Friendship Evangelism

• Tweet
• Email

• Tweet
• Email

When you are sharing the Gospel, I would imagine that the last thing to cross your mind is the approach that you are going to use to evangelize. We should certainly trust God to lead us, regardless of the setting.   But there are in fact many approaches to sharing the Gospel.  An evangelistic approach is simply a method used to communicate the Gospel.  Each evangelistic approach should not however change the message of the Gospel.  Many examples of these approaches are found in the Bible.  As time went on, these approaches were given titles perhaps to categorize them into schools of thought, for the purpose of discipleship and training or even to differentiate strategies most effective for reaching the lost in a given setting.   In my personal opinion, some evangelistic approaches are better than others.  Some uniquely fit a calling that a person may have on their life.  Some are only appropriate under certain circumstances.  All require listening to the leading and prompting of the Holy Spirit.  Here are some popular evangelistic approaches.

1.      Personal Evangelism:  Jesus talking to the woman at the well (John 4) and Philip talking the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-40) are biblical examples of personal evangelism.  This approach to evangelism is when one Christian evangelizes to one unbeliever or only a few unbelievers in a conversation.   The unbeliever could very possibly be someone that the Christian knows very vaguely or someone who is completely unknown to the Christian before the evangelistic encounter.  I have used personal evangelism many times in airports, on the subway, at gas stations and other public places where God has placed someone on my path to share the Gospel with.  It’s amazing to see the Holy Spirit at work in this approach.

 2.      Door to Door Evangelism:  Door to door evangelism is an approach where a group of Christians will go from house to house in a neighborhood to share the Gospel and distribute Christian literature such as tracts or books. Jesus often went into other people’s homes during his own ministry (Luke 19:1-10).  I have personally found that door to door evangelism is not equally effective in all types of neighborhoods.  For example, neighborhoods in a higher income bracket seemed more difficult to gain acceptance in.  I’ve found the most success witnessing in neighborhoods that are within a close geographical location for a local church that serves as a reference point as to why you are in a neighborhood.  I’ve also found it most successful as an organized event and with groups of 2-3 people and a mixture of males and females.  Evangelism Explosion International has a great model for door to door evangelism.

 3.      Evangelism by way of a Sermon:   Many churches regularly have a gospel message preached by way of a sermon. Often, this will include an invitation where people are invited to come forward and accept Christ as Lord and Savior.   Church revivals are often used for this purpose.  Billy Graham is probably best known for this approach.  Jesus often preached to crowds of people.  The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5, 6 and 7) is a great example of this.

 4.      Lifestyle Evangelism:  People who support this approach often point to Matthew 5:16 which says, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”  This approach is supported by the premise that people will accept Christ based alone on a Christian’s compassion or acts of kindness.  As a result, the Gospel “never” needs to be verbally articulated because these acts of kindness and compassion are a demonstration of the Gospel.  Proponents of lifestyle evangelism say that it’s harder to live the Gospel than it is to preach the Gospel and as a result, more conversions to Christ occur.  I don’t doubt that for one second that God can’t use a lifestyle only approach with no verbal articulation of the Gospel to lead someone to Christ.  There are some places in the world where the Gospel cannot be openly articulated and good works and conduct is the primary means for sharing the Gospel.  Additionally, perhaps even a kind act of compassion shown to an unbeliever waters a seed planted by someone who has verbally articulated the Gospel or directly leads to God giving the increase.  However, it would not be prudent to assume that all people will always associate good works and acts of kindness with Christianity.  Therefore, a Christian’s good works and conduct should be viewed as an avenue for opportunities to share the Gospel.  Let’s face it. We don’t always exemplify Christ consistently at all times.  If a Christian’s conduct is exceptional and set apart from the world, an unsaved person will ask about the hope that is in them.  At that point a Christian needs to be ready to articulate the Gospel.  1 Peter 3:15(NLT) says, “If you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.”

