In what ways have you found to be successful in evangelism?
Evangelism Ideas?
- Thread starter Roughsoul1991
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On an individual basis, Professor James Tour has my vote. He starts off with heart for the lost that few seem to have. In spite of his amazing intellect, he stick closely to a simple gospel. To him, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the key concept. He has spent anything up to an hour witnessing to all kids of people, but usually people in the scientific world. They can be hard work because they are brainwashed by evolutionary theory.
Jim's approach is to invite unbelievers to contact him, usually by Zoom, if they want to know why he believes in the physical resurrection of Jesus. Rarely does a week go by when no one responds. He follows up (essential in my view) by sending the new believer a Bible and a copy of "Growing in Christ". He also assigns the new believer to someone who will mentor them and establish them in faith.
Street witnessing is another avenue. I'd suggest you look at Ray Comfort's approach, "Living Waters" on youtube. Ray is pretty straightforward, often blunt and often very effective.
Also, just pray for opportunities in whatever circumstance you find yourself. I was able to witness to a middle aged woman in hospital a few weeks ago. I was waiting for my final discharge report to come, so it was a last minute thing.
What really helps is a clear understanding of the gospel ourselves. We should always be ready with an answer for those who want to know why we believe. Ask God for the right words. Remember that the Holy Spirit is right there with you as you speak. And it is essential to speak God's word. Jim Tour always includes Romans 10:9. He also gives his testimony. Many in the science world are intrigued that a renowned scientist is also a born again believer.
As to attitude, don't look down on anyone. I don't care how down and out someone is, but for God's grace that could be any one of us.
I preached the gospel to 10 people at a funeral of a lady who used to attend my Bible meetings years ago.
I wasn't her preacher who did the service. Anyone who was a believer could have done the same. Unfortunately, the sermon didn't lead anyone to Christ.
What God is looking for are Laborers to go out into His fields to reap the harvest. When He provides the means, I plan to keep my home base and travel to all the Bible believing, gospel preaching churches who wants me. I plan to organize soul winning efforts to effectively reach the poor, the widows and fatherless with the message of salvation. Everywhere else, there's plenty of opportunities.
I hope to get someone saved during my hospital visit tomorrow and perhaps over the weekend. I normally would not mention this, because I don't want to lose my reward, but I hope to encourage others who are truly saved and want to share the gospel. Galatians ch. 1 and I Corinthians 15:1,2,3,4
Keep sowing the seed. Someone will water and someone else maybe reap. You may well reap what someone else has sown. It's OK to share what you intend to do. Paul did it all the time. It's not boasting, it's informing. Someone, me for instance, will pray for you. Jesus gets the glory because it is He who saves.
Hello @Roughsoul1991, along with the great advice/recommendations that @Gideon300 posited for us, the following book helped me quite a bit.
by Gregory Koukl
And this is Dr. Koukl's follow-up book to Tactics (that I just bought in Kindle). Click on the books themselves or the links below them to read more about them and/or buy them if you'd care to.
Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity's Toughest Challenges
He also has a number of videos posted on YouTube, and those can be quite helpful too.
God bless you!!
~Deuteronomy
Tactics Study Guide, Updated and Expanded: A Guide to Effectively Discussing Your Christian Convictions Paperback by Gregory Koukl
And this is Dr. Koukl's follow-up book to Tactics (that I just bought in Kindle). Click on the books themselves or the links below them to read more about them and/or buy them if you'd care to.
Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity's Toughest Challenges
He also has a number of videos posted on YouTube, and those can be quite helpful too.
God bless you!!
~Deuteronomy
There's an old saying: People have to know you care before they care about what you know. I've found this to be very effective.
Hello again @Roughsoul1991, whoops, the first link (in Post #6 above) to the Tactics "study guide" is actually to the book itself (which is where I intended the link to take you), so 
On a more personal note about evangelism, one of the things that helped me quite a bit was when I began to consider myself as a planter/waterer (what Greg Koukl refers to as a "gardener"), rather than as a reaper/harvester. I began to understand that evangelism necessarily includes planting seeds and watering them along the way, sometimes for years (it was for me), so even if we aren't there to see someone come all the way to saving faith, we can still consider ourselves "successful" in doing the part that we did .. cf 1 Corinthians 3:6-9.
