WHAT IS EVANGELISM

Evangelism is the act of sharing the Christian gospel, which is the "good news" about Jesus Christ, with the
intention of converting others to Christianity. This can be done through various methods, such as personal
conversations, public preaching, or using media, and is central to the mission of many Christians and churches.
It involves proclaiming that Jesus is the Son of God and that his life, death, and resurrection offer eternal life to
those who believe.

Key aspects of evangelism

The message: The core message is the "gospel," or good news, that Jesus came to reconcile people with God. It
includes a call to repent and believe in Jesus for salvation and eternal life.

The goal: The ultimate goal is to lead people to faith in Jesus, encourage them to accept him, and help them
grow in their relationship with God.

Methods: Evangelism can be practiced in many ways:

Directly: This can include street preaching, door-to-door ministry, public rallies, or radio broadcasts.

Indirectly: This can involve sharing one's personal testimony, engaging in conversations, or using other forms
of media and technology.

Core concepts

Sharing the good news: Evangelism means spreading the "good news" of the gospel, which includes the
message that Jesus is the Son of God who sacrificed himself for humanity's sins to ensure eternal life for those
who believe.

Gospel: The gospel is the message of Jesus Christ's life, death, and resurrection, and the hope it offers for a
restored relationship with God.

Personal reception: A key aspect of evangelism is that the message must be personally received through a
response of repentance and belief in Jesus.

Obedience to God's command: Many Christians see evangelism as an act of obedience to the biblical command
to "go and make disciples of all nations".

Personal conversations: Sharing the gospel in one-on-one or small group settings.

 Preaching: Publicly proclaiming the gospel message.

 Media: Utilizing various forms of media to communicate the message.

 Missionary work: Engaging in evangelistic efforts, both locally and overseas.

6 KEY ASPECTS TO EVANGELISM

We are all called to be witnesses to the good news we have received.

three men talking and laughing outside as the sun is setting

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written:
The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will
be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”

Luke 24: 45-48

Evangelism (spreading of the Christian good news) lies at the heart of the Christian faith, embodying the
commandment of Jesus to go and make disciples of all nations to be his witness. Christian evangelism is not
merely a task to be undertaken by a couple of special people, but a calling to every believer to embody the
transformative power of the gospel message in every aspect of our lives.

For many of us, evangelism is something we think we should do, we might even think it is important, we might
have given it a go, but for many people it can be a struggle and even a bit scary.
One of the gifts Christ gives to the church is evangelists – certain people that just can’t help but proclaim
Christ everywhere they go. Can’t we just let them do the telling others thing?

We are all called to be witnesses to the good news we have received, but this can take on many different forms.
There is no one way that is the “right way”.

There are six key aspects to evangelism: love, social engagement, asking questions, proclaiming Jesus,
grounding in the Bible, and building community. Each of these facets plays a vital role in conveying the
message of salvation and inviting others into a relationship with Christ.

Love

Love lies at the heart of Christian evangelism. It reflects the very character of God, who is love.

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John 4:8

Jesus himself declared that the greatest commandment is to love God and love our neighbours.

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’”

Matthew 22:37-39

Love compels us to demonstrate compassion, empathy and care for all people, regardless of their background
or belief.

Through unconditional love, we reflect the character of Christ and create opportunities for genuine connection
and conversation.

You might have heard that “people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”. We
earn the right to speak into people’s lives because we have loved them in both words and deeds.

Billy Graham said, “It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict, God's job to judge, and my job to love.”

Social engagement

Christians are called to be salt and light in the world, actively participating in their communities and addressing
social injustice.

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer
good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put
it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let
your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:13-16

Demonstrating Christ's love through advocacy and social outreach creates spaces for authentic relationships. It
opens up opportunities to share the gospel message in meaningful ways. In our schools, places of work, places
we play and homes, we witness through our actions.

Asking questions

Invitations and asking questions are both powerful tools in evangelism, as they foster dialogue, understanding
and mutual respect.

Rather than imposing beliefs on others, Christians can have more meaningful conversations by listening
attentively, asking thoughtful questions and seeking to understand the perspectives and experiences of those
they encounter. Questions can provoke reflection, challenge assumptions, and ultimately lead individuals to
explore the truth claims of the gospel for themselves.
At St Barnabas we run courses like Discovery and Alpha, and inviting people to these is a great way to bring
people into a safe environment to ask their own questions. An invitation could be, “At my church, we are doing
this event, would you like to come?” We don’t have to over-explain an invitation or make it weird.

Proclaiming Jesus

At the heart of evangelism is the proclamation of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Christians are called to
boldly declare the good news of salvation through Jesus' death and resurrection.

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must
be saved.

Acts 4:12

This proclamation isn’t just a recitation of facts but a compelling testimony to the transformative power of
Christ's love and forgiveness in one's own life. As ambassadors for Christ, believers bear witness to his saving
grace and invite others to experience the joy of salvation found in him alone.

Grounding in the Bible

A biblically grounded approach to evangelism means that the gospel message remains faithful to Scripture and
relevant to contemporary contexts. The Bible serves as the authoritative source of truth, providing the
foundation for Christian beliefs and practices.

Evangelism rooted in the Word of God is characterised by clarity, coherence and conviction. We want to
articulate the message of salvation in accordance with biblical principles and teachings.

Building community

Finally, evangelism isn’t merely an individual endeavour but a communal undertaking that involves the entire
body of Christ.

We are called to be part of a vibrant, supportive community where faith is nurtured, discipleship is encouraged
and mutual accountability is practised.

Through fellowship, we strengthen one another's faith, bear witness to the transforming power of the gospel
and extend hospitality to those outside the faith, inviting them into the life-giving community of believers.

When our evangelism is practised in love, social engagement, asking questions, proclaiming Jesus, biblical
grounding and community, we can effectively convey the message of salvation – the good news and invite
others into a relationship with Christ.

Each of these facets contributes to a comprehensive strategy for sharing the gospel message with the world.
Let’s do our best to lead others to encounter the life-changing power of Jesus Christ.

4 Types of Evangelism Styles

1. Church-based evangelism

In church-based evangelism, we rely on opportunities to share Jesus through activities at our church and we
carry them out with the help of other church members.

Church events (invitation to church): This style is sometimes called invitational. If your church hosts music,
drama, dance or film events that present the message of the gospel, invite your friends who don’t know Christ
to attend with you. It will certainly be more comfortable for them to go with someone they know. You can ask
for their thoughts after the service and use that conversation as the stepping stone to spiritual conversations.
You can also invite friends and family to life groups, small groups and Bible studies.

Door-to-door evangelism: Often churches meet in a nearby neighborhood to drop off tracts or attach them to
doors, cars or windows. Though not as common these days––at least in the United States––some churches in
smaller towns may knock on doors in that neighborhood, offering to share the gospel. (Be aware that being on
the shy side or an unsafe neighborhood won’t work for this type of evangelism.)
Open-air preaching: Like John the Baptist in Matthew 3, if you opt for open-air evangelism, you’re
purposefully choosing an open area or street corner where people gather to talk about the gospel. Open-air
preaching often offers an opportunity for you to make a passionate appeal for the gospel, but it can be risky if
you encounter hostile opposition or aren’t prepared to defend your position in front of a crowd. Seek the
support of your church before going out to preach.

If you’re a pastor looking for effective strategies for church evangelism, read this post.

