Do the Work of an Evangelist

“Do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” [1]

According to the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism, only 10% of our churches are succeeding at leading people to Christ. Ninety percent of American churches are either not growing, or only growing because Christians are leaving other churches to join theirs.

Why isn’t evangelism happening more, or better? Some possible reasons are:

Church membership is about getting my needs met not reaching the lost.
We do not want to share the Gospel for fear we will offend others.
Too many activities... too busy to do the things that really matter.

Evangelism is Christ’s commission to every church and to every believer. Evangelism needs to be a priority. Some suggestions are:

Start with prayer! A simple prayer is, “Lord Jesus, please give me Your heart for lost people.” Pray at stoplights for the people, do the same in grocery store lines, at the bank, and at the post office. Let Jesus cultivate in you a heart that cares to see lost souls saved by Jesus.

Jesus said, “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” [2] And, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” [3]

Be inviters. It’s simple! Invite unchurched friends to church.

First time guests usually decide about whether they will return based on their first few minutes’ experience. If no one greets them, they may decide they’re not welcome. Don’t alienate newcomers from Christ by being cliquish, sloppy, or boorish. Take a look at what happens in the service from the perspective of an outsider.

LINE-UP by:
Looking for newcomers.
Introducing yourself.
Never allowing a newcomer to feel unwelcomed.
Engaging in conversation.
Using time before and after the service to build friendship.
Prioritizing friendship to newcomers. [4]

Come to Church prayed up. Yes, pray for the message. Pray for the worship team. Pray for the Sunday school teachers and learners. But also pray for God’s love to be strong among all the believers. Pray for perfect love that casts out fear. [5]

[1] 2 Timothy 4:5
[2] Luke 19:10
[3] Mark 10:45
[4] Adapted from pastormentor.com
[5] 1 John 4:18