~Deuteronomy
p.s. - I've posted this quote a couple of times in the past, but since it's one of my very favorites about evangelism/witnessing, I'll do so again here as an encouragement.
On a more personal note about evangelism, one of the things that helped me quite a bit was when I began to consider myself as a planter/waterer (what Greg Koukl refers to as a "gardener"), rather than as a reaper/harvester. I began to understand that evangelism necessarily includes planting seeds and watering them along the way, sometimes for years (it was for me), so even if we aren't there to see someone come all the way to saving faith, we can still consider ourselves "successful" in doing the part that we did .. cf 1 Corinthians 3:6-9.
~Deuteronomy
p.s. - I've posted this quote a couple of times in the past, but since it's one of my very favorites about evangelism/witnessing, I'll do so again here as an encouragement.
Hello again @Roughsoul1991, whoops, the first link (in Post #6 above) to the Tactics "study guide" is actually to the book itself (which is where I intended the link to take you), so
On a more personal note about evangelism, one of the things that helped me quite a bit was when I began to consider myself as a planter/waterer (what Greg Koukl refers to as a "gardener"), rather than as a reaper/harvester. I began to understand that evangelism necessarily includes planting seeds and watering them along the way, sometimes for years (it was for me), so even if we aren't there to see someone come all the way to saving faith, we can still consider ourselves "successful" in doing the part that we did .. cf 1 Corinthians 3:6-9.
~Deuteronomy
p.s. - I've posted this quote a couple of times in the past, but since it's one of my very favorites about evangelism/witnessing, I'll do so again here as an encouragement.
Thank you Deuteronomy, I actually have read the book Tactics but not his other book. You are right, it is a great book and a great reminder that the true focus should be on planting because it is God who waters and once the harvest is ready, the workers are sent out to harvest the fruit of the laborers.
That is what I always admired about great preachers who led revivals, it was always centered on the simple gospel message.
I'm currently organizing a scouting organization who has partnered with a new evangelism ministry. The evangelism ministry is just getting started so I'm looking for evangelism ideas that can incorporate fathers and sons to see faith in action.
Hi roughsoul, since you are specifically looking for opportunities for kids, I'll tell you what our youth group is planning for the Summer:
I'm putting together 2 or 3 bouquets
a week from my garden. I'll ask God to pick a few kids at our regular Wednesday meetings and head down the road to a local shopping center. The kids will pray about who to give the flowers to and what to say when they do. I'm hoping they learn to recognize the Holy Spirits' leading and also get more comfortable talking to people about Jesus.
I've done the flower thing a good bit on my own, and usually the questions the person asks when they receive them are good springboards into deeper conversation. Sometimes they will start crying and tell you what they are going through. Sometimes they even feel convicted and tell you they need to get back to seeking God.
I try to keep it a very positive experience and offer to pray for them, etc. I'm hoping it will be a good fit for our middle schoolers especially, they are very caring kids but sometimes have a hard time expressing that care, especially to strangers. But with this method you usually do more listening than talking.
Prayers are appreciated, I will keep you posted! Boys tend to be drawn more to service projects but I'm hoping they'll want to participate as well.
I'm putting together 2 or 3 bouquets
a week from my garden. I'll ask God to pick a few kids at our regular Wednesday meetings and head down the road to a local shopping center. The kids will pray about who to give the flowers to and what to say when they do. I'm hoping they learn to recognize the Holy Spirits' leading and also get more comfortable talking to people about Jesus.I've done the flower thing a good bit on my own, and usually the questions the person asks when they receive them are good springboards into deeper conversation. Sometimes they will start crying and tell you what they are going through. Sometimes they even feel convicted and tell you they need to get back to seeking God.
I try to keep it a very positive experience and offer to pray for them, etc. I'm hoping it will be a good fit for our middle schoolers especially, they are very caring kids but sometimes have a hard time expressing that care, especially to strangers. But with this method you usually do more listening than talking.