5.      Creative Evangelism:  Music, drama, dance and film used to present a gospel message.  Many churches use this approach, especially for Christmas and Easter services when many unsaved people are most likely to visit a church.

6.      Gospel Tract Evangelism:  The Gospel message shared in a tract which is a small booklet.  These sometimes feature creative illustrations or are in a story format.  Gospel tracts can be directly given to an unbeliever or left in a public place, like in a restroom or on a restaurant table.  If your church provides tracts, it’s a good idea to have the church address, phone number or email address stamped on or affixed to the tract.  Most Gospel Tracts have a section for this information on the back of the tract.  I believe Gospel tracts are great in conjunction with other evangelistic approaches, like personal evangelism.   It can be a source of information after the Gospel has been shared.  If the unbeliever comes to faith while sharing Christ, the Gospel tract can serve as an affirmation or discipleship tool.  If an unbeliever does not accept Christ, give them a tract if you have one for them to review.

 7.      Web Evangelism:  The Gospel message shared through the internet on a website.  Many church websites specialize in appealing to the unsaved to read the message of the Gospel online.  It’s now pretty much a standard for a church to have the Gospel message strategically placed on their website.  There are online Gospel presentations using text, animation and video.  Follow up and distribution of discipleship materials is often included in online Gospel presentations.

 8.      Open-air Preaching:  Open-air preaching is also referred to as street preaching.  John the Baptist did what we would now call open-air preaching in Matthew chapter 3.  Sometimes, a person will preach in an open area, on a corner or set up a stand to draw crowds. In downtown Baltimore, there’s a place called Lexington Market where you see people preaching the Gospel out in the open to whoever will listen.  What a great example of obedience to God’s call to preach passionately without fear of reprisal.

(The following link was used as a reference point for the approaches listed above:  Approaches to Evangelism)

Friendship/Relational Evangelism

What I’ve discovered is that many of the people that God wants me to share Christ with are people I already know.  This is when the Friendship/Relational Evangelism approach is most effective.  There are many people who have written great books about Friendship/Relational Evangelism.  I believe that Friendship or relational evangelism is twofold.  It is maximizing your already established relationships with unbelievers and it is also seeking and building new friendships with unbelievers to show the genuine love of Christ and ultimately share the Gospel.  It incorporates personal evangelism and lifestyle evangelism, but with a twist because you’re not only letting your light shine, but actively looking and listening to the Holy Spirit to open doors of opportunity to articulate the Gospel to people you know.

We all have our own individual networks that consist of family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and associates.  All of these yield possible opportunities to share the Gospel.

Family – Sometimes, those you share the closest bond with are the ones who seem the hardest to reach with the Gospel. It can be discouraging when your life in Christ is not embraced by unsaved family members.   When I was young in my faith, I pushed many family members away by trying to save them in my own strength.  I learned that it’s crucial to pray and listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Here’s what else I learned.  You must accept that God may only use you to plant or water a seed.  God may also use someone outside of the family to do the same or to even serve as a conduit for giving the increase.  No matter what, keep letting your light shine and make it known that you are available for questions about the Gospel.  God is faithful in answering these prayers.  All of my brothers and sisters are now in Christ.  Acts 16:31 says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

Friends – Jesus set a great example for building friendships.  He was often called a friend of sinners (Luke 7:34, Luke 15:2) by the religious leaders of his day who were critical of him.  We of course know that he engaged these friendships to bring people out of sin.  We all have friendships before and after accepting Christ.  Here is a friendship evangelism recommendation for dealing with both. 

