How to Share the Gospel Through Your Story of Child Loss
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If you haven’t already listened to or read the previous segments of this series, I recommend starting at the beginning and going in order so you have the full context of what we’re building on.
How to Share the Gospel Through Your Story of Child Loss
When you’ve experienced child loss, conversations about faith can feel fragile. Many parents ask, How do I share hope without being pushy? How do I talk about Jesus with friends who don’t believe? How do I even begin to explain what I believe when my heart is still breaking?
This section is about how to share the gospel through raw, lived experience, not polished answers. Not arguments. Not pressure. Just truth shared with love.
Before we talk about the how, it helps to understand what it is.
At its core, the gospel is the good news that God entered human suffering as Jesus, took on death Himself, and rose again so death would not have the final say over us.
The apostle Paul explains it this way in 1 Corinthians 15:3–8:
Jesus died for our sins and was buried, proving that He really was dead. Then He was raised to life on the third day and was seen by many witnesses, proving that death was truly defeated by God Himself.
In simple terms:
Jesus stepped into our broken world, suffered with us, died for us, and rose again so that loss, grief, and death don’t have to have control of our lives.
That truth is what shapes how to share the gospel after child loss.
Losing a child is one of the hardest experiences a parent can face.
In our In the Valley with Jesus video series, hear from compassionate biblical counselors and therapists who have personally navigated child loss and have dedicated their lives to helping bereaved parents. Click here to learn more.
Start With Who You’re Talking To
Kathy
Segment six is about comforting others and sharing Jesus and hope through your own story.
One of the questions we received was: How do I talk to friends about grief and faith after child loss, especially those who don’t believe? How can I share hope without being pushy or preachy?
Josh, I’d love for you to share how you’ve done this.
Share Jesus by Being Real, Not Polished
Josh
It really depends on who you’re talking to. But loss often opens doors for honest conversations.
For some people, this may be the only opportunity they ever have to hear how Jesus meets someone in deep pain.
For me, the two things God taught me most clearly were His sovereignty and His love. God is in control, and He loves me. Holding those together matters.
When I share, especially in the jail where I do Bible studies, I talk about how those truths held me when everything felt undone.
That’s often how we share our faith with others. Not by explaining theology, but by sharing what held you.
Shared Pain Creates Connection
Josh
When you’ve walked through loss, you connect with people differently. Many people have lost a child, even if they’ve never said it out loud.
So how do you talk about faith?
Be real. Be authentic. Share how Jesus met you in your need.
Sometimes that looks like raw honesty. Other times it’s as simple as saying, “I don’t have answers, but I’m trusting God to carry me.”
You don’t have to tell your whole story right away. Over time, people see that your hope is lived, not rehearsed.
That’s what makes sharing Jesus feel human instead of preachy.
“One Beggar Telling Another Where to Find Bread”
Josh
Even if you haven’t experienced the same loss, you can still share hope.
It’s like one beggar telling another where you found bread.
You’re not saying, “I know exactly what you’re going through.” You’re saying, “This is where I found help.”
That reminds me of 2 Corinthians 1. God comforts us so that we can comfort others. It’s not about identical experiences. It’s about pointing to the same Comforter.
One important note: avoid comparing losses. Saying “I know how you feel” can unintentionally shut someone down.
Authenticity is one of the most important parts of sharing Jesus.
Authentic Faith Isn’t Pretending You’re Fine
Kathy
Sharing faith has to come from a real walk with God.
If you’re still struggling, you can say that. People can sense honesty.
What confuses people is when grief is minimized or covered with spiritual-sounding phrases. That often creates distance instead of hope.
Being real allows others to see that faith doesn’t remove pain, but it does give you Someone to run to inside it.
You Don’t Have to Feel Ready
Kathy
You may not feel ready to share, and that’s okay.
I remember being asked to encourage someone when I myself was barely holding on. That pushed me back to Scripture, not to find answers, but to find steadiness.
I shared what was helping me breathe again. That was enough.
Often, learning how to share Jesus happens while you’re still in the middle, not after everything feels resolved.
Sharing With Those Who Don’t Believe
Kathy
When someone who doesn’t believe has lost a child, you can simply ask, “Can I pray with you?”
The Psalms are especially helpful. They give words to pain without rushing to resolution.
You can say, “This is how I’ve found help, and I deeply care about you.”
Don’t be afraid to share Scripture that has carried you. God’s Word has a way of reaching places our words cannot.
That is how you share Jesus gently: through Truth that has already sustained you.
Showing Love Is Sharing Faith
Josh
When you don’t know what to say, listen first. Sit with them. Grieve with them.
Then pray. Pray Scripture if you don’t know what to say.
You don’t need perfect words. Showing up matters more than saying everything right.
Love Makes Faith Visible
Kathy
Jesus said people would recognize His followers by how they love.
Sometimes sharing faith looks like giving credit to God for practical care. Meals. Friends who listen. Support that shows up without being asked.
It can also look like deep friendships with people who don’t believe, where honesty and respect remain.
That kind of love speaks louder than explanations.
Authentic Relationships Speak Loudly
Josh
At the end of the day, sharing Jesus with others comes down to authentic relationships.
When people see real love, real grief, and real hope lived out, they see Jesus at work.
TLDR: A Gentle Way to Share Jesus Without Forcing It
If you’re wondering how to share Jesus after child loss, I want to leave you with this encouragement: you don’t have to force it, perform it, or tie a bow on your pain.
You can simply be honest.
Part of what has shaped my faith, and the way I talk to others, is this: I can bring my pain to God. I don’t have to clean it up first. I don’t have to pretend I’m okay. I can come to Him with the real questions, the anger, the sadness, and the exhaustion and He can handle it. He meets me there, again and again.
You can say:
“I’m still grieving.”
“I still have hard days.”
“I don’t have all the answers.”
“But I’ve learned I can bring my pain to God, even when it’s messy.”
“And I’ve found that Jesus meets me here, and I’m being held.”
Sometimes the most powerful way to share is not with a perfectly explained message, but with a steady presence. A willingness to listen. A willingness to pray. A love that stays.
And when you’re not sure what to say, you can return to what’s central: Jesus died for our sins, was buried, rose again, and was seen. Death does not have to have the final say.
So ask God for wisdom. Ask for tenderness. Ask for timing. And trust that even small, quiet words offered in love can matter more than you realize.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Kathy Clum
Kathy Clum
Founder of New Mercy Moms
As a mom who has suffered the loss of my son, I know deep heart pain. I tried to run from God, but He convinced me of His love and comforted my heart with hope and healing in Jesus. Now, it is my mission to share this same comfort with other who have experience the pain of child loss. Read my author profile here.
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