Evangelism Coach

First time here? Thanks for dropping by. Get our Monthly Newsletter and get a free article on hospitality. Keep your evangelism passion high by subscribing to my Feed.

Servant Evangelism

Steve Sjogren, in Scattering, Watering, and then…Waiting reminds us about how the role of the evangelist:

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit is like the wind – he (not IT – please, never refer to the Holy Spirit as “it” – that is incredibly offensive to him) is not one who can be controlled. We see the effect of wind on the trees when the wind blows, but where it comes from or where it goes, we do not know (John 3).

Lasting conversions are wrought by the power of the Spirit, not by a slick sounding, win-the-argument approach. How many of you have won the argument but lost the battle? Lasting, deep down conversions are very rarely quick.

Don’t fret about the waiting period between scattering your seeds of generosity and what is going to take place once the Holy Spirit begins to shape people’s hearts in a large-scale fashion.

That’s God’s business. You keep on scattering your seeds – ideally with your people living a lifestyle of generosity and kindness. Sooner or later your crops will come in…as Jude writes, “Walk by love.”

Getting into the World

In The Practical to Becoming Worldly & Missional, Heath Watson gives us 10 practical tips on evangelism.  Each item on the list below is explained further at the original article.

1. Build Genuine Relationships
2. Listen
3. It’s Ok to Say I Don’t Know
4. Pray for them
5. Invite them to Church
6. Tomorrow is not promised
7. Know your role in evangelism
8. Seek to Glorify God in your conversation and attitude
9. Meditate on the gospel
10. Review Your conversion Often and Never grow too familiar with it.

Audio Resources from Together for the Gospel:

Heath Watson also gives us links from T4G, free MP3 downloads from this  years conference are already available for all of the sessions. These include the following excellent lectures by some people you may recognize.

(Right click any of the following links and save to your hard drive. )

• Ligon Duncan - Sound Doctrine - Essential to Faithful Pastoral Ministry (MP3)
• Thabiti Anyabwile - Bearing the Image: Identity, Work of Christ, the Church (MP3)
• John MacArthur - The Sinner Neither Able Nor Willing: Doctrine Absolute Inability (MP3)
• Mark Dever - Improving the Gospel: Exercises in Unbiblical Theology (MP3)
• RC Sproul - The Curse Motif of the Atonement (MP3)
• Albert Mohler - Why Do They Hate It So? The Doctrine of Substitution (MP3)
• John Piper - How the Supremacy of Christ Creates Radical Christian Sacrifice (MP3)
• CJ Mahaney - Sustaining a Pastor’s Soul (MP3)

Using Worldview to Share the Gospel

Blogger Glibert Kingsley writes  an article for college students about using worldview to share the gospel.  Ministries like Ravi Zacharias (www.rzim.org)  use this approach.  Nick Pollard’s book on Evangelism Made Slightly Less Difficult uses the same approach (see footnote for my reviews).  Being Fluent in worldview issues will help you compare and contrast the world views and to help you see how a Biblical world view is the best option to making sense of reality.

Evangelism Book Review: Evangelism Made Slightly Less Difficult

Evangelism Book review: Evangelism Made Slightly Less Difficult Part 2

Another Podcast Resource:

Leonard Sweet’s podcast, “Napkin Scribbles.”  Verbal images that can be drawn on a napkin.  I wish it had the video to see the drawing.

Popularity: 22% [?]

Every now and then, I put up a series of links that simply reflect some of the reading that I do.  

• Nathan Eshleman at Presbyterian Thoughts raises a provocative question about how the Church and Illegal Immigrants.  Having personally been involved in the immigrant community, and where my church is unable to send a mission team overseas, this question is personal.  The Church needs to get involved in the just treatment and compassionate care for immigrants.

• Tony Jones reposts a Response to Critics about Emergent Village, by Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt, Spencer Burke, Brian McLaren, Dan Kimball, Andrew Jones, Chris Seay.  Downloadable as a PDF.