• Friendships Before Christ – Maintaining the friendship you had before accepting Christ and sharing Christ with longtime friends can be very much the same as sharing Christ with family members as listed above.   Praying and listening to God is crucial.
• Friendships After Christ – Observe your associations and surroundings and consider the types of people you surround yourself with.  Do they look just like you?  Are they from the same socioeconomic status as you?  Are they in the same age bracket as you?  Do you avoid non-Christians?  How can we share Christ if we only associate with other Christians?  It’s true that we are creatures of habit and gravitate toward what is familiar and comfortable.  Building friendships can take time or happen very quickly.  Be genuine in your efforts when seeking to build friendships with unbelievers.  Additionally, be very gracious (2 Timothy 2:23-26).  Find some common ground or interests.  Be very prayerful.  Next, inquire about their spiritual beliefs.  You can even share your personal testimony.   Invite them to your church.  Always listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Neighbors – The guidelines for neighbors are pretty much the same as building friendships with unbelievers.  However, your conduct, testimony and maintaining your credibility as a Christian is very important because your neighbors have an up close glimpse into your life, especially if they live next door to you.  Establishing friendships with neighbors is a great opportunity to share the Gospel.  Again, finding common ground or interests is important.  Also, opening up your home can provide great evangelistic opportunities.  Pray for the opportunity to have a neighborhood Bible study for people in your neighborhood who are searching for answers about Christianity.

Co-workers/Associates – Many times, when people at work have me in their office, I look for pictures they may have hanging on the walls or books that they have on their bookshelves.  You can gain a lot of insight just by being observant.  Many times, this can lead into casual conversation that can remove walls and begin the friendship building process. Especially, when you find that you have things in common.  Your conduct, testimony and maintaining your credibility as a Christian is very important because your co-workers have an up close glimpse into your life and work habits.  It is also important to follow and obey your Human Resources rules and regulations about proselytizing and passing out religious literature.  Also, see “Missionary Road – A Witnessing Experience”.  This is an actual account of how God is using me in my work place.

Be a good listener when conversing with friends, family, neighbors, co-workers and associates, through candid conversations in a group or one-on-one setting to help you to be discerning about where people are spiritually by listening for the following clues:

• Statements made about belonging to a different religion.
• Statements that imply a person has a relative viewpoint about salvation.  For example, someone may believe that all religions lead to God or that there is more than one way to be saved.
• Statements made about salvation being based on things other than grace (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Salvation may be placed in good deeds, participation is church ceremonies (like a confirmation or a baptism) or attending church regularly.  A person may also believe they were saved because their parents are saved.
• Unable to determine when faith was placed in Christ alone for Salvation.  For example, someone may say, “I’ve been a Christian all my life” or “I was born and raised Christian”.  The fact is, no one is born saved.  Everyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior should be able to remember the event in which they agreed with God that they were a sinner, repented and placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ.  They may not remember the exact day and hour, but they should remember the event.
• Salvation based on a church, religious group or denomination.

Be prayerful and discerning when opening up dialog to share the Gospel.  If you’re unsure of how to share Christ, see “Explaining God’s Grace” and “A Light in Dark Places“.  You will know when the Holy Spirit is leading you.   Be patient and do not go ahead of God.  You are only responsible for planting and watering seeds by supplying the right information about salvation.  Only God can give the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6).  If a conversion takes, be prepared to remain a part of the discipleship process for a period of time.  Gradually, you must encourage a new believer to be accountable for depending on and seeking Christ on their own and remove dependence on you.   Encourage them to read the Bible and pray regularly.  Invite them to become a part of your church fellowship or assist them in finding a church of their own.  On the other hand, if a conversion does not take place, keep trusting God and keep praying persistently (see “Prayer in Evangelism” for guidelines).

In conclusion, God has provided many opportunities for us to be ministers of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18) and to serve as his ambassadors (Acts 1:8, 2 Corinthians 5:20) with people in our networks.  In Luke 15, Jesus shared parables of The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin and The Lost Son.  In these parables, he talks about great rejoicing when a person who is lost comes to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Our everyday encounters with friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, associates and even strangers are the scenery of the mission field he has placed us in.   How can we not share the greatest news with those who are closest to us?  “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” (Romans 10:14-15).