Finding people and bringing them to Christ we call it evangelism, the very word
scares people. Why? Because they think of an evangelist pacing back and forth on
the platform with his Bible open expounding on the word of God so eloquently, or
knocking on strangers doors, giving Bible studies and they think; I could never do
that.
These are great avenues of outreach but there are simple ways and means to do
outreach.
What do we fear?
• What will my friends think?
• Will I offend them?
• Will I come across as obnoxious?
• Will they reject me?
• Will I get it wrong?
What if evangelism
• Wasn’t awkward?
• Didn’t take a whole lot of guts?
• Was as normal as breathing?
Why share:
For God’s sake: 2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some
men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentance.
For others sake: Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is
eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
For our sake: woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
“It is in working to spread the good news of salvation that we are brought near to the
Savior.” MH 102
(1)
“God could have reached His object in saving sinners without our aid; but in order for
us to develop a character like Christ’s, we must share in His work.” DA 142
“The very life of the church depends upon her faithfulness in fulfilling the Lord’s
commission. To neglect this work is surely to invite spiritual feebleness and decay.
Where there is not active labor for others, love wanes, and faith grows dim.”
DA 825
Witnessing is not an event it is a lifestyle! Wherever we go what ever we are doing
we are a witness whether working out at 24 Hour Fitness or pumping gas.
There are a variety ways to witness all our necessary. There are eight personal
styles of evangelism.
CULTIVATE
 Intercession
 Friendship
 Service
SOW
 Testimony
 Invitation
 Conversation
REAP
 Proclamation
PRESERVING
 Small Groups
 Hospitality
 Spiritual Friends
Which style best fits you?
Intercession
Praying for the salvation of friends, family, and work associates. Praying prepares
both hearts for the witnessing encounter. Mark 1:35, I Tim. 2:1,4
Friendship
Uses natural friendships as an avenue to communicate the gospel in a low-key, nonthreatening way.
He (Jesus) accepted their invitations, attended their feast, made Himself familiar
with their interests and occupations, that He might gain access to their hearts, and
reveal to them the imperishable riches.” MH 24 & 25
(2)
How to build relational bridges:
 Initiate contact
 Discover interests, concerns, needs
 Respond appropriately
Ideas: Take strolls through neighborhood, greet and treat new comers, host part,
join work associates for lunch, volunteer in community, civic clubs, softball league,
joint choir, community events.
Not everyone is going to be on the same level to receive the gospel. Some are
agnostic and will be closed to hearing the gospel but through nudge of kindness they
might progress a little further in their journey.
Service
Meeting real needs in practical ways – opens hearts to God’s love. “And let our
people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be
unfruitful.” Titus 3:14 NKJV
Examples:
* Dorcas The Bible says, “This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds
which she did.” Acts 9:36
When she died there were many who felt the loss.
Servant Evangelism – How to reach people who do not want a Bible study
Start out by asking the following questions to yourself. Who can I touch today? How
can I show someone kindness? When these questions come naturally to our hearts
true satisfaction and contentment follows.
Every small group or church needs to have some form of evangelism going on in
order to maintain health. The Goal could be one outreach activity every other
month. If we want to be relevant in our communities we must be practically
involved in the lives of people who have real problems.
1. Oil Changes for Single Parents Sunday
Involve mechanically inclined group members on Sunday Morning providing
an oil change, a new oil filter and topping off of windshield washer fluid. You
will need to know the make and model of the car in advance in order to
purchase the correct oil filters.
Caution: You will be asked to do more repairs on cars than the oil change.
Just say, “Maybe someday we’ll be doing more, but not today.” Then smile
and change the oil of the next care in line.
(3)
What you will need:
 Scooters for getting under cars
 Oil pans
 Waste oil container
 Motor oil
 Oil filter wrench
 Connection cards
Taylor Mill
Seventh-day Adventist Church
We meet Saturdays
At 11:00 a.m.
5235 Taylor Mill Rd
Taylor Mill, KY 41015
859-431-1900
Website:
(4)
Also to avoid compassion fatigue, most people cant’ sustain a high level of
enthusiasm on a project for more than about two hours. Don’t make the mistake of
taxing your group with more ministries than it can sustain. Two hours is plenty of
time for doing an outreach –including gathering, giving instructions, traveling to the
outreach site, doing the outreach for a little over an hour, and reconvening to share
stories.