Children’s outreach or children’s evangelism

Children’s outreach or evangelism is perhaps the most audience-centric evangelism style, as you’re having to
tailor the gospel message to different age groups. It requires simple, clear language and an interest in
education. Quite often, games and activities will be your main source of evangelistic content.

If you volunteer at vacation Bible school or teach in children’s Sunday school, you’re already taking part in
children’s evangelism. Ease around children and a natural, easy connection with young people is a must.

Parents and homeschoolers are on the front lines of children’s evangelism. Every day with your child is an
opportunity to practice children’s outreach!

2. Relational evangelism

Relational evangelism takes place between you and your friend, family member, or a co-worker you regularly
interact with. It specifically builds on the relationships we have built and the closeness and care we’ve invested
in the people in our lives. It has no time limit and thrives on patience, grace and a genuine interest in friendship
with others.

Personal relationships

I like the way one of our guest writers, Connie Thomson, talks about evangelism through personal relationships
in her blog post, Personal Evangelism: A Comprehensive Guide:

“At its core, personal evangelism is about sharing your Christian faith through personal interactions as you
foster genuine connections with others. Personal evangelism is essentially sharing your faith in Jesus Christ
through one-on-one interactions. Unlike large-scale evangelistic events, personal conversations allow for the
development of deep, meaningful relationships.”

To engage in personal evangelism, you’ll want to build authentic relationships first. They set the stage for
meaningful dialogue. Sharing the gospel in this style is truly about genuine relationships and heartfelt
conversations, not scripted presentations.

This evangelism style looks like sharing personal experiences during which your faith comforted you or led to
transformative moments. Your testimony can serve to illustrate the impact of faith and invite others to explore
their own beliefs about their experiences with faith.

It’s an ideal style with which to share your story and ask questions about how friends and family view faith,
hope and God in order to spark spiritual conversations. Read our blog post on personal evangelism to learn
from Connie’s experiences with personal evangelism.

Missional communities

A missional community is a group of Christians who experience life together with the intent to share Jesus
with others. It’s different from a small group or a life group in that its members don’t gather only to encourage
one another in the faith, but to reach out to those around them who have yet to know Jesus as Savior. You can
dive into the world of missional communities in our blog post called Living Missionally Together: Learning to
Build Missional Communities.
Cross-cultural evangelism

Through cross-cultural evangelism, we have the opportunity to talk about Jesus with people of other cultures
and people who speak a different language than we do. It’s often the foundation of mission trips and
missionary projects. Missionaries who travel overseas or minister to refugees within their home country often
engage in cross-cultural evangelism.

If you lean toward cross-cultural evangelism, you might be interested in assisting with Bible and media
translation, participating in cultural sensitivity training, building relationships with diverse people groups and
spreading the gospel around the world.

Jesus Film Project® is all about cross-cultural evangelism. We exist to help everyone, everywhere, encounter
Jesus in their heart language. Learn more about who we are and our mission to spread the gospel across the
world.

3. Evangelism through service

Meeting physical needs as a means of evangelism is one of my favorite ways to open the door to conversations
about Jesus, because there’s a clear through line between our physical needs and our spiritual need for Jesus.

Providing someone with a meal or needed supplies models the kindness and love of Jesus. It’s an ideal segue
into telling people about the One who cares for them deeply and gave His life for them before they were born.

Evangelism through service can look like:

 Volunteer opportunities

 Local outreach events

 Community service

4. Digital evangelism

For this evangelism style type, you can use the words digital and online interchangeably. The idea behind
digital evangelism is to use the devices in our hands (phones, tablets) and the screens in front of our eyes
(computers) to share the gospel. They are today’s best and most accessible evangelism tools. And every
Christian can use them.

All the information and evangelism content we need is already at our fingertips, which makes distributing the
message of Jesus extremely easy. All we need to do is click or tap “share.” To learn more about digital
evangelism, read Unlocking the Power of Digital Evangelism: 7 Ways You Can Share the Gospel Online.

At Jesus Film Project, we have a “soft spot” for sharing the gospel through film. We think it’s one of the most
powerful ways to talk about Jesus.

Film is a powerful tool for sharing the gospel. Film and video can reach people who are illiterate or who speak
an oral language. Film and video bridge cultural barriers (think of short films with no dialogue, only music). As
visual art forms, film and video can convey the message of God’s love in a profound and moving way.

That’s why Jesus Film Project created the JESUS film in 1979, and it’s why we have hundreds of gospel-
centered short films, short film series and conversation starter videos on our Watch page. Our films, short films
and videos are also available on YouTube.

Apps and websites

In our highly digital world, smartphone apps and website links allow us to instantly share the gospel with those
around us. It’s as easy as emailing a link or tilting your phone screen over to a friend or family member to
share a video about Jesus.

Apps and tools from Cru®, like the GodTools app and Soularium app, offer amazing ways to start and engage
in clear spiritual conversations using your phone. The Jesus Film Project app holds more than 200 films and
short films, with content in more than 2,000 languages.
Have you heard about [Link]? [Link] is a self-service resource and a hub for content about Jesus that
answers the web’s most frequently asked questions about Jesus. People from all around the world and all walks
of life can visit [Link] and explore extensive information about Jesus. When they’re ready to connect with a
real person, someone is standing by to talk.

Social media

You don’t have to download an app or scour the internet to find a simple way to practice digital evangelism.
Using social media to share the gospel is quickly becoming one of the easiest and most common ways to share
the gospel with broader audiences.

If you’re on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or any other major social media platforms, you can start a
conversation about Jesus simply by posting a question or video on your profile or feed. Then be open to
responding to comments and questions as they come in.

How to Approach Evangelism

There are three common approaches to evangelism: apologetic, testimonial and direct.

While the evangelism style you use helps you to align your lifestyle, resources and opportunities to how you
share the gospel, your approach narrows down the language of your evangelism. Your approach will also
determine how you prepare for evangelism.

Apologetic approach

In the apologetic approach, we use logical arguments and both biblical and historical evidence to express and
explain the validity of Christianity as a religion to follow. In essence, your objective is to persuade the person
you’re speaking to that the gospel is both true and trustworthy. You’re proving that Jesus was a real person,
that He is the son of God and the only way to eternal life with God.

When you use the apologetic approach, you are defending what you believe by using persuasive language as
well as facts and artifacts. In Acts 17:16-34, Paul uses the apologetic approach with the people of Athens.

Becoming an apologist for your evangelism style requires some time and dedication. Many Christians who use
apologetics in their evangelism tend to research science, history, culture and other religions in order to be
prepared to compare and defend Christianity against other beliefs and traditions.

It doesn’t hurt to thrive in intellectual conversations and know how to manage a friendly debate.

The NUA: Fresh Perspective short film series is a great example of someone using the apologetic approach to
talk about Jesus. If you’re interested in reaching people through this approach, check out this Cru ministry,
which “exists to cut through cultural confusion so people see Jesus clearly.”

Testimonial approach

The testimonial approach tends to be the easiest for most people because it centers on telling people your story,
or “testimony.” You’re describing your life before and after God, as well as sharing how you came to know
and follow Jesus.

Think of yourself as a storyteller, with the story being your own.

To be clear, the testimonial approach doesn’t stop at the point in your story when you accepted Christ as your
savior. Talking about life after Jesus, about your ups and downs throughout your walk with Christ, will be
meaningful to many people and carries a lot of weight.

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Paul shares his story in Acts 22:3-21.