• Jason McNutt writes “Hot Dog’s for Jesus.“  This is a great practical idea to serve the neighborhood and build relationship with it.  Servant projects like this can provide a lot of moments for causal conversations about faith that can be part of a person’s journey to faith.

• Eric Jones compiles a list of questions about raising mission minded children.

• Here’s an article about “downsizing” the Sunday service for the sake of mission.  Reduce the time and effort that needs to be put into the Sunday service in order to allow more time for leaders to “rub shoulders” with non-Christians during the week.  (Thanks to Benjamin Sternke).

• Confessing Evangelical writes a great post about evangelism methods and techniques, with a great quote from a speaker he writes about:

“Is your life the sort of life that makes people ask questions about God, and is your conversation the sort of conversation that answers them?”

Have a great weekend!

Popularity: 29% [?]

Saturday, I attended Eric Hoey’s (photo to right, link goes to Eric’s Blog) workshop on Evangelism and Church growth at the Multi-Cultural Church Conference this past weekend in San Antonio. 

Among other things, Eric reminded our group about different styles of evangelism connected with your personality.  The material came from Becoming a Contagious Christian, Bill Hybels and Mark Mittleberg.

Peter’s Confrontational Approach — Acts 2:22-41

If Peter was convinced he was right, there was almost no stopping him. He was direct, he was bold, and he was to the point. 

Many of you know Peter’s in your face approach.  Instead of complying, he defied.  Instead of being quiet, he proclaimed.  He was very direct. 

Eric told of a friend who would walk up to bikers outside a bar and say:

“Hey, How is it going?  Have you read your bible today?”

Paul’s Intellectual Approach — Acts 17:15-34

Paul was a thinker.  He wrote the awesome book of Romans.  He thought through how to present the gospel to Greeks, Jews, Romans, and others in a contextually appropriate way. 

His treatment of the Altar to the Unknown God at Athens is a testimony to one who can present a rational case, and debate philiosophers in a way that they want to know more.

CS Lewis might be a modern day example of this.  I am not.  I have a hard time reading a CS Lewis book beyond the first chapter because it is at such lofty heights that he writes.  Yet I know people who came to faith because of a little book called “Mere Christianity.”

Blind Man’s Testimonial Approach — John 9:1-15,25

This man, born blind, could only speak from his experience.  He confidently declared: “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” That’s hard to argue with, isn’t it? 

Many folk can only talk about the radical change in the life that has happened since they started following Jesus.  They may not have the boldness like Peter, or the intellect to defend the rationality of faith like Paul, but what you have is a testimony of a changed life. 

You may not know all that you believe, but your life has been transformed and it’s worth talking about.

Matthew’s Relational Approach — Luke 5:27-29

Instead of inviting people to church right off the bat, Matthew invited fellow tax collectors and sinners to his home. 

Do you enjoy having people into your home, sharing a meal, and spending time in conversation? Many people will never be reached until someone takes the time to build that kind of closeness with them.

He was allowing himself to get close first and spend time outside of “the church.”

Samaritan Women’s Invitational Approach — John 4

When Jesus encountered this woman, and transformed her life, she ran back to town and started inviting people: Come and See. 

She immediately went to her town and brought her friends to the well to hear Jesus for themselves. This simple invitation resulted in His staying in their town for two days. Many of these men and women became His followers. 

Many people are excited about what God is doing in their church, and in their own life.  Instead of feeling confident about sharing their own faith story, they are eager to invite people to their church to see what God is doing and to hear others proclaiming the news.

Come and see, is a great invitation to give.

Dorcas’ Servant approach — Acts 9.

Gifts of Hospitality, the welcoming of strangers, acts of service to those in need are all viable forms of evangelism.  Its a tangible way of expressing the love of Jesus.

Closing comments

• Mark Mittleburg published a whole chapter excerpt from NavPress. 
• Order Becoming a Contagious Christian, Bill Hybels and Mark Mittleberg, direct from Amazon.

Eric wrapped up his session with a reminder about how to present the gospel simply using various gospel scripts, such as the bridge illustration, the moral ladder, do vs. done.