2. Bike fix-up Clinic Sunday
Where to go? - Bike trails
What you will need: Two signs: “Free Bike Repair” repair tools, Connection cards
Choose what repairs you want to do:
Chain repairs, lubes, spoke repairs; bolt tightening, and simple cable adjustments on
gearshifts and brakes. If you have a Bike mechanic lift makes the job easier and look
a lot more professional.
3. Leaf raking
Where to go: Neighborhoods
What you will need: Rakes, Plastic leaf bags, and Connection cards
With rakes in hand, go in teams from door to door and literally sweep through
neighborhoods. This is a project that is best done with more than one group
teaming up. Even a small yard with just a few people can be a bit overwhelming.
Ideally raking teams are made up of twelve to twenty high-energy members. With
that number, you will make short work of someone’s front yard. Limit your offer to
the front yard.
The whole neighborhood will come outdoors just to watch! To keep the momentum
rolling with this, have someone going several houses ahead of the team to explain
the project. After the raking has been finished, have that same person stop back by
the houses that have been served to say that you are done. At that time make the
offer, “Is there anything we could pray about for you?”
Note: If you have to bag the leaves, rake them into reasonably small piles.
Designate some of your team as baggers. If you’re fortunate enough to live in a
community that vacuums the leaves from the curb, rake the leaves to the curb for
the city to pick up.
What about leaf blowers? They don’t allow as many to be involved in the team
process, and they don’t do as good a job at picking up all the leaves from the lawn.
(5)
4. Lawn Mowing
Where to go: Neighborhoods
What you will need: Mowers, three to four of them, and five gallons of gas,
connection cards.
Drive around look for long grass. Often when the grass is long at a home, the people
who live there have some sort of difficulty going on in their lives.
As they come to the door say, “We’re doing lawn mowing outreach in your
neighborhood today for free – no donations – Just to show you God’s love in a
practical way.” Confine your services to just mowing. There have been some
amazing stories come out of lawn care outreaches.
5. Roof Gutter Cleaning
Where to go: Neighborhoods
What you will need: Ten-foot ladder, rubber gloves, plastic bags, and connection
cards
You will get pretty dirty on this one so wear old clothes
6. Address number printing on Curbs
Where to go: Neighborhoods
What you will need: Four-inch stencils of numbers, cans of black spray paint, paint
remover, connection cards.
Go through the neighborhood a week in advance with a flyer explaining what you
are doing and when you’ll be coming by.
7. Snow removal from walks and drives
Where to go: Neighborhoods
What you will need: Snow shovels, connection cards
8. Christmas tree giveaway or after-Christmas tree collection
Where to go: College campuses, Neighborhoods, shopping centers -(Ask permission
for shopping centers)
(6)
What you’ll need: Christmas trees, truck, gloves, and connection cards
Some people can’t afford a tree, but a couple of days before the holiday, people in
your small group or church can get them for free or just a few dollars per tree.
Negotiate to get several dozen trees and get them with pickup trucks on about
December 22. Drive through needy neighborhoods and give them out. A tactful way
to do this is to knock on doors and say, “We’re giving away Christmas trees to
families who don’t have one yet. Do you happen to know anyone who can’t afford a
tree this Christmas season?” If the person you’re talking to needs one, he or she will
speak up, or they can refer you to one of their neighbors. Usually the needy are well
networked.
9. Christmas Gift-Wrapping
Where to go? Malls, Shopping Centers, Wal-Mart, Target, Kmart, Sears (Get
permission)
What you will need: Tape, wrapping paper, scissors, bows, folding tables, post it
type notes, pens, connection cards.
This can be done between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. Do not do more than
you can handle. Buy the gift-wrapping paper in bulk from a distributor to get the
best prices. Some have used the “Bow Magic” bows (made by 3M). They go from flat
to pop up when the end is pulled. Some feel they are well worth the cost of about
ten cents apiece. I recommend you do a practice session or two before beginning to
wrap in earnest.
When wrapping presents, open up the conversation with those you’re serving by
saying, “You know, we aren’t employees of the mall. We’re here on our own. We
bought and paid for all of these materials and we’re doing it all for free to show you
and the community the love of Christ for free at Christmas.”
10. Local church provides school supplies for needy children
Saturday evening churchgoers and volunteers handed out over 100 backpacks filled
with school supplies to needy families in Ypsilanti, MI.
important to show "love to the community. ministering to people's needs
26 states to cut education funding for the fiscal year.
(7)
Volunteers from the Ypsilanti Seventh Day Adventist Church pass out backpacks,
school supplies and clothes to needy children and their families on Sept.8, 2012.
