Evangelism

I have always considered myself a Christian but have been lacking for many years in being an active participant of immersing myself in the Church.

In August 2019 I was encouraged to experience a service at my local church The Hub. I can be a little shy and reserved so was a little hesitant but once I stepped through the doors I instantly felt comfortable and felt the love and acceptance of this small but powerful church. The friendly greeting, the blessings that were instantly given, and the feeling that these ordinary but exceptional people legitimately wanted to get to know me.

I have integrated so well into my church community and as such have proceeded to growth track lessons to help me understand the Church / this church and get to understand myself better. In one such lesson I was recently asked to do a blog on Evangelism.

I must sheepishly admit prior to this request I wasn’t clear on what the word Evangelism was, almost feeling like a lacking Christian. Knowledge is power so let me rectify this situation with knowledge.

So the first thing I did was look up the definition of Evangelism. There are several similar definitions but I think “the commitment to or act of publicly preaching (ministry) of the Gospel with the intention of spreading the message and teaching of Jesus Christ” best describes it.

I then did some further research reading articles and watching YouTube videos, and would now like to discuss subjects I feel is important on this topic.

Preaching the word of God, there seems to be misconceptions on a personal level regarding preaching by parishioners.

Statements like:

I don’t have the gift

I wont be able to answer all their questions

I don’t know enough

I am inadequate to share the gospel

However we should realise that:

We are called to be witnesses too.

It's ok to admit that you don’t know the answer but let’s find out together.

We are created to be God dependant

It's not just people in vocational ministry or pastors that can share, in the bible uneducated and common men also spread the word.

Non-Christians can feel that Evangelism is about memorising a formula that you impose on a victim.

This is not true it is about God’s mission to God’s world using God’s people.

So many of us are connected online but lots of people today are lonely or isolated.

Hospitality and Prayer is all that is required to reach and help others.

How can we reach those in need?

Create a space (E.G. your home, church, coffee shop) and invite others into it. Get to know that person / their outlook.

Meeting and engaging with that person on a regular basis.

This allows you to build rapport and with this you can then share the Gospel with others.

Don’t underestimate the power of prayer.

There can be a stigma regarding the Church and preaching to non-Christians, so why not start with neutral topics, ask poignant questions to make someone think about their life. Then expand into conversations around Jesus. That way one can truly accept the word without pre-judgement.

In today's society the power of one can be so powerful, and what God can do through those that are new to the faith can be very effective with spreading the word.

The bible story of the women at the well where Jesus spoke with her personally, then she goes back into town and says come and see the lord, demonstrates this.

Jesus can fix what is broken in your life.

The bible stories are relatable to modern life. Share the Gospel message.

Jesus was a master at investigating who he was talking to, He stimulated, and related the Gospel.

We must take a leaf out of Jesus’ book and pay attention to our audience, what are their cares and concerns and how does it connect to their life stories? Let’s show how the bible relates to our fellow human beings in today's society.

It’s not about preaching so to speak, its about listening, caring, and spreading the love.