Our parent ministry, Cru, has plenty of resources to help you approach sharing the gospel using the testimonial
approach. For help crafting your story, use Preparing Your Personal Testimony from Cru’s U.S. Campus
ministry.
 Direct approach

In the direct approach, you can lay out the message of the gospel immediately without attempting to establish a
relationship or sharing your story. You can get straight to the point. In some instances, you may be speaking
with more than one person.

Using this approach involves sharing one or a handful of Bible verses that talk about the gospel (memorized or
saved beforehand) and explaining them if you have the time. You’re not building an argument, but instead
focusing on getting your message across. Paul uses a direct approach in Acts 2:14-41 when he addresses the
crowd that witnessed the miracle of Pentecost.

The direct approach is ideal for conversations with strangers as well as people you know, but especially if they
have outright asked to hear the message of the gospel or if the conversation lends itself to a presentation of the
gospel. Philip explains the gospel to the eunuch in Acts 8:26-40 because the eunuch asks for help in
understanding what he’s reading in the book of Isaiah.

I. Relationship Between Evangelism and Discipleship

Evangelism is proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ to the lost. The “lost” are those people who
do not believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. They are like lost sheep, which a good shepherd
seeks and brings to safety (Matt. 18:12).

The goal of evangelism is to win converts. A convert is one who becomes a believer in Christ; he is
converted from being a non-believer to being a believer.

A disciple is a convert who adheres to the basics of the Christian faith. The word "disciple" means “a
pupil, someone who learns by following.” Such knowledge is more than head knowledge—it is also
“heart-knowledge.” True disciples not only know about Christ, they also follow the teaching of Christ.
In Christian theology, discipleship is the process of training individuals to become mature disciples.
Discipleship is more than just sharing information—it involves developing individuals to love and obey
God.

Evangelism and discipleship are linked together. Evangelism results in converts, and converts are
trained to become disciples. Disciples evangelize to reach more converts, who are trained to become
disciples. So evangelism leads to disciples and disciples evangelize until the Gospel is spread
throughout the world.

Whenever possible, discipleship should follow evangelism. Evangelism results in people being
spiritually reborn (see John 3:3), so new converts are “spiritual babies.” Converts need discipleship in
order to grow to maturity. It is not right to create a physical baby and then abandon it. In the same way,
it is not right to create a spiritual baby and then abandon it.
Converts need to be trained by other Christians.

Consider the relationship of evangelism and discipleship with missions. Christian missions involve
proclaiming the Gospel across cultures. So a missionary spreads the Gospel to a people group or
culture different from his own. Evangelism and discipleship are the processes by which mission work is
accomplished. Evangelism and discipleship also occur within one’s own culture, so not all evangelism
and discipleship falls within the context of missions.

II. Why Evangelize and Make Disciples?

Consider the Biblical basis for evangelism and discipleship.

A. Christ Commanded It.

In each of the four Gospels and in Acts, Jesus commanded his followers to make disciples. The Great
Commission is found in the following Scripture:
 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And
surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV).

15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16Whoever
believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. (Mark
16:15,16 NIV).

46 He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third
day, 47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning
at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:46- 48 NIV).

21 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." 22And with
that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive anyone his sins, they
are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." (John 20:21-23 NIV).

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 9 After he said this, he was
taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. (Acts 1:8,9 NIV).

The importance of the Great Commission is emphasized by its appearance as part of the last instructions of
Christ to his disciples in all four Gospels. And in Acts, the Great Commission is the last words of
Christ prior to his ascension.

B. To Save Sinners.

Christ commands evangelism and discipleship so that sinners may be saved from hell. Hell is a place of
suffering (see Luke 16:19-31). Christ said to fear God, who is able to cast sinners into hell.

4 "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5But
I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw
you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. (Luke 12:4,5 NIV).

Apart from Christ, people are condemned to die and go to hell (see John 3:16-18; Rev. 20:15). Those who
are not saved during their one life here on earth will be eternally separated from God. Scripture says that each
person lives once on earth, and then faces judgment.

27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28so Christ was sacrificed once
to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring
salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:27,28 NIV).

Jesus died on a cross to pay the penalty for sin, so that sinners could be saved from hell. He said that he
came to seek and save the lost (see Luke 19:10). He wants people to have the joy of eternally living with God.
That joy is expressed in the following Scripture.

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will
live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will
wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the
old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:3,4 NIV).

Christ died to save sinners from hell, and he expects his followers to proclaim this Good News and warn of
the danger of hell. If we do not obey the Great Commission, we are responsible for lost souls going to hell.
God held Ezekiel accountable for preaching repentance.

8 When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die,' and you do not speak out to dissuade
him from his ways, that wicked man will die for [a] his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his
blood. 9 But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die
for his sin, but you will have saved yourself. (Ezekiel 33:8,9 NIV).
 [a] Ezekiel 33:8 Or in

Just as Ezekiel was accountable for preaching repentance, God holds his followers accountable for making
disciples. The Apostle Paul recognized this, and said that he was innocent of the blood of all men because he
proclaimed God’s word (see Acts 20:26,27).

When sinners are saved, God is glorified. God is victorious over sin and death. Those who were opposed
to God repent and worship God.

C. To Expand the Kingdom

Christ commanded that his followers evangelize and make disciples in order to expand the Kingdom of God.
At his first advent on earth, he ushered in the Kingdom. When Christ returns, he will establish his rule over
the Kingdom. See “ Kingdom of God” in the training module, “Theology.”

The church is to expand the Kingdom of God in the power of the Holy Spirit. When the church completes
this Commission, Christ will return.

“ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and
then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14 NIV).

As the Kingdom of God expands, God receives the worship from the peoples of all nations. So
expanding the Kingdom gives glory to God (see Rev. 5:9,10,13).

Expanding the Kingdom provides more fulfilling lives for those who receive Christ (see John 10:10).
Christ provides eternal security, love, guidance, and hope. When people receive Christ, they see their lives
transformed. Alcoholics who commit to Christ give up alcohol. Sex addicts who commit to Christ give up
sexual immorality. Greedy people who commit to Christ share their riches with others. Those who are
spiritually poor commit to Christ and find themselves spiritually rich.

III. Who Should Evangelize?

Who has the responsibility for evangelizing? Missionaries? Pastors? Teachers? According to Scripture, all
Christians should evangelize. Jesus gave the Great Commission to his eleven Apostles and a few other
disciples with them. Obviously this small band of followers could not proclaim the Gospel to the ends of
the earth and make disciples of all nations. So the Great Commission is for you and me and all other
believers.

Someone might say, “But isn’t it the job of evangelists to spread the Gospel?” Yes, evangelists are
responsible for spreading the Gospel. They have the gift of evangelism. So they are effective in winning
souls for Christ. But evangelists are not the only ones who should make disciples.
Every Christian who is able to witness is commanded to witness for Christ. Only a small portion of the
church has the gift of evangelism, but every Christian that can think and speak can testify that Christ is
Lord. It is through the witness of the multiplied millions of Christians that the Gospel can be spread quickly
to every people group on earth. Christians serve as a daily witness to their families, friends, and co-
workers.

Every believer is a priest, and a priest leads people to worship God.

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you
may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9
NIV).

We serve as Christ’s ambassadors to non-believers (see 2 Cor. 5:20).

