menu

Way of the Master Week 1: The Firefighter


Firefighter faces a burning house and Ten Commandments; Way of the Master Week 1 – The Firefighter.Way of the Master Week 1 – The Firefighter: Learning to share the Gospel with courage and clarity.

By Brad St. Clair, Evangelism Coach

2005 Archive: Launching the Foundation Course at Tri-Lakes Church

In August 2005, we kicked off Way of the Master Week 1 in Branson, unaware that this single night would shape years of evangelism ahead (spoiler: God showed up).

Over a hundred people gathered that night at Tri Lakes Church, filling the room with a nervous energy to learn how to share their faith.

More than a class—the Great Commission jumped off the page and into the lobby, saying, “I’m your responsibility now,” and the room felt it.

August 10, 2005: A Crowd Ready to Learn

The Branson air felt a little more vibrant tonight as a crowd of over a hundred packed into Tri Lakes Church, eager to finally dive into the Way of the Master course.

Our pastor, Pastor Mark Shorey, really has a heart for soul winning. He is excited about this training and is ready to take it to the streets of Branson, MO!

Recommendation card for Brad St. Clair from Pastor Mark Shorey regarding Way of the Master ministry training.

Preparation and Attendance: Building a Gospel Outpost

Before the 6:00 p.m. crowd rolled in, we turned a simple table into a mini gospel outpost.

Books, DVDs, and gospel tracts were spread everywhere—it felt like a candy store for anyone eager to share the Gospel, except every piece came with eternal purpose.

We were also selling the Study Guide to follow along with the lessons.

We sold all but 3 of our study guides (the church ordered 80, which we were asking only one per couple to be sure we had enough). It looks as if we'll be ordering more of them.

Tonight we had approximately 105 people attending the class. The church is located in Branson, so there are many visitors.

The visitors are taking the Study Guides back to where they live and are interested in getting it started in their church or at least attend the foundation training course.

The Class Begins: Conviction from an Unexpected Source

Brad St. Clair preparing for the introductory session of the evangelism training.Getting equipped and ready to lead the first night of the course.

They wired me up with a wireless microphone and we were set.

We sang songs, the pastor made announcements and asked people to buy their study guides if they haven't gotten one yet. At roughly 6:30 p.m., it was time to begin.

I introduced my wife, Leann, and myself, gave a short bio on Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron and their websites, as well as mentioning "The Great News Network" (GNN).

Then I read a "Letter from an Atheist" that he (the atheist) had recently posted on his Xanga site (Xanga was a popular social site back then). 

There are a few of us GNN Seed Sowers that have been posting to his topic of Christianity.

The room went quiet—the kind of quiet where no one rushes to speak because the call to witness had just settled in.

The atheist mentioned how Christians should be extremely concerned about the fate of the unsaved. He said if Christians truly believe what the Bible says will happen to the unsaved, they should be sharing the gospel with the lost. 

This really brought conviction on the believers during the training. If an atheist thought this passionately about this, and the followers of Jesus don't, there is a problem.  


The Firefighter Video: Discussing our Obligation to Witness

We then began the video for Way of the Master Week 1, titled 'The Firefighter.'

We have Wednesday night service out in the concession stand area, because we eat right before the service (not too bad!). 

A unified assembly of over a hundred believers gathered for outreach training.The "concession stand" lobby was packed with over a hundred outreach laborers.

After watching the video, we discussed the questions in the study guide. This allowed us to talk a little about what we just learned during the video.

Like any first time class, the answers started out a little slow, but it picked up during the question and answer session. The class ended at approximately 7:30 p.m.

This lesson discusses the Christian's obligation to witness to anyone that is unsaved.

It also shows how it is the responsibility of the church to seek and to save the lost, not just be a gathering place for other activities. It was very moving.

I am normally a shy person when I don't know someone, but I thank God for giving me peace and courage for this class. We will be having 7 more classes during this course.

Post-Class Ministry: Moving from the Pews to the Streets

After class, we were passing out the "Letter From an Unsaved Friend" and the Million Dollar Bill gospel tract from Living Waters.

Many people talked to us after the Way of the Master Week 1 session, saying they felt this was going to be a very life-changing course.

Some wanted the Xanga website address to the atheist that wrote the letter I read.

Others wanted us to have available for them to purchase the gospel tracts that we had on the table. We will be ordering some of these to sell during the foundation course.

During the class, I mentioned that my e-mail address and phone number were stamped into the study guide book, and that people can contact me if they are interested in going out into Branson to street witness.

Pastor got up at the end of the class and said that after some of the training, we will not be waiting for people to call us.

We will instead be setting a time to meet and we will be going out to witness in Branson, so come on. Praise God.