Photo by James Tatum.
"It's not much," Mills said of the supplies. "But it made so many people happy."
The community was very thankful, Mills said.
"We had people come and say 'thank you very much,'" she said.
11. Single parent’s house repair
Where to Go: Neighborhoods
What you will need: Tool kit (basic tools that fix-it people will have)
The challenges that come with being a single parent are enormous. You’ll find this a
gratifying and fruitful ministry to single parents by following a few simple rules:
Don’t get into projects that you can’t complete in two hours. Two hours is about the
maximum length that most volunteers can handle before a project moves form being
enjoyable to being a burden. Tell them you only have so much time which one or
two things would you like us to put at the top of the list?
(8)
12. Friendly pet outreach to convalescent and retirement homes
Where to go: Neighborhoods, retirement homes
What you will need: Pets (calm ones) pet treats, connection cards
Research has shown that physical contact with fury house pets can bring a lift to the
spirit of patients. Take two or three dogs (no cats) to local homes and walk them on
leashes from room to room to greet patients. It’s amazing what a little tail wagging
can do to lift a downcast attitude. Bring a bag of treats for the patients to feed to the
dogs while they pet them. Its only natural to offer to pray for the patients while
they are open-heartedly engaged in petting the dogs.
“First meet the temporal necessities…and relieve their physical wants and sufferings,
and you will then find an open avenue to the heart, where you may plant the good
seeds of virtue and religion.” T 4 P. 227
Romans 2:4 - the goodness of God leads you to repentance
Things to remember: Be organized. Do your behind the scenes preparation. Get
permission if necessary to be where you are doing the outreach.
What to say when interacting with those we serve. “We’re here today doing a
community service project to show you God’s love in a practical way.”
It is important that those being touched with these acts of kindness have some
means of getting back in touch with you if they so desire. Be sure to leave a
connection card. In essence, you need to briefly explain what you are doing, then
offer a phone number, address, website, and so on for follow-up. Here is an example
of a connection card.
13. Donut Giveaway during morning traffic
What you’ll need:
Folding tables, donuts, pastry wax paper, (for handling donuts)
Connection cards, wet naps (to clean up after – You’ll get sugar
on your hands.
Buy a few hundred glazed and chocolate donuts (get the quantity discount; glazed
donuts are about the easiest for motorists to handle while driving). Set up at a
freeway off ramp, on a traffic island, or at a long traffic light – anywhere that affords
enough time to step into traffic with your box of pastries. Don’t handle the donuts
with your hands. Don’t ask, “would you like a donut? Instead say, “Which would
you prefer, a glazed or a chocolate?” They get a donut, a connection card, a very
brief explanation of what’s going on, and something to ponder on their way to work.
(9)
Ideas: card to cashier, notes for waiter, sweet rolls for teachers, appreciation to civic
leaders, gift baskets, community projects, gas giveaway
Testimony
Relaying from one’s own personal experience the things God has done.
Examples:
 The demoniac Luke 8:26-40
 Woman at the well John 4
 Jared Fogle lost 235 lbs. in one year
 The advertisement is a satisfied customer
“Our confession of His faithfulness is Heaven’s chosen agency for revealing Christ to the
world. We are to acknowledge His grace as made known through the holy men of old;
but that which will be most effectual is the testimony of our own experience…These
precious acknowledgements to the praise of the glory of His grace, when supported by
a Christ-like life, have an irresistible power that works for the salvation of souls.”
DA 347
Invitation
Inviting family, friends, and acquaintances to socials, felt-need seminars, or events
where Jesus and the gospel/truth are introduced.
There are many non-Christians who would gladly come to a worship service, small
group, or outreach event, if they were just invited.
Examples:
 Andrew invited his brother Peter; and Philip invited his friend, Nathaniel, to
come and meet Jesus John 1:41,45
 Samaritan Woman invited her companions to come and see Jesus John 4:29
Thom Rainer’s research (The Unchurched Next Door):
 8 out of 10 of the unchurched said they would come to church if invited
 Only 2% of church members are giving invitations to unchurched friends and
neighbors
Invite them to church campout, CHIP, Depressions Seminar, Financial Peace, Music
concerts, “Friend Day” aerobics, quilting, sewing, biking.
(10)
Conversation
Uses dialogue to introduce people to Jesus and His truth. The conservation is
interactive, inquiring, and Socratic in nature. It ranges from casual to more indepth.