IV. Reward for Evangelizing

 It is human nature to ask, “What reward will I get for evangelizing?” The Apostle Peter asked what would
be his reward for following Christ. Jesus responded:

“ . . . everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother [a] or children or
fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. (Matt. 19:29
NIV).

a. Matthew 19:29 Some manuscripts mother or wife

There is great satisfaction in leading people to Christ. The greatest gift that one can give is to lead a person
to receive eternal life. So the work of evangelism is fulfilling. Also, as Christians travel to various
countries and lead people to Christ, such converts open their homes to the evangelists. So those who have
left homes are welcomed into a hundred times more homes.
Those who have left family are blessed with the love of a hundred families. And those who leave their
home for Christ have an eternal home in heaven.

While there is great reward in leading people to Christ, an evangelist may also experience persecution and
hardship (see John 15:18-21). But for those called to the purposes of God, the Lord brings good out of bad
experiences (see Romans 8:28). The Apostles evangelized and made disciples, so the Jewish leaders had
the Apostles flogged. Then the Jews ordered the Apostles not to speak in the name of Jesus. Consider the
response of the Apostles.

41The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering
disgrace for the Name. 42Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never
stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.
[a] (Acts 5:41,42 NIV)

[a] Acts 5:42 Or Messiah

The Apostles rejoiced in their suffering for Christ! Proclaiming the Gospel is not easy, but there is joy in
such work. Also, converts to the Christian faith experience joy, and sometimes persecution

V. Who are the Prospects

Which people should we share the Gospel with? We must be willing to make disciples of anyone. Jesus
taught his disciples to witness in their hometown, in their country, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
He said, “Make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19). But not all people will be equally responsive to
our witness. So we should focus on sharing the Gospel to those who are most likely to convert to Christ.

Through prayer, we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us to the best prospects for evangelizing. Within our
own culture, we may be led to witness to family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, or other people that we
have some relationship with. We find that certain people respond best to us. An older man may be effective
in speaking with other older men. A young girl may be most effective in speaking with other young girls.
Often, people of our own race may respond better to us than people of other races. We love people of every
age, sex, and race, and we want to fellowship with all people. But we also want to see the church grow as
fast as possible. So we seek out those who respond readily to the Good News. As missionaries to other
people groups, we follow the Spirit and see which people respond to the Gospel. We may then be led to
focus on evangelizing the people group that is most responsive.

Jesus sent disciples to evangelize and told them if the people in a city did not respond favorably that the
disciples should move on to other areas (see Luke 10:10,11). In the same way, if you evangelize in the
proper way, and people in a particular place do not receive Christ as Lord, simply go to another area.

The Apostle Paul gave priority to evangelizing people who had not heard the Gospel (see Romans
15:20-21). We strive to do the same.

VI. Where Should We Evangelize?

As a missionary, where is the Lord leading you to evangelize and make disciples? As you prepare to go to a
mission field, pray repeatedly that the Lord will lead you to the place that you should go. To guide you in
praying, see the website below. The U.S. Center for World Mission provides this website that identifies
 people groups to evangelize.

Operation World at the following website asks for prayer to be directed toward various nations of the world.

For additional ideas regarding places to evangelize, talk with people at a mission-sending agency.

A. Where the Holy Spirit Leads.

The Spirit led the Apostle Paul and his companions to avoid certain places and to go to Macedonia for
mission work (see Acts 16:6-10). The Holy Spirit warned Paul of danger, but compelled him to go as a
witness to Jerusalem (see Acts 20:22-24). The Spirit can also guide you to the right mission fields.

B. Where the People Are.

It is generally better--but not always better--to evangelize in cities and towns rather than in rural areas.
People in the cities and towns carry the Gospel to the country. And people in cities serve as witnesses
when those from rural areas come to cities to transact business. Notice that Jesus sent disciples to
evangelize in towns (see Luke 10:1). Paul went to population centers to evangelize. See “Strategy
of Missions— Go Where God Wants You to Go” in the module “Missiology.”

VII. How to Evangelize

A. The Master Plan.
The overall plan of evangelism is to conduct evangelistic training, pray, rely on the Holy Spirit,
go and witness, and leave the results to God.

1. Leaders Must Train People to Evangelize.

Missionaries and pastors should prompt their congregations to evangelize. Leaders set an
example by evangelizing. Someone wrote, “Evangelism is more caught than taught.” In other
words, disciples catch onto evangelism by going to evangelize with more experienced
witnesses. It is good to learn the basics of evangelism in a classroom, but most evangelistic skill is
learned through practice. When an experienced witness evangelizes together with a less
experienced disciple, the disciple participates in witnessing when he feels comfortable in
doing so. The disciple will learn more with each household visited.

In many places, door-to-door personal evangelism produces many converts. In other places, other
forms of evangelism may be more effective.

Churches that have strong outreach and discipleship programs often are the churches that
grow. If a church has an insufficient number of people to support the work of the church, and to
support the pastor, that church may be weak in evangelism. So the pastor may need to concentrate
on outreach.

2. Pray.

As with all ministry, the work should be preceded by prayer. Pray before going, while
evangelizing, and after evangelizing. The Apostle Paul said that we should put on the whole
armor of God to combat spiritual enemies. A key part of that armor is prayer.

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in
the heavenly realms.

18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in
mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. 19Pray also for me, that
whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the
mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it
 fearlessly, as I should. (Ephesians 6:12,18-20 NIV).

One of the greatest needs in evangelism is willing workers. The harvest is plenty, but the workers
are few. Before Jesus sent out the seventy-two disciples to evangelize, he told them to ask the
Lord of the Harvest to send workers (see Luke 10:2).

3. Rely on the Power of the Holy Spirit.

If we believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we have received the Holy Spirit. So we now
rely on the Spirit to go ahead of us and provide opportunities for us to share the Gospel. We rely
on the Holy Spirit to convict people of their sin, and to lead them to the truth of Jesus Christ (see
John 16:7-11).

One of the ways that the Spirit leads people to Christ is by performing miraculous signs such
as healing. I know of a group of Christians who share Christ among Muslims. According to the
Muslim faith, Jesus was a prophet. The Muslim Scripture--the Qur’an--teaches that Muslims
should study the Gospels in the Bible. The Bible teaches that Jesus miraculously healed many
people. So this group of Christians simply goes to the Muslims and prays in the name of Jesus
that their sick people be healed. When the sick are healed, some of the Muslims believe in Christ.
The Muslims have seen the power of Christ working through the Holy Spirit.

Jesus ministered in power.

37 You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John preached-- 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and
power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of
the devil, because God was with him. (Acts 10:37-38).

The Apostle Paul spread the Gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit.

4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a
demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but
on God's power. (1 Cor. 2:4,5 NIV).

I have seen and heard of people being miraculously healed by the power of the Holy Spirit. But
not all people are physically healed. It is not God’s purpose that people be continually healed so
they live forever in this world. So we pray in the name of Jesus for healing according to the
will of God.

4. Take the Church to the People.

Evangelism generally is not bringing people to the church. Rather, evangelism is taking the
church to the people. Evangelism involves going out and presenting the Gospel, and winning
converts. Once the people are believers, they will want to meet with other Christians of the
church.

5. Leave the Results to God.

We pray and evangelize in the power of the Holy Spirit. We follow evangelism with
discipleship. Then we leave the results to God. We can’t save the lost. We can only present the
Good News, and rely upon God to save sinners.

B. Personal Evangelism

Mass evangelism occurs among large numbers of people, but personal evangelism involves sharing
the Gospel with one person or a small group of people.

When Christians intentionally go out to evangelize, they should go in pairs (see Luke 10:1).
Two men may go together. Two women may go together. Or a husband and wife may go
together. Going in pairs is more secure and effective in evangelizing strangers. Generally, it is not
recommended that a single man and a single woman go together to evangelize. Christians should avoid
even the appearance of impropriety.