Let me ask you this?

What style do you see yourself fitting into best?

Popularity: 36% [?]

Looking for an idea to engage your neighborhood? Read about Saturday in the Community at The Blind Beggar. (Photo from the Website).

The last church I was with does something similar at Christmas time. Local churches donate toys that are sold in the local low-income community. Proceeds buy more toys that morning until the funds run out.

At back to school time, there is a similar event with school supplies, and a gathering where the local principal comes and welcomes the new kids.

The story at the blog article at the Blind beggar adds a bible giveaway.

Perhaps additional “stations:”
1. Prayer Station. — a place where people wanting prayer can seek it out. Perhaps that’s a spot to give Bibles away to. People can be invited to fill out a card if they wish further follow up.

2. Church information — a display booth with promotional materials about church programs, contact information, schedule of future events etc.

No matter how its done, an important feature is to repeatedly do it, so that its something the church becomes known for in the neighborhood. No need to be disappointed if there is not an increase in attendance the next day. I’ve observed through experience that it may take a few years before people start trickling in — they’ve learned the church cares.

Let me ask you this:
Does your church regularly host an event that is geared towards serving the neighborhood?

Popularity: 24% [?]

I want to continue on with “Joyfully sharing the good news of the sovereign love of God.”

For this part, we focus on the activity: Sharing.

As I travel and speak, I discover many different definitions of sharing. What comes first to my mind is conversation. For others, what comes first is deeds.

Conversation:
In most every occasion, our faith needs described as well as defended.

We share the content of our faith. Jesus died for sins, paid the price for sins, etc. We explain how we are separated from God by sin and that Jesus was God’s provision for solving that. We explain how God calls us to repentance, to faith in Christ, etc. All of this is explained in the course of conversations, sermons, books, events, etc. We share through a variety of means words, images, sermons, printed materials, etc. There is content to communicate. Many evangelism books and tracts focus on this.

I’ve written on about scripts that people use and various models of evangelism. These focus on content

Deeds:
For other people, what comes to mind is actions. A famous quote attributed to St. Francis of Assisi is “Preach the gospel everywhere. If necessary, use words.”

For example, during a health outreach our church did for its neighborhood, one unchurched person commented, “I don’t like to listen to sermons, today I saw one.” Our service to the community was interpreted as we wanted – a tangible demonstration of the love of Christ that we have for our neighborhood. It’s a witness to the world thru actions. Yet that interpretation came about because we gathered all the volunteers at the beginning and I explained to them why we as a church are doing this outreach. We are serving because God first loved us and we want to demonstrate that to the community.

In our committee discussion last week, we got into a debate over whether sending church teams to build a Habitat house, or taking our week’s turn for providing overnight housing for the town’s homeless ministry was evangelism.

Servant evangelism focuses on actions. Many churches have social outreach programs to their local areas, but often, many find that doesn’t increase significantly to church attendance or new members. I’ve written more on Eli Dorman’s InviteOne Blog about this (see the comments).

My take:
When it comes to action based activity, I want to be clear – I’m not convinced it’s evangelism in and of itself. It is good works that demonstrate our faith. Without any overt explanation that our actions are propelled by God’s love for whom we are serving, what makes our good deeds any different than what a social service agency provides, or what good corporate citizens provide? I’ve written more about this in a prior post. Actions can be a good support or point of contact for evangelistic conversations.

Either/Or?
It’s not an either/or proposition for me. Both are necessary forms of sharing. Deeds are love demonstrated, but a further explanation of the gospel is necessary.

Giving food to the hungry, tutoring underprivileged kids, providing free medical care are all good deeds. They demonstrate love. But beyond the demonstration comes explanation. It is my view that many churches that only serve are not growing because there is often no conversational explanation of the gospel to go along with the service.

Let me ask you this?
How do you see deeds in relationship to evangelism?

For more in our series “What is evangelism?”
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

More definitions 1
More definitions 2

Popularity: 36% [?]