25 Ways to Get Busy Doing the Work of Evangelism

EVANGELISM ARTICLE | William Stewart & Sean Cavender

Before ascending to heaven, our Lord instructed the apostles to be busy preaching the gospel. Mark’s account of the great commission begins, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). However, this mission was not exclusive to the apostles. In Matthew’s record of the mandate, Jesus told the apostles to “…make disciples of all the nations … teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-20). In this, Jesus instituted a perpetual continuation of teaching the gospel to lost souls. We see the apostle Paul applying this in 2 Timothy 2:2, “…the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

Several statements in the Scripture emphasize the importance of evangelistic work. There is no doubt God wants each of us to actively pursue opportunities to teach others. Mark 16 reveals what we are to teach – the gospel – the good news about Jesus Christ. People need to know who Jesus is, what He has done, and the need for us to obey Him. Mark 16 also identifies whom we are to teach – the world. That’s exceptionally broad and intentionally so. The phrase “all the nations” is used in Matthew’s parallel. Every person needs to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Obviously, you and I won’t have the opportunity to speak to every human on the planet. Still, we are responsible for reaching out with the message of God’s grace and mercy to those in our corner of the world. As we have opportunity and ability, we should seek to increase the scope of our world.

There are several considerations to look at when it comes to teaching opportunities. Some of those considerations may be: what style or method of teaching is best for the particular situation? Where is the person in their current knowledge of spiritual matters? Do they believe in God? Do they believe the Bible is God’s word? Do they believe Jesus is the Son of God? Are there any peculiar topics due to their religious history which should be focused upon, and how can we best address such? We could speak at length about these and other topics related to teaching the word of God. However, in this article, we want to step back a bit further and simply ask how we might find people to speak to – how can we engage with people and create opportunities to study the gospel together? We could be an expert in teaching methods and know the Scriptures exceptionally well, but if we are not meeting people and seeking open doors for the word, we’ll not accomplish much.

Our aim is not to present a bunch of gimmicks or trickery – we want to consider legitimate ways to connect with people in the hope of affecting souls for the gospel’s sake. We reached out on social media a couple of times, requesting input. Some of the things listed are from us, and some are from others. Some items will be more effective for some and in some places but unproductive for others and in other areas. Our personality, abilities, regional demographics, and even local laws will influence how best we contact and interact with people.

All that said, let’s consider 25 ways to make contacts. Note that some of these suggestions are specifically religious in nature, but many are not. The key is meeting people and interacting with them to create and earn opportunities to teach God’s word to people:

Talk to people. There are people all around us. In line at the grocery store or bank; waiting at the bus stop; in the doctor’s office; etc. Let’s put down the phone and talk to people. In John 4, we see Jesus began a conversation with a woman over a drink of water, it turned into an opportunity to proclaim the gospel to a whole city. We must develop the skill of turning a secular conversation into a spiritual one.
Be agreeable. There will be areas of disagreement and contention when chatting with people, but that’s not the place to start. Seek common ground and build a rapport; don’t shut down a conversation before it’s begun.
Be approachable. It will repel people if we are grumpy or abrasive in our manner. Have a kind spirit, enjoy life, and share your enjoyment of life with others.
Door-to-door. Take a tract, business card, flyer – whatever is available – pick an area of town, knock on doors, or drop the material in mailboxes (if it is legal to do so in your region). Be ready to chat about the Bible then and there, and seek to schedule a follow-up study time.
Sit at a coffee shop (or mall food court or elsewhere). Take your Bible with you, and have it open. Spend time reading, but don’t forget to spend some time looking up and around. Perhaps an opportunity to chat with someone about the Bible will avail itself. You might even create a small “A-frame” cardboard sign to set on the table offering to chat.
Join a club. The desire is to meet people and create opportunities to talk. Join a club that fits your interests (book club, gym, walking group, etc.) and build relationships with fellow members. As you get to know people, they will get to know you, and opportunities to share your faith will be available.
Fostering or adoption. Many children need homes, some short-term, some permanent. What better place for these young souls to find a family than among Christians? Also, in opening your home to a child, there is a fostering/adoption community with which you will share time and build relationships.
Gospel meetings. As a congregation, host gospel meetings or lectureships. The speakers might be guests from elsewhere, or they might be speakers from the local congregation. Address topics of concern, questions about salvation, evidences, etc.
Engage in peaceful public debate. Debates could be in the form of formal debates arranged with propositions and such, or they could simply be a discussion in a private setting. Recall Jude 1:3 tells us to “…contend earnestly for the faith…”
Always have a business card. Be in the habit of carrying or having quick access to business cards, tracts, or flyers. You never know when you’ll meet someone and want to give them further info. You cannot give them a card if you don’t have one with you.
Look for places to leave material. That business card or tract or flyer you’re carrying with you – how about pinning it up on a bulletin board or leaving it on the table at the doctor’s office? Leave it behind, and someone may pick it up and contact you.
Use social media. Rather than just reposting silly memes and videos, we can use our social media accounts to reach out with the gospel. Do you have 100s of Facebook friends? Share a daily Bible verse with them. Post an invitation to come to worship this Sunday. Start a Bible discussion online and see where it leads. Repost any invitations, articles, or videos from the church you assemble with or other trusted sources.
Online video study. As a follow-up to the previous one, try hosting a live Bible chat in addition to posting content. With the covid-19 pandemic, many of us got a crash course in video conferencing. Put it out there and see if some folks would like to participate.
Overseas preaching trip. Sometimes an opportunity comes along where you can go beyond your day-to-day world and affect people in other areas for good. If you can do so, go. If someone else is going to another region of the world, consider helping with their travel expenses.
Print t-shirts. Most people wear t-shirts with some kind of logo or text on them. Why not design a t-shirt with a simple Bible verse on it or a few words to kindle conversations?
Bumper stickers. Instead of the “if you can see this, you’re too close” bumper sticker, how about a custom-made sticker with a Bible reference or the local church website? Rather than a bumper sticker, you can place a magnet on the car door. You can create magnets at places like vistaprint.com. Warning – if you’re posting about your faith on your vehicle, you’d better live your faith out with courtesy and civility behind the wheel.
Community events and activities. It is important to be where people are. If there are special events going on in town, plan to go. Who knows who you will meet! Could you fill a volunteer position on a community board, kids’ sports team, or such? Consider doing so.
Go for a walk. Walking is good for you and an excellent way to meet people. The power walk is good for the heart, but a leisurely stroll in the park or at the mall might result in meeting and chatting with folks.
A friend of a friend. People you know can put you in touch with people you do not know. If you’ve got a study with someone, ask if they have any friends, family members, neighbours, or co-workers who might like to participate.
Do good. Always be on the look for opportunities to do good. Random acts of kindness are helpful to the recipient and may lead to an opportunity to share a word about the One who truly is Good, our Lord and Saviour.
Reconnect with people. We all fall out of contact with people as the years go by. Think back and consider reconnecting with old friends, former neighbours, or past co-workers. Check on them and see how they are doing. Even if they were not interested in spiritual things in the past, they might be now.
Newspaper ad. Yes, newspapers still do exist, and I suspect there are still people who read them. Placing a simple word ad in the classified section of a newspaper may yield opportunities to study the Bible with people. Related to this, maybe there are some other forms of print media (pennysavers, community journals, etc.) that you could use.
Chat with the parents. Our children have friends. Knowing their friends’ parents is an excellent opportunity to share our faith. Whether it be through school-related, social, or sports-related activities, take the opportunity to meet and visit with the other parents.
Host a BBQ. How well do you know your neighbours? Too often, people do not know others who live in their community. Break the ice by hosting a community BBQ. Invite folks, arrange some activities, and get to know people.
Be a good listener. We aim to find opportunities to speak to others about Jesus Christ. That said, there are people in our lives who are going through difficult things, and maybe the thing they need right now is for someone to listen to provide support and comfort. If we let people know that we care, they will be more open to hearing what we have to say.

Indeed there are more things that could be added to the list, but these are 25 things we can do to connect with people and create opportunities to teach God’s word to others. And if we are committed to sharing our faith, the Lord will no doubt bless our efforts to reach people. So, let’s go and do the work to the glory of God.

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January 2023 | GROW magazine