There is a young man at church that goes on missions trips. He is headed for the Netherlands for a 10-day missions trip.

He really liked the class tonight and wanted to know if he could borrow the DVDs and watch them before he leaves...next week.

We loaned him one set of the foundation course. Praise God again!!

Please keep us in your prayers.

Brad St. Clair headshot

Brad St. Clair is an evangelist and evangelism coach, and the founder of YouEvangelized — formerly Repent and Turn Ministries — with 22 years of hands-on ministry experience. He's an independent ordained minister with an Associate of Ministry Degree and a Diploma of Biblical Studies. Brad has trained hundreds of believers, led public-outreach sessions, and open-air preached to crowds. His ministry is documented at YouEvangelized. When he's not training others, Brad often turns motorcycle rides into opportunities for prayer and gospel conversations.


Main Takeaway and Call to Action: Your Turn

Main Takeaway:
Even in a room full of believers, nervous and unsure, God can turn ordinary moments into life-changing opportunities to share the Gospel.

I learned that faithfulness matters more than confidence, and that God equips even the shyest among us to speak up.

Call to Action:

This week, step into your own “lobby table” moment—start one simple faith conversation, whether it’s a question, a kind word, or a shared verse.

Don’t overthink it; just take the step and watch how God quietly works through your obedience. One small conversation could plant a seed that changes a life.

Back to Top


Ready to turn this training into action? Join our faithful circle of outreach laborers today and receive the twice-monthly "The YouEvangelized Report". 

The YouEvangelized Report
Just fill in the fields marked with a * — everything else is optional - AND check the box for the Newsletter.
 
 

Common Questions in Way of the Master Week 1: The Firefighter

Evangelism Q&A with Coach Brad

What is the "Firefighter" story in Way of the Master about?

It's made to show you an uncomfortable fact, but it's not a real event. It shows a firefighter who neglects his duty, and because of that people die who could've been saved.

The lesson is uncomfortable on purpose: it's saying if we know the truth about eternity and stay quiet, that's not just being neutral. It's neglect of duty. Nobody enjoys that comparison.

It's the one that got the whole room quiet the night we watched it. 

Am I really responsible if I don't share the gospel with someone?

Short answer: you're responsible to warn them by being a witness for Christ and sharing the gospel. You are not responsible for saving them. That's God's part, not yours.

It's the same principle as Ezekiel being told to sound the alarm — if he warns people and they ignore it, that's on them. If he stays silent, that's on him.

You don't have to close the deal and have them say a prayer and be saved. You just have to open your mouth. (Reference is Ezekiel 3:17-19 & Ezekiel 33:1-9)

What actually happens in Way of the Master Week 1?

We watched a short video called "The Firefighter," then we broke into small groups to talk through what we just saw. That's it. No pop quiz, no pressure to perform.

Just a conversation between ourselves about why staying silent about the Gospel is a bigger deal than we tend to treat it. It's not something we think about everyday. It's good that this episode discusses this.

It forces us to focus on our responsibility to do something for Christ. 

I'm a shy, quiet person — can I really learn to share my faith?

Yes you can!! I am too. I was that way teaching the class and when I'm out witnessing.

I'm naturally shy around people I don't know, and God still gave me the peace to stand up and teach that first class. You don't need a personality transplant. You need a willingness to show up nervous anyway.

I laugh when I think of God and his sense of humor, convicting those of us who are shy around others to then step up and start a witnessing conversation with someone. 

How do I get over my fear of talking to people about Jesus?

I'll be honest with you... you don't truly ever get over all your fear when talking to people about Jesus. I've been a witness for Christ for decades, and I'm still nervous when I walk up to someone.

But that nervousness - or fear - can work in your favor. You don't wait until the fear leaves. You go ahead and speak while it's still there. There's nothing wrong with feeling fear and being obedient at the same time.

Use the fear to make you rely on God and let the Holy Spirit lead you in talking with someone. 

I've done it plenty of times. The gospel tract still went out with my hands shaking. Turns out God doesn't need steady hands, just willing ones. Just let God use you. 

Is this Way of the Master training still happening today?

This particular class was back in 2005 at Tri-Lakes Church in Branson, Missouri — it's an archived report, not a live class you can join.

But the evangelism material and the approach still hold up. If you want to walk through it yourself, you can follow the series week by week right here on the site. See below to click on the entire 8-week course. 

Next Up: God's Wonderful Plan for Your Life — Week 2 →

Walk through the full training—from the first 'hello' to the boldest street encounter. Follow our journey week by week:

Week 1 — Week 2 — Week 3 — Week 4 
Week 5 — Week 6 — Week 7 — Week 8