When Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave marching orders to his disciples and to us: “You will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). It’s a call to action to proclaim the saving grace and everlasting love of our God and the forgiveness won through his Son.

That scares me a bit. But that’s also why I’m excited to share this issue with you.

It starts with a reminder of Jesus' calling and the power behind our mission. Read "When Jesus calls."

Continue reading to see examples of how others are reaching out and how God is blessing their witness, including

• a pastor who challenges himself to share Jesus for 30 days in a row with someone outside his congregation in the article "30 days, 30 ways";
• a man who turns a conversation with a stranger in a gas station from horseshoes to Jesus in "Confessions of faith: Tom Leair"; and
• a 20-something who works to connect with her peers and assure them of Jesus’ love in "My Christian life: Boldy sharing God's love."

Eric Roecker, director of WELS Evangelism, then offers some practical tips and encouragement in his "Straight talk: You can evangelize."

It’s okay to be a little scared, but don’t let that stop you from being God’s witness.  

- Julie Wietzke, managing editor