In addition to planned evangelism, personal evangelism may occur on a daily basis, as we go about
our routine activities. The Great Commission as given in Matthew 28:19 says, “Go and make
disciples.” But the Greek word translated as “go” implies that we are also to make disciples as we go.
We should pray that God opens our minds for opportunities in witnessing to anyone that we encounter.

In order to evangelize as we go about our daily activities, we need to know how to turn a
conversation toward spiritual things. Following are some examples:

If you are talking with someone on a beautiful day, you might remark, “God certainly provided a
lovely day for us to enjoy, didn’t he?”

If a person complains of their sickness, you may say, “I’m sorry that you are sick, and I want you
to feel better. Jesus has healed many people.”

If a person is worried, you might say, “Most of us worry about things, but I’ve found a way to
relieve my stress. I ask Jesus to remove my anxiety, and he certainly helps me. Could I share
some Scripture that explains this? (Then share Scripture such as Luke 12:22-31).

If the listener seems responsive to spiritual things, you should proceed to share more. It is generally
better to proceed slowly when sharing the Gospel. The evangelist speaks and allows the listener to
respond. Then the evangelist speaks again, in response to what was said. Someone compared
evangelism to feeding pigeons in a city park. A young boy took a loaf of bread and threw the whole
loaf to the pigeons, scaring them so they flew away. Then an old man picked up the loaf of bread, and
asked the young boy to sit together quietly with him on a park bench. The old man proceeded to break
off a few crumbs of bread from the loaf and tossed them out onto the ground. Soon a pigeon flew down
and began to eat the bread. The man tossed a few more crumbs out, and more pigeons came and began
to eat. Within a few minutes the whole flock of pigeons was eating. In the same way, we can offer a
little spiritual truth to a person, and see if that person is interested in receiving more.

The acronym FIRE is a useful tool to remember in opening a conversation and proceeding to
evangelize. FIRE stands for the following terms.

Family. Begin by asking, “Do you have a family?” Most people like to talk about their family—
especially their children and grandchildren. But it is not good to pressure someone if they don’t wish to
talk about a divorce or some other family issue. After talking with them about their family, you
may then briefly talk about your own family.

Interests. Ask, “What do you do when you have free time?” Notice the person’s household or
surroundings. Does the person appear to have a hobby? Talk about what interests the person.
Religion. Ask, “What is your religion?” Or, “Have you thought much about spiritual things?”

Evangelism. If the listener is not a Christian, you may have an opportunity to share the Gospel. You
can judge this by the listener’s responses.

1. Evangelism Explosion.

If you are not sure that a listener is a Christian, you may wish to ask two diagnostic questions. Dr.
James Kennedy offers these questions as part of an evangelistic method known as Evangelism
Explosion. The questions follow.

1. Do you know for sure that you are going to be with God in Heaven? Depending
on how the person answers this question, you may need to ask question 2.

2. If God were to ask you, “Why should I let you into My Heaven?” what would you
say?

These questions and the evangelistic methods that accompany them are available in five
languages. Click on “Do you know?” at the following link:
 The evangelism explosion tract is available online in an easier-to-follow format at:

The two diagnostic questions help you to know whether or not the listener is a professing
Christian with at least a basic understanding of Christian theology. And they give you an
opportunity to share the Gospel.

2. Personal Testimony.

Instead of going directly to Scripture when a listener responds to the two diagnostic questions,
you may sometimes share your personal testimony. If the listener is unsure that he would go to
be with God when he dies, you can say, “May I share how I received assurance that I will go to
heaven when I die?” Generally the listener will allow you to give your testimony. Your testimony
should be organized as follows.

a. What my Life was like before I became a Christian.

b. How I became a Christian.
c. How my life has changed as a result of my trusting Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
d. How you can become a Christian.

In order to be more organized, I recommend that you write out your testimony. Develop a written
testimony that you can present in about three minutes. Also develop a version of your testimony
that you can present in about five or six minutes. If you have a lot to say, you may also want to
develop a longer version of your testimony. The longer version might be useful when you speak
to groups of people who are prepared to listen. Practice giving your testimony to other Christians,
and ask for suggestions to improve your delivery. In evangelism, it is important to communicate
essential information, and avoid boring a listener with irrelevant information. Your written
testimony is primarily for your own use, since you will generally give your testimony orally.
Sometimes, however, it is helpful to have your written testimony available to give to people who
may speak another language. The testimony can be translated in advance into their language.

At the close of your testimony, you may ask the listener if he would like to have the assurance of
eternal life with God. If he says, “Yes,” you can then lead him through the Scriptural plan of
salvation. There are various Scriptures that can be used to present the plan of salvation. The
evangelism explosion tract is referenced above.

3. Four Spiritual Laws.

Another tract is “Four Spiritual Laws,” which is available online in many languages.

Click on the appropriate language to see the complete Four Spiritual Laws tract. Also, click
on “more” to watch the Jesus film. This film tells the story of Jesus in more than 800 languages.
You may want to order one or more copies of the Jesus film prior to going to a mission field.

A summary of the four spiritual laws follows.

1. God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life. (See John 3:16; John 10:10).

2. Man is sinful and separated from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God's
love and plan for his life. (See Romans 3:23; 6:23 ).

3. Jesus Christ is God's only provision for man's sin. Through Him you can know and
experience God's love and plan for your life. (See Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3-6;
John 14:6 ).

4. We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and
experience God's love and plan for our lives. (See John 1:12; Ephesians 2:8,9; John 3:1-
8; Revelation 3:20 ).

The Four Spiritual Laws Tract then explains that receiving Jesus means allowing him to take
charge of one’s life—to allow Jesus to sit on the “throne” governing one’s life, rather than a
person being in charge of their own life.
 If a listener is willing, the evangelist leads the listener to pray to receive Christ. A suggested
prayer from the Four Spiritual Laws tract is:

"Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life
and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal
life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be."

The Four Spiritual Laws show the elements generally presented in various tracts showing the plan
of salvation.

4. Romans Road to Salvation.

Another way to present the plan of salvation is the Romans Road. This tract is available in
various languages at the following website.

A summary of the Romans Road to salvation using Scripture from the New International Version
of the Bible follows.

Romans 3:23. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 6:23. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus
our Lord.

Romans 5:8. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.

Romans 10:9,10,13. 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in
your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart
that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved
...........................................................................................13for, "Everyone who
calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

An easy way to remember the location of these verses of the Romans Road is to memorize the
first reference: Romans 3:23. Double the chapter number 3 and you have Romans 6:23. Then
memorize the reference: Romans 5:8. Double the chapter number and you have Romans 10.
This helps you to remember Romans 10:9,10,13. Know these four Scripture references and you
can use the Bible to lead a person to salvation.

After sharing Romans 10:13 with a listener, ask him if he would like to pray with you to receive
eternal life with Christ. If he agrees, you may choose to allow the listener to repeat a prayer after
you—one sentence or one phrase at a time. Then say the prayer, keeping the sentences short and
simple.

The Romans Road also includes some Scripture showing the results of salvation—having peace
with God and having the security of a believer (see Romans 5:1; 8:1,38,39).

5. The New Birth—John 3.

My favorite way method of leading people to Christ is using Scripture in John 3. This chapter
explains that in order to enter heaven, a person must be born again.

