Evangelism is Personal
An evangelism related blog I was reading recently included the following illustration. An expert on evangelism and outreach was visiting a local church. In the meeting one of the members asked him what the church could do to reach out to the growing immigrant population at their local school. To this, the resource person responded, "what are you doing to reach out to them?"
Churches do have an important role in evangelism. They can do publicity and marketing campaigns such as putting up banners at local school fields and gyms, having billboards, church signs, conducting mass mailings, and maintaining a user-friendly and visitor-friendly website, etc. The local church also has other important roles in evangelism. One of the most important of which is to equip and motivate its members for mission. This includes forming and training disciples. The church's educational programs should encourage and enable members to think more deeply about their faith. The church can do actual training for evangelism, giving members the practical skills necessary to share their faith and interact with others on matters of life and faith. The church also can generate a culture, climate, and vision for its members to be in the business of evangelism. This generates the motivation to go along with the equipping for evangelism.
At heart, though, I believe evangelism is personal. It is one person taking interest in and getting to know another person, with a view to extending an invitation to the life that Jesus offers. The more genuine and authentic this is the more effective it is. Walking up to a total stranger and asking that person if he or she knows Jesus probably isn't a particularly effective form of evangelism. Though some religious groups are well-known for sending their missionaries door to door with tracts and brochures, I wouldn't recommend that we do that. However, taking genuine interest in another person and opening doors for conversations about life and faith is a great form of evangelism. The early Jesuit missionaries to North America in the 1500-1600's can be a helpful guide for us. They came in and lived among the native tribes for long periods of time, developing relationships with them and introducing the Gospel in the context of these relationships and cultures. At a time when most Christian mission work (both Protestant and Catholic) with Native Americans amounted to teaching them to live, dress, and speak like Europeans and as part of that to worship like them, the Jesuits' tenacity and patience are inspirational. The best evangelism takes place in the context of relationship.
Given that evangelism is personal and must be authentic, there are any number of ways that this can take place. It can be as simple asking your server at a restaurant if there is anything about which you could pray. Some employers allow Bible studies on site, so invite a co-worker to join you. One can take a passive approach as well. This could simply be to work on a Sunday School lesson, sermon, Bible study, etc. in a coffee shop. Because you are doing it in a public arena, you are implicitly inviting someone to ask about what you're doing and creating the natural setting for a conversation about faith. I referred to religious groups that send their missionaries door to door earlier. I know that our basic tendency is to say "no thank you" as quickly as possible, but perhaps this is an opportunity for evangelism. In reality, they are creating the opportunity for a conversation about faith, so take them up on it.! The next time Jehovah's Witnesses come to your door, show hospitality by getting them a class of cold water, then sit on the front porch and talk about Jesus with them.
In the previous post I mentioned three assumptions: that in Jesus God was doing something truly unique, that we are deeply indebted to God and thankful to Him for everything, and that the life of faith is the most meaningful life there is. If these three are true, then let's act on them to invite others into this most meaningful of lives.
Churches do have an important role in evangelism. They can do publicity and marketing campaigns such as putting up banners at local school fields and gyms, having billboards, church signs, conducting mass mailings, and maintaining a user-friendly and visitor-friendly website, etc. The local church also has other important roles in evangelism. One of the most important of which is to equip and motivate its members for mission. This includes forming and training disciples. The church's educational programs should encourage and enable members to think more deeply about their faith. The church can do actual training for evangelism, giving members the practical skills necessary to share their faith and interact with others on matters of life and faith. The church also can generate a culture, climate, and vision for its members to be in the business of evangelism. This generates the motivation to go along with the equipping for evangelism.
At heart, though, I believe evangelism is personal. It is one person taking interest in and getting to know another person, with a view to extending an invitation to the life that Jesus offers. The more genuine and authentic this is the more effective it is. Walking up to a total stranger and asking that person if he or she knows Jesus probably isn't a particularly effective form of evangelism. Though some religious groups are well-known for sending their missionaries door to door with tracts and brochures, I wouldn't recommend that we do that. However, taking genuine interest in another person and opening doors for conversations about life and faith is a great form of evangelism. The early Jesuit missionaries to North America in the 1500-1600's can be a helpful guide for us. They came in and lived among the native tribes for long periods of time, developing relationships with them and introducing the Gospel in the context of these relationships and cultures. At a time when most Christian mission work (both Protestant and Catholic) with Native Americans amounted to teaching them to live, dress, and speak like Europeans and as part of that to worship like them, the Jesuits' tenacity and patience are inspirational. The best evangelism takes place in the context of relationship.
Given that evangelism is personal and must be authentic, there are any number of ways that this can take place. It can be as simple asking your server at a restaurant if there is anything about which you could pray. Some employers allow Bible studies on site, so invite a co-worker to join you. One can take a passive approach as well. This could simply be to work on a Sunday School lesson, sermon, Bible study, etc. in a coffee shop. Because you are doing it in a public arena, you are implicitly inviting someone to ask about what you're doing and creating the natural setting for a conversation about faith. I referred to religious groups that send their missionaries door to door earlier. I know that our basic tendency is to say "no thank you" as quickly as possible, but perhaps this is an opportunity for evangelism. In reality, they are creating the opportunity for a conversation about faith, so take them up on it.! The next time Jehovah's Witnesses come to your door, show hospitality by getting them a class of cold water, then sit on the front porch and talk about Jesus with them.
In the previous post I mentioned three assumptions: that in Jesus God was doing something truly unique, that we are deeply indebted to God and thankful to Him for everything, and that the life of faith is the most meaningful life there is. If these three are true, then let's act on them to invite others into this most meaningful of lives.
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