Prayers are appreciated, I will keep you posted! Boys tend to be drawn more to service projects but I'm hoping they'll want to participate as well.
One more thought on kids and service projects.... I have noticed a tendency to sort of hide behind the "doing", not just with the kids but sometimes even the adults. But a word spoken in due time can be very powerful, and the "doing" is ultimately useless if we don't let the person know WHO inspires us to help.
So when I feel that a kid is ready for more but is holding themselves back, I'll tell them they can't go unless they promise to ask the person if they can pray for them after the project. I've seen some legit looks of terror lol but so far they have always followed through and seemed to grow and gain confidence from it.
So when I feel that a kid is ready for more but is holding themselves back, I'll tell them they can't go unless they promise to ask the person if they can pray for them after the project. I've seen some legit looks of terror lol but so far they have always followed through and seemed to grow and gain confidence from it.
Going to gently rebuke you here. You don't know what that sermon did. Just because you don't see a lifted hand or someone at an altar doesn't mean the sermon didn't reach someone.
Mentioning it is ok, it should encourage others to do the same. It's taking the glory that makes you lose your reward.
Jesus Saves, the message has never changed and can be preached any time and any place.
Go where God leads and preach Christ and Him crucified. Don't get discouraged, you never know who you are reaching. And you may not until eternity. The simple Gospel is best.
No worries.
I appreciate the gentle rebuke.
I didn't get into why I said that, so there's no way anyone would know why. I didn't want to be critical, but rather encourage others to witness one on one rather than leave that responsibility to a strange pastor to reach them.
It grieved me to attend funerals which false gospels are proclaimed by the Catholic priest or lost pastor.
They are the most fruitful times when people are facing mortality and eternity. The families and friends deserve to hear that good news of salvation through faith in Christ.
The pastor did a eulogy about his friend and mixed in a few verses:
He did not however proclaim the gospel. This is true of many funerals I've attended. He had time as he asked for anyone who wanted to give a testimony. That's when one of her friends stood up, was invited to the pulpit and a family member said he had to go to the bathroom. Instead of the pastor leading the friend to speak and let the other go about his business, 15-20 minutes of awkward silence went by with no preaching.
The friend was asked to sit down while everyone was silently waiting for the embarrassed man to return.
That time would have been best used to focus on proclaiming the gospel.
The problem is that a lost preacher cannot lead others to Christ, but will instead bring them the uttermost harm, as Jesus said.
15Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
Jesus rebuked the preachers while upon the earth more than any group.
He then gave His disciples the commission to preach good news of His death for our sins, and resurrection on the third day.
Sorry that I didn't make my own point clear. I was witnessing to some who I learned were already saved. I was thinking that if we all shared the gospel to others who attended, the pastor's gospeless message would not be an issue.
Funerals are great places to share Christ as are summer family reunions. If a believer is not ready to do that, they need to connect with someone who is and go along as a silent partner. That way they can learn, pray and get the boldness needed.
This was a very recent illustration that I hope will encourage others to maybe lead someone to Christ for the first time. I think Roughsouls scout group of children can learn how to do likewise and reach out to shut-ins, assisted living/ nursing homes, hospitals and baseball games.
Hi roughsoul, since you are specifically looking for opportunities for kids, I'll tell you what our youth group is planning for the Summer:
I'm putting together 2 or 3 bouquets
I've done the flower thing a good bit on my own, and usually the questions the person asks when they receive them are good springboards into deeper conversation. Sometimes they will start crying and tell you what they are going through. Sometimes they even feel convicted and tell you they need to get back to seeking God.
I try to keep it a very positive experience and offer to pray for them, etc. I'm hoping it will be a good fit for our middle schoolers especially, they are very caring kids but sometimes have a hard time expressing that care, especially to strangers. But with this method you usually do more listening than talking.
Prayers are appreciated, I will keep you posted! Boys tend to be drawn more to service projects but I'm hoping they'll want to participate as well.
Love this idea. My daughter did this once to an elderly woman and it about brought her to tears. I think 10mm wrench sockets would work great on the men's side
joking as it is common that 10mm being most used tends to get lost.