I first get to know a person, following the process outlined by the acronym FIRE. I may share
my testimony. I explain that I have received assurance that when I die, I will go to be with God.
Then I may ask, “Would you like to receive the assurance of eternal life today?” If the person
agrees, I then open my Bible to John 3.

I explain, “It says in John 3 that a religious leader named Nicodemus came to Jesus and said that
because of the miracles that Jesus performed, God must be with him. Jesus replied,

“I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (John 3:3
NIV).
I then paraphrase the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus.

“How can that be?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely a person can’t be physically born a second time.”

Jesus replied, “In order receive eternal life, you must be born of the Spirit. Consider this: you
know that the wind is real, because you can feel it. You can see the leaves on trees move as the
wind blows. But you don’t know where the wind comes from or where it is going. In the same
way, when you receive the Holy Spirit of God, you know that the Spirit is real. (You will
experience his guidance. The Spirit will teach you spiritual truth, opening your mind to truths
taught in the Bible.)

I then read the following verses.

16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, [a] that whoever believes
in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world
to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is
not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has
not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. [b]

[a] John 3:16 Or his only begotten Son

[b] John 3:18 Or God's only begotten Son

“The Scripture teaches that in the beginning, the first man and the first woman had fellowship
with God. The Lord explained that if they disobeyed him, they would lose that fellowship and die.
The first man and woman disobeyed—they sinned—and so they died. Everyone since that time
has inherited the tendency to disobey God. We all sin and we all physically die.”

“We have nothing except our lives to offer God to pay for sin. But God loves us so much that he
sent his only Son to die in our place. Jesus was without sin, so he offered his sinless life as
payment for our sins. Jesus was crucified on a cross 2,000 years ago. On the third day, he arose
from the grave. He is now with God, his Father. If you trust in Jesus, you will receive eternal life
today; so that when you die your spirit will go to be with God. Would you like to receive eternal
life now?”

If the listener agrees, I then say, “I’m going to pray, and I ask that you repeat each sentence after
me.”
“Father God, I have disobeyed you. Forgive my sins. I believe that Jesus died to pay for my sins. I
believe that he was raised from the grave. Give me eternal life today. I now receive Jesus as my
Lord and Savior. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.”

The Bible teaches that in order to be saved, we must be willing to confess Christ before men (see
Matthew 10:32,33). So I like to have the convert confirm that he believes in Christ. I may ask
him this, “If you truly believe the words that you just prayed, shake my hand.” Then the convert
shakes my hand, showing that he believes in Christ. This is a sign—a confession of faith--to
anyone else in our presence that the convert means what he says. And it is a confirmation for the
convert to remember.

I then explain some things to the convert. “When we are born again, we are spiritual babies. God
wants us to grow to maturity in the faith. As we grow, we learn spiritual truth and experience the
joy of knowing God. There are five things that we need to do to grow in faith.”

a. Love God and love your neighbor as you love yourself. These are God’s two greatest
commandments.

b. Study the Bible. Begin by reading the Gospel of John. (I show the convert where to
find the Gospel of John in the Bible. If the convert does not have a Bible, I provide a way
for him to study—by giving him some Scripture or by inviting him to a church. If the
convert does not read, I
explain that the church can teach the Scripture.)

c. Pray daily in the name of Jesus.

 d. Meet together each week with other Christians that teach the Bible.

e. Tell others about salvation in Jesus.

(These five ways of growing in faith are shown in the video presentation of an evangecube
below.)

I then try to follow up with the convert or see that someone from a church quickly follows up
with the convert. It is best if someone visits the convert within a day, or at least within a week.
As explained previously, we don’t leave physical babies alone, and we don’t want to leave
spiritual babies alone. The convert has much to think about. He may have questions regarding the
Scripture that was shared with him. Perhaps some key Scripture was omitted in the presentation.
He needs to be reminded of Scripture assuring him of salvation. In time, as he matures, he will
experience the Holy Spirit guiding and assuring him. In the meantime, he needs help from other
Christians. The convert needs encouragement to meet with other Christians for worship and
study. If he is unable to come to church, someone from the church should go and meet regularly
with him for discipleship.

6. Evangecube.

An evangelistic method using a tool called an evangecube is shown on the website below. I
recommend that you watch the video presentation.

The presentation of an evangecube shows that a Christian matures by:

1. Loving God and one’s neighbor

2. Reading the Bible
3. Praying and listening to God
4. Meet together regularly with other Christians for worship, prayer, Bible study, and
helping each other
5. Evangelizing

An evangecube is a useful tool in presenting the Gospel across cultures and language barriers. It
shows the way to salvation using pictures. It holds peoples’ attention—especially children’s
attention. It is a useful aid in guiding an evangelist in his presentation.

7. Additional Information on Personal Evangelism.

The following website offers online training materials in personal evangelism, and has videos of
witnessing in the USA.

8. Objections to the Gospel.

When presenting the plan of salvation, listeners may raise various objections. Sometimes a
listener is sincerely seeking the truth, and needs an answer.
Sometimes a listener is merely trying to divert the conversation because he is not interested in
knowing Jesus. Often, listeners want to divert us from the plan of salvation because they
don’t want to admit they are sinners and change their lifestyles. We need to be able to address
objections, and return to presenting the Gospel. Having a good knowledge of Scripture and where
to find Scripture in the Bible is the way to answer most objections. It is important to memorize
key Scripture.

Then pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you to answer people’s questions. Speak the truth

in love (see Ephesians 4:15).

Alex Strauch teaches that we are to love those that we witness to. Consider the quotes below from
the following web page.

Evangelist Bob Smith says, “Ninety percent of evangelism is love.” Evangelism involves
loving people, wanting to reach out to them, being friendly and open to them, and serving
them. We must not be argumentative in witnessing—conveying the impression that we have
 all the answers. We must not be obnoxious and proud, dominating every conversation. We
must learn to relax—to simply give people the gospel and let the Holy Spirit unleash its
power. If the Holy Spirit does not work in a person’s heart, all of our arguing is not going to
help. Answer questions the best you can, and if you do not have an answer tell the person to
whom you are speaking that you will try to find it.

Paul says, “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt” (Col. 4:6).
When you know that you’re to be gracious and seasoned with salt, then you don’t get so
frightened and think, “I’ve got to argue them into Heaven. I’ve got to show them I’m right.
I’ve got to show them I’m orthodox and not in one of the cults.” It is an amazing thing when
you seek to be gracious and winsome. You don’t get concerned when the unbeliever argues
and calls you names. You can quietly respond, “I understand your perspective, but I
want you to know my sins have been forgiven. I have a new hope because I know that God’s
new life is in me.

With this attitude of love, let us consider how to answer some objections.

a. Good Works.
Most people feel that they must do good works in order to earn favor with God. Every major religion of
the world except Christianity encourages good works in order to earn one’s way into heaven or to
advance to a higher spiritual state. Christianity is unique. Christianity holds that Christ has already
done the good work. Christ died to save us from the penalty of sin. To be saved, we simply need to
believe in Jesus. When we have such Biblical faith, we repent of our sin (turn away from our sin) and
follow the teaching of Jesus. We are saved by the grace of God through faith in order to do good works.

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift
of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10
NIV)

When a person thinks that his good works will get him into heaven, I say, “God is perfect and he expects
that anyone who enters his Kingdom will be completely without sin. But we are all sinners. None of us
are perfect. Trying to be perfect is like trying to swim across an ocean. All of us fail at some point.
Only Christ lived a perfectly sinless life. By trusting in Christ, we are saved. And as we love Christ, we
then want to do good works.

