Some Ideas: Practical Ways to Evangelize.
Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Christ Fellowship Bible Church
God commands every Christian to “proclaim the excellencies of Christ.” And this command from the King is a delight to blood-washed slaves! We love to speak of our Lord! We don’t need to be coerced or manipulated or guilted into proclaiming Jesus. True Christians love to speak of their heavenly Lord and Savior. To evangelize, by definition, means to communicate the message of the gospel. So you can't evangelize by just showing Jesus with your good lifestyle. You need to communicate the biblical message of the gospel and call the sinner to respond.
Here are some practical ideas for you to consider in sharing the gospel.
- Hand a gift bag with an enclosed tract to someone who is on the side of the road begging (often, at a stop light at a busy intersection). As you roll down the window to give them the bag, give them a verbal expression of care and compassion with a 30-second gospel explanation with a clear call for them to turn to Jesus in full surrender.
- When a new neighbor moves into the area, go visit them with a plate of cookies together with a gospel tract. Introduce yourself, let them know that you’re here for them if they need anything. Consider sharing where you go to church and that you gave them a welcome note as well that you’d urge them to read and consider.
- As you parent your children, and when they disobey, use that as a God-given opportunity to proclaim the Law and the gospel to your children. Show them their sin with an open Bible by pointing out the text to them, showing their guiltiness before God, and calling them to trust Christ the substitute who died in the stead of ruined sinners. Your children will give you plenty of opportunities to proclaim this gospel as they sin and need parental and loving reproof.
- Write a letter to a relative or family member. Maybe a parent or a child or a sibling or an extended family member is lost and your heart yearns for their salvation. And perhaps a rift exists in your relationship. Prayerfully write a letter expressing your love for them, love for God, love for truth, and love for their soul. Then proceed to convey the gospel by explaining it with Scripture references and a clear call to respond in repentance, submission and faith to Jesus Christ.
- As you go to a store and purchase something (grocery store, Starbucks, hardware store) and someone serves you at the register or at the check-out counter, have a gospel tract on hand and cheerfully and warmly offer them a “Thank You” gospel tract and say: I want to thank you for serving me today. Here is a message that is for you and I give it to you with great compassion because it has changed my life forever!
- We enjoy eating out at restaurants. When your server comes to take your order, then consider saying: “We pray before our meals; how can we pray specifically for you today?” This open-ended question can lead to a great softening of the heart and a window into his (hurting) life. Then, when you’re finished, leave a generous tip (!) together with a gospel tract.
- Everyone has to get gas. When you are filling up your vehicle with gas, consider putting a gospel tract in the credit-card slot in each of the pumps. Then, when you leave the next person will come and pull out the gospel tract and read it.
- Invite someone from your church to go with you to a local high school when classes get out in the afternoon. When the final bell rings, stand on the public sidewalk as the kids are walking home and, with a smile and a warm greeting, offer the kids to know the Truth of the good news of God their maker. See how many will take and receive a gospel tract from you!
- Get some chalk and do “Chalk Evangelism.” Simply on a public sidewalk, chalk out simple phrases of the gospel, Scripture references, Bible verses, and warnings of eternity on the sidewalk. Be sure to compel people to trust Christ and flee to Him for salvation without delay! Many people who walk dogs, run, and walk for exercise will see and read these messages on the sidewalk!
- Have family worship regularly, daily and diligently. As you gather the family to worship God together, as a family unit, you will have many opportunities to speak of God, Christ, sin, man, salvation, the Church, and end-times. Undoubtedly, there may be unbelievers in your midst in family worship: perhaps a young child, or an unconverted teenager, or a friend or a neighbor. Family Worship can be a beautiful and obedient act of worship to Christ as well as a sweet evangelism opportunity as you read and instruct from the Word of God to all who have gathered.