Example:
What do you believe about what happens to you when you die? Why do you believe
it? What difference does this make in your life?
“When you get into conversation with (unbelievers) do not talk of nothingness and
folly, but tell of the precious things of God…Study (how) to pass easily and
courteously from subjects of a temporal nature to the spiritual and eternal…While
walking by the way, or seated by the wayside, you may drop into some heart the
seed of truth.”
Proclamation
Declaring the absolute truths of God’s Word in an authoritative, matter-a-fact way.
Includes teaching and preaching.
“Servants of God, with their faces lighted up and shining with holy consecration, will
hasten from place to place to proclaim the message from heaven. By thousands of
voices, all over the earth, the warning will be given. Miracles will be wrought, the
sick will be healed, and signs and wonders will follow the believers…The message
will be carried not so much by argument as by the deep conviction of the Spirit of
God…Notwithstanding the agencies combined against the truth, a large number take
their stand upon the Lord’s side.” GC 606
Ideas: Pocket Signs, Final Events DVD, loaner DVD’s neighborhood Bible study.
In Mark 4:2-20 Jesus tells a parable about different receptivity levels. There’s
four types of soil mentioned: (1) the hard soil—was so packed that the seed never
penetrated the earth; then there’s the (2) stony soil—the seed sprouted, but had no
depth of earth, so it died; then there’s the (3) thorny soil--where the seed sprouted
and grew, but never bore fruit because thorns choked it out; then lastly there’s the
(4) fertile soil—where the seed sprouted, grew, and bore much fruit. These four
types of soil represent four types of “hearers” or different levels of receptivity to
the word of God.
These different levels of receptivity can be charted on what’s called the Engel Scale
(produced by James Engel in the 1970s). This scale represents an individual’s
spiritual pathway or journey from a -5 (to the far left) to conversion (represented by
the cross) to the different stages of discipleship on the right.
(11)
What we’ve learned is that people are at different stages of their spiritual
pathway. Not everybody’s at the same point. Some people are a long way from
God; others are on the verge of the kingdom waiting only to be gathered in. These
different soils illustrate people at the different points of their journey.
Let’s seek to understand these different “faith stages” of conversion:
First are the Antagonistic—the ones who are furthest away from God (-5). These
people reject God and His word. And according to the research of Thom Rainer,
about 5% fall in that category.
Review and Herald, March 11, 1902
“The ministers of Jesus Christ will have more than a mere casual interest for the
people. They will seek to know the state of their spiritual being, even as a physician
seeks to understand the physical difficulties of his patients. They will engage in
personal conversation, and adapt their counsel to every individual case according to
the need of the soul.”
“Different methods must be followed in dealing with different people.” The Health
Food Ministry, 68
RELATIONAL EVANGELISM
Christ’s Object Lessons, 57
“The sowers of the seed have a work to do in preparing hearts to receive the gospel.
In the ministry of the word there is too much sermonizing and too little of real
heart-to-heart work. There is need of personal labor for the souls of the lost. In
Christlike sympathy we should come close to men individually, and seek to awaken
their interest in the great things of eternal life. Their hearts may be as hard as the
beaten highway, and apparently it may be a useless effort to present the Saviour to
them; but while logic may fail to move, and argument be powerless to convince, the
love of Christ, revealed in personal ministry, may soften the stony heart, so that the
seed of truth can take root.”
(12)
Individual Witnessing Plan
INDIVIDUAL PLAN FOR WITNESSING
“In times pass there were those who fastened their minds
upon one soul after another, saying, ‘Lord, help me to
save this soul.’ But now such instances are rare.”
Gospel Workers P. 65
Name:
Address
City, State, Zip
Phone/Email
Intercession
Specific prayer requests/needs/concerns
Friendship
Family
Occupation
Hobbies/interests
Favorite conversation topics
Ways for me to build friendship
Service
Needs/concerns (physical, emotional, financial)
Ways for me to serve practical needs
Invitation
Events, small groups, worship
Conversation
Ways to bridge casual conversation into spiritual conversation
Proclamation
Preaching, teaching, passing out literature
Best way to share the gospel
Best way to share Christ’s end-time truths
Nurturing/Preserving
Small groups
Hospitality
Spiritual friends
Testimony
Best way to share testimony
There is no limit to the usefulness of one who, by putting self aside, makes room for
the working of the Holy Spirit up his heart, and lives a life wholly consecrated to
God.” DA 250,251
For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself
strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.
2 Chronicles 16:9
Page 13