Christianity is more of a relationship than it is a religion. A religion typically presents a set of rules
to follow in order to be holy. Christianity is about a relationship of faith with God through his Son.
Christ is the unique Son of God. He is always superior to us. But believers are adopted children of God
(see John 1:12; Romans 8:14-16). Christ is our Elder Brother, and we are joint heirs of eternal life with
Christ (see Romans 8:17). We are children of God through faith, so good works do not make us more
of a child or less of a child. I explain it this way, “A child is born to a father. If the child does not
do good deeds, is the child not his child? The child is still his own. If the child does good deeds, is
the child his in some greater way? No, the child is his child without regard to good deeds.” But
if the child loves the father, the child wants to do things pleasing to the father. Christianity is
about a relationship of love between God and his children. When a person believes in Christ, that
person is adopted into the family of God. This adoption is more than a legal adoption. When a child
is adopted into God’s family, the child is born anew—he is spiritually born again.

Even though we can't earn salvation, we must still repent of our sins. We repent by turning away
from a sinful lifestyle. While we are in the body, we always will sin, but we can mature so that we sin
less and less. Three words that summarize coming to Christ are repent, believe, and confess. We repent
of sin, believe in the sacrifice of Christ, and confess that Jesus is Lord.

b. Other Ways to Salvation.

A person may believe in pluralism--saying that there are many religions and many ways to salvation. I
explain that Jesus claimed to be the one way to salvation.

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me” (John 14:6 NIV).
 I explain that Jesus was God in flesh (see John 5:18; 10:30; Col. 1:15- 20; 2:9). No other major
religion has a founder who claimed to be God. If Christ is who he claimed to be, he is Lord and
Christianity is the one way to salvation. If Christ is not who he claimed to be, he is a liar or a lunatic
and Christianity is not the way to salvation. But there is no middle ground; Christianity and other
major world religions disagree so they cannot all lead to salvation. The Christian writer, C. S. Lewis,
made this argument that Christ is Lord, liar, or lunatic.

C. Relationship Evangelism

Relationship Evangelism or Relational Evangelism is sharing the Gospel with people that you
have a relationship with. Often people come to Christ through friends or family. In the United
States, historical data suggests that more than 75 percent of people who come to Christ do so through
the influence of friends or family.
3
The Bible gives examples of relationship evangelism. John the Baptizer introduced two of his disciples
to Jesus, and they in turn each introduced a brother or friend to Jesus (see John 1:35-51).

We can use our knowledge of personal evangelism to witness to friends and family. We should pray
for opportunities to witness. Since we already have a relationship established with friends and family,
at appropriate times we can go directly to sharing our testimony and sharing the plan of salvation. Or
we may be able to go directly to praying together with a friend. The preliminary work of establishing a
relationship has already been done.

Relationship evangelism is effective in reaching people of other faiths who resist other methods of
evangelism. For more information, search the internet for “relationship evangelism.”

D. Evangelistic Sermons.

Preaching is an excellent way to make converts. On the day the church began, the Apostle Peter
preached and 3,000 people became Christians (Acts 2:41). Down through the centuries, preachers have
led countless numbers to become Christians. In the twentieth century, the evangelist Billy Graham led
many thousands to receive Jesus throughout the world. In churches around the globe, pastors today
preach and millions are baptized.

In order to reach converts through preaching, sermons need to be evangelistic. Pastors do not always
preach evangelistic sermons. Evangelism is directed to those who have not come to faith in Christ. So
pastors may choose when to preach evangelistic sermons and when to focus more on discipleship.

An evangelistic sermon is designed to bring people to a decision to receive Christ as Lord and Savior.
So the selection of a Biblical text should be appropriate for evangelism. Many passages in the Gospels
or Acts, for example may inspire people to come to Christ.

Evangelistic sermons should address the concerns of people in a congregation. The evangelist Billy
Graham often presented the world’s problems that are reported in the headlines of newspapers, and
then he presented the Good News that Jesus can solve such problems. Jesus can overcome loneliness,
crime, broken relationships, hopelessness, and any other problem.

An evangelistic sermon closes with an invitation to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. That decision
should be immediate. The Scripture teaches that today is the day of salvation (see 2 Cor. 6:2). One
of Satan’s great deceptions is to make people think that there is no hurry in becoming a Christian. So
people put off the decision to receive Christ and their hearts grow cold as they grow old. Today
may the last time some people have to receive Christ. When they turn away from an invitation, they
may not have the opportunity again. They can die. They may not be open to evangelism in the future.
A preacher should admonish people to consider the brevity of time.

E. Mass Evangelism.

In contrast with personal evangelism, mass evangelism targets many people in open-air meetings or in
other large gatherings. This type of evangelism can be effective if much preparation is made. It may
require substantial funds to secure meeting places and advertising. The website below has a chapter
on mass evangelism. Click on “ Course Download Center,” then choose the course “Leaven Like
 Evangelism.”

Street Preaching —preaching in open-air meetings on a relatively small scale may not require funds
or extensive preparation. This method of preaching is highly effective in some places.

F. Saturation Evangelism.

Saturation evangelism seeks to present the Gospel to every person within an area or country. The
following website suggests various tools for saturation evangelism.

The tools suggested at the above website for saturation evangelism are:

• Radio and Television Broadcasting.

• Bible and Christian Literature Distribution
• Itinerant Evangelists, Special Speakers, and Group Evangelism
• United Campaigns of Personal Evangelism
• Film Evangelism Using the "JESUS" Film
• Leadership Training Available.

Saturation evangelism follows the command to preach to all creation (see Mark 16:15). And it follows
the principle of sowing generously in order to reap generously (see 2 Cor. 9:6).

G. Intentional Evangelism.

Whatever methods of evangelism are used, they must be intentional—that is, we must develop a
plan to evangelize. If personal evangelism is practiced, then it may include a daily pattern of looking
for opportunities to share Jesus. But a church should also set aside special times in which its members
go out to share Christ. Relational evangelism includes intentionally thinking of people that do not
know Christ, and planning ways to share Christ with them. Mass evangelism and saturation
evangelism require much planning.

H. Overcoming Hindrances
1. Fear.

One of the greatest hindrances to evangelism is fear. People are afraid of evangelizing because
they don’t want to be rejected. They don’t want to look foolish. Or in some countries, they may
fear persecution by authorities or by the culture around them.

Scripture teaches Christians to expect some rejection (see John 15:20; Matthew 24:9). What
appears as foolishness to the natural man is wisdom to God (see 1 Cor. 2:14). So we should obey
the Great Commission. As we obey, we become more comfortable in evangelizing.

While in prison, the Apostle Paul asked that the Ephesian church pray for him so that he would
fearlessly proclaim the Gospel (see Ephesians 6:19,20). We should pray that each of us boldly
shares Christ.

2. Other Priorities.

Unless we give priority to evangelism, other priorities will quickly take up our time. There is a
tendency for churches to focus on their own needs and become a social club. Church members
have many needs, and they can easily forget that the world is dying around them. When a local
church forgets about the dying world, the local church dies.

