Effective Evangelism

I would venture to say that most people consider sharing the gospel as the single hardest and scariest things that we do as believers. What if I don’t know what to say? What if they have a question that I cannot answer? What if I look stupid or foolish? Or perhaps you are more of an introvert and the thought of talking to others just feels you with dread.

Through seminary classes and training classes in the local church, I have imbibed quite a few varying ways to share the gospel with others. Quite frankly, much of the resources that are out there make evangelism sound more like business and multi-level marketing strategies for “selling” people on the gospel.

But let’s be honest here. Most of our conversations come around in normal everyday life. They happen in the home, with friends, with co-workers. So how do we effectively have conversations about spiritual matters when the only tools we have been given are the “Romans Road” of salvation?

A few years ago, I ran across Greg Koukl’s organization, Stand to Reason. He provides a large amount of resources to help Christians effectively share their faith in various situations. However, his foundational work is called “Tactics” and in this area, he helps us to know how to easily navigate conversations. We just went through a six week session in our Sunday school class. You can search his name on YouTube and find some of his lectures on how he uses these tactics.

As a brief overview, he has a basic two step approach in most of those free resources. When we find ourselves in conversations with others, we can easily maneuver by asking two basic questions.

1) What do you mean by that?

2) How did you come to that conclusion?

Notice that this basic approach can be used in a conversation with a stranger or with a close friend which is why I have recommended it to others throughout the years.

Question 1: What do you mean by that?

With this question, you are simply gathering information. You are trying to understand what the other person is trying to say to you. Let’s not forget, many people say things because they have heard others say them. So, what does a person mean by “everything is relative?” Do they know what relativity actually is? Or perhaps you are speaking to someone of a different faith – say Buddhism. You don’t have to be well versed in that prior to the conversation. Let them define for you what they believe. Ask questions, try to understand where they are coming from.

Question 2: How did you come to that conclusion?

In other words, make sure that the other person has to explain not only what they believe, but why they believe it. Once again, many people have not thought passed their nose about their opinions on a variety of issues. With this question, you are also making them think through their own worldview.

Sometimes, a conversation seamlessly moves into an opportunity to share the gospel. Other times, a conversation may be shorter and only involve information gathering. Still other times, it may involve simply challenging what a person says they believe and why they believe it. I have come to the realization that not every conversation needs to focus on “closing the deal.”

Other Tips:

1) Be ready to be a great conversationalist.

2) Ask good questions that show you are engaged and listening to the other person.

3) Learn from conversations where you didn’t handle things well. Consider it training for the next similar conversation (either with that person or someone else).

4) Don’t be afraid to say that you need to think about something a little further. This is a great way to end a conversation without feeling like you looked like a goofball.

5) Don’t feel pressured to share every jot and tittle of the gospel in every single conversation. Let it flow naturally. The gospel will come up easily sometimes. Other times it won’t.

6) Trust God. Ultimately, he’s in control of these things, not our perfect presentation. Trust that he will use whatever you have said in that person’s life in the future. Perhaps you simply planted the seed. Someone else will reap the harvest later. And that’s ok!

7) Practice! You’ll never get better at talking to other with intention and purpose if you don’t do it.

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