Evangelsim Notes

I've been doing a little reading on evangelism lately in preparation for a few weeks of focused Gospel sharing in the dorms, and I wanted a place to keep track of some articles, so why not resurrect this great blog that I post in all the time?

Great, so here we go.


The first article I read is called "Initiative Evangelism in a Culture that Longs for Community" and can be found here: http://www.centerfieldproductions.com/post/community_28/

It's a CRU website, so right off the bat it mentions this definition of successful witnessing: "Taking the initiative in the power of the Holy Spirit to share Christ, and trusting God for the results."  It's one of the best definitions of successful witnessing I've seen, and it's both freeing and challenging at the same time.  Always a good reminder.

The strategy presented is called Community 2:8 and is based off of 1 Thessalonians 2:8, which says, "We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us." I like the way this verse emphasizes relationships without sacrificing the importance of initiative evangelism. I want to be deliberate to share the Gospel in the context of relationships and be delighted to do so.

I don't think this type of relational evangelism can or should take the place of more traditional "ministry mode" evangelism, but it's an important area that I need/want to be engaging in throughout the year.

I won't repeat most of what is in the article, but the basic steps are to make a list of people you want to witness to, and then

1) Pray
2) Share your faith
3) Introduce them to friends
4) Invite them to stuff

The article provides good explanations for each step.  It's nothing new or clever, but I appreciated the reminder. Hopefully by putting it here I won't forget it immediately like I have been everything else lately.


The next thing I want to remember has more to do with initiative  evangelism.  It's a video of John Piper discussing his fears and how he thinks we should overcome them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCqQKrw-nrg

"Life is very short, and the approval of the creator of the universe is infinitely more valuable than the approval of any sophisticated person."

Do we believe in heaven? Do we believe that Christ is supremely valuable? Do I believe these things? Even when I feel the Holy Spirit urging me to start a spiritual conversation with someone I've never met?


Ok, one last article that I read but don't have time to write much about:
http://crupressgreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/In_Desperate_Need_Of_Courage.pdf
It's a great article by Rick James, one of my favorite writers/speakers.  It talks about how courage has been neglected in modern Christianity, but it's emphasized in the Bible and is necessary in following Christ.

Winston Churchill once said that "Without courage, all virtue is fragile: admired, sought after, professed, but held cheaply and surrendered without a fight." C.S. Lewis adds, "Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point."

"It takes courage to hear the truth, it takes courage to live out the truth, and it also takes courage to proclaim the truth (the gospel)."

Paul says he "dared to tell them the Gospel" in 1 Thes. 2:2.

"I think when we encounter fear, an inability to communicate, or ignorance of what to say, we assume that there's something wrong with us, and that evangelism couldn't possibly be as difficult, as awkward, and as terrifying for others as we experience it to be. Actually, I think this is the norm. I think it's always been the norm. I don't think that people have ever just shared the Gospel--I think they've always "dared" to share the Gospel."

So much good stuff, go read the article. I need to be courageous, no excuses.

-Michael