VIII. Discipleship

A disciple is a “learner” or “pupil.”4 The Great Commission teaches us to make disciples. In Christian
theology, the process of making disciples is called “discipleship.” Scripture teaches disciples to become mature.
The Apostle Paul wrote that people within the church should work together to bring disciples to maturity.
Disciples become mature by becoming like Christ.
11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be
pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be
built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature,
attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by
every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead,
speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16From
him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in
love, as each part does its work. (Ephesians 4:11-16 NIV)

It is the job of the whole church to make disciples. Some in the church focus on evangelism, some on teaching,
and some on various other tasks. By working together, church members bring disciples to maturity. And churches
and mission organizations plant new churches, making more disciples.

A. Process of Discipleship.

A church should have a plan for developing disciples. The plan should include the following elements.

1. Evangelism and Immediate Follow-Up.

The church plans and conducts evangelism, and then quickly visits people who pray to receive Christ. Preferably
within a day or at a minimum, within a week, a couple of people visit the new convert. Ideally the person who led
the convert to Christ will be one of the people who go back to visit. The visitors from the church should assure the
convert of his salvation by sharing Scripture (see 1 John 5:13). Visitors should encourage the convert to attend
church meetings, and help the convert to get there.

2. Confession and Baptism.

Soon after a person professes faith in Christ, that person should make a public profession of faith by being
baptized. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are two ordinances of Christ for the church. The convert should also
verbally confess his faith. Confession is an important part of the salvation experience (see Romans 10:9 above ).

3. Developing a Devotional Life.

The convert should be trained to spend “quiet time in prayer” with God daily. Christians should not only pray,
but also listen to God as he guides their thoughts. If the convert can read and has a Bible, the convert should be
taught to study the Bible daily. Christians may start by reading the Book of John, then the other Gospels,
then the rest of the New Testament, and then the Old Testament. Christians should memorize key verses
that have an impact on them as they study and meditate on Scripture.

4. Bringing Converts into a Local Church.

Every Christian should be integrated into the life and work of a local church (see Hebrews 10:25). Disciples
should be encouraged to discover their particular spiritual gifts. Disciples are not to be given responsibilities
greater than their spiritual maturity, but they should be given some work in the church. Either a church uses
disciples or loses them. Each convert should be in a small group that meets for Bible study and fellowship.

5. Disciples Should be Taught to Bear Fruit.

Jesus said, “This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples”
(John 15:8 NIV). There are three types of spiritual fruit: converts, character, and conduct. As soon as
possible, a new convert should be invited to go with a more experienced disciple to learn to evangelize and win
converts (see Romans 1:13). The convert should be encouraged to develop character—the fruit of the spirit
(see Gal. 5:22,23). And the convert is encouraged to conduct himself in a righteous manner (see Romans
6:21,22). 5

6. Transmitting a Vision for a Church Planting Movement.

Each convert should be given a vision for a church planting movement (see the training module “Missiology”).
Converts must learn that one of the objectives of a local church is to reproduce itself.

B. Spiritual Multiplication.

Spiritual multiplication is the Biblical way to make disciples among all peoples. Spiritual multiplication
involves making disciples, and sending them to make other disciples. Spiritual addition is making disciples
without sending them to make other disciples. The following link compares church growth by multiplication
with church growth by addition.

The website above shows that if a church converts and disciples 100 people per day but fails to get the new
disciples to make disciples, it would take 164,000 years to make disciples of the 6 billion people on our
planet. The Great Commission cannot be fulfilled through spiritual addition.

But if an individual converts and makes a disciple each 6 months, and if those disciples convert and train
1 person each 6 months, the entire world would be converted in 16.5 years! Spiritual multiplication is the
process by which disciples reproduce themselves. Like cells in a human body, one becomes two, two
becomes four, four becomes eight, and so on. A small body grows to be a large body.

To fulfill the Great Commission, we need not only to reproduce individual disciples; we also need to
reproduce churches. The training module “Missiology” gives strategies for reproducing churches.

C. Discipleship for Leaders and Followers.

Different levels of training are given to disciples, depending upon their gifts and willingness to learn.
Everyone in the church is important and has an important role in carrying out the work of the church. But
relatively few members of the church are leaders, church planters, and evangelists. More extensive training is
needed for these disciples who will plant and lead new churches.

Paul shared the Gospel with thousands of people, but he took only a few people with him on mission. He
provided extensive training to a few people so that they could plant and lead churches. Timothy was one such
disciple. Paul wrote the letters 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy to train and encourage this disciple.

Jesus taught crowds of people, but he gave extensive training to twelve disciples. Eleven of the Twelve
Disciples then proved faithful and were able to reproduce themselves by making many other disciples.

How can we find church leaders to train? First, we pray intensely. Jesus prayed all night before selecting
twelve disciples to train.

12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to
God. 13When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also
designated apostles. (Luke 6:12,13 NIV)

Dr. Hudson Taylor, founder of China Inland Mission, was asked how he was able to recruit a thousand
missionaries in the late nineteenth century to go to China. Taylor replied, “First, ‘Pray ye the Lord of the Harvest,
that He will send forth laborers into His harvest.’”6“Second, to get laborers, ‘deepen the life of the layperson in
the Scriptures, so they won’t say no to God.’”7

How can we “deepen the life of the layperson in the Scriptures?” Wayland B. Moore, who spent many years
making disciples, writes that the Apostle Paul showed how to make disciples. Read Acts 20:17-38, in which
Paul is talking to the leaders of the Ephesian church. Paul’s work in Ephesus reveals three principles for
training disciples. First, there must be our penetrating presence—our fellowship. We must spend time in the
world of the disciples. We adapt to their environment and culture. Paul spent three years training disciples in
Ephesus. Second, we must have a parent- heart—building a loving relationship with the church family. Paul
was like a father to the church—providing spiritual food and training for its members. Acts 20:17-38 shows the
love between Paul and the church. Third, we must be the pace- setter—modeling the faith. Acts 20:17-38
reveals that Paul was an excellent role model for the church [see also Philippians 4:9]. Disciples observe the
lifestyle of the teacher. Jesus told his disciples, “Follow me” (Matt. 4:19), rather than “Just listen to me.”8
1. Progress. Moore suggests an initial six-month long training in which you meet once weekly with a
disciple. [Of course, some disciples may be with you much more than once weekly.] You check on the
progress of the disciple, and make sure that all assignments are completed. At the close of six months, the
disciple should be ready to train another disciple. Periodically, you then check on the progress of the
two disciples.

2. Principles. You relate Scriptural principles to life, and discuss pre-assigned Bible study and Scripture
memory.

3. Problems. You listen to the disciple, and use Scripture to solve problems.

4. Prayer. You pray together with the disciple, increasing the length of prayers as you know each other
better.

5. Practice. You regularly take the disciple together with you for personal evangelism and other ministry. 9

As we pray for leaders to train, we also observe to see who is willing and able to lead. When we develop cell
groups or house churches, and ask people to help in the church, some people will appear to have gifts in
leading and teaching. We can then ask them to help us with certain tasks, and see how they perform.

We need to see the potential in ordinary people. God often uses people of low rank to accomplish his work
(see 1 Cor. 1:26-29). Jesus chose common people to be his Apostles.

Remember that those who we train one-to-one will be of the same sex as ourselves. We can train people of
the opposite sex in small groups. Typically, people our age or younger will respond best to our training.

In addition to training leaders, we need to make disciples of the rest of the church. Such discipleship may
occur through sermons and through small group Bible studies. Teachers within the church may lead such
small groups. Also, we encourage each member of the church to be involved in the work of the church.
We encourage the members to follow the Holy Spirit in choosing where they can best utilize their gifts in
meeting the goals of the church. Also, we ask people to take certain roles within the church.