By Jesse Johnson @ http://www.sfpulpit.com* Jesse teaches evangelism at The Master’s Seminary and is the local outreach pastor at Grace Community Church.
The practice of going out to evangelize people you meet at random is sometimes called “cold evangelism” (or “cold-turkey evangelism”), and it must be admitted that this is not a very inviting phrase. When most Christians think of this kind of evangelism, they think of obnoxious people, Jehovah’s Witnesses, or the sinner’s prayer. The idea of “cold evangelism” produces feelings of guilt, for not doing it, or of inadequacy, for not being able to do it well.
And I want to make a clear statement at the beginning of this post: not all Christians are called to do this kind of evangelism. Don’t misunderstand that. I am in favor of evangelism, and I know that some people get saved from cold evangelism. But I also note that while this form of evangelism may be seen in the New Testament, it is by no means normative. After all, not everyone is specially gifted as an evangelist (cf. Eph. 4:11), nor is every Christian equally passionate about (or effective at) going door-to-door, randomly stopping people in markets and plazas, or winning strangers on the subway.
For many if not all Christians the most effective form of evangelism is with people you already know and with whom you have established relationships. These are the people whom you love, and with whom you will be able to spend time carefully explaining the gospel. Think of your co-workers, your neighbors, your friends, and your family. These are your immediate mission field. Are you being faithful in proclaiming the gospel to them?
God has put all of us in the world. We all have relationships with people who are lost. We have an opportunity to live a transformed life in front of them, to minister to them, and to patiently explain the gospel to them.
All too often, we neglect the relationships that God’s providence has granted us. I am shocked at how many Christians do not even know their neighbors’ names, and they isolate themselves from their co-workers and their unsaved family. But, this is where effective evangelism begins.
Many people try to hide their cowardice when it comes to proclaiming the gospel to their friends and family with the mask of cold evangelism. While they have never proclaimed the gospel to their friends, they are faithful to hit the streets every Sunday afternoon. Here at Grace Church, we do have street evangelism ministries. But before someone can be a part of this ministry we inist that he or she is faithfully serving in the church, and has demonstrated evangelistic faithfulness in everyday life.
Christians should be active in evangelism. There is a place for coordinated outings for cold evangelism. A church’s evangelistic health can be seen in conversions and baptisms. But evangelism is a practice, not a program. It happens in your life, not on Friday nights at 7 pm.
When pastors develop this holistic view of evangelism, their people will mimic it. Friends, relatives, the mail-carrier, and the dentist will hear the gospel from someone whom they know — someone in whom they’ve seen the gospel lived out. This is the foundation for effective evangelism.
As an outreach pastor, I encourage people to evangelize those they know, and I want to give opportunities for those who are gifted at cold-evangelism. But, the most important thing I want to teach my people is that real evangelism is a lifestyle, not a one-time activity.
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