Barneyisfat

Evangelism should be easy.

Sharing the hope we find in the good news of Christ should be something that naturally happens. It shouldn’t take programs, conferences, pulpit prodding, or a committee. It’s something we already do every day. Evangelism is simply sharing our lives with those around us; praying that at the end of the day our lives point to Christ.

Christians get very frightened when talking about Evangelism. Visions of big-haired women and slick talking preachers dance through our minds. Evangelism becomes cumbersome and difficult when we place programs, training manuals, and rules in place. There is no magical formula for sharing our faith. The Bible never calls us to cajole people to pray the “sinners prayer.” We share a simple call to make disciples for Christ.

Evangelism looks different in every situation. Evangelism for the 70+ crowd might involve hymns and a rip-roaring sermon on sin, death, and hell. Evangelism for the college crowd might be a trip to Shirley’s and a good talk about faith and doubt.

Jesus gave us a commission, not a formula; but here are a few guidelines I’ve picked up over the years and found helpful.

1. Know your crowd – telling a pre-Christian neighbor about your faith will sound different than telling a church-raised college friend. Figure out where your audience stands …
2. Move them one step closer to God – Evangelism isn’t about getting heathens saved, its about encouraging each person you meet to move one step closer to God.
3. Trust is THE factor – yelling John 3:16 at strangers might have worked at some point, but today it fails miserably. Build relationships with friends, co-workers, and neighbors on the foundation of trust. When trusting friends realize where you place your trust they are more likely to want to learn more about your faith.
4. God does the work – We don’t convert people. We don’t save people. We help people understand their need for God. We help explain what God does in our lives.