Of all the things that are difficult in the life of a Christian, talking to someone else about the Gospel is probably one of the hardest. For most of us, we’re content to sit in our little church pews and sing some songs, while resisting the constant temptations that life tends to throw at us tends to take up the majority of our willpower.
Evangelism? That’s only for super Christians.
Fortunately, it doesn’t need to be that difficult. One of the greatest lies about sharing the Gospel with someone else is that you need a table, a flip-board, and a victim strapped to a kitchen chair. In reality, it can be as simple as one word or one glance at you reading your Bible that gets people’s motors running.
That’s why I compiled this list. Here are 101 of the best – yet microscopic – ways that we teach others about Jesus. You’re not meant to do all of them; instead, pick one to focus on this week. Then a different one the next week. Then, take one and change it up and do it the next week. If nothing else, these can serve as springboards for your own ideas.
And remember, our goal in evangelism is not to force the Gospel on people, but to simply tell them the Truth and help them understand it if possible. God asks us to try, not to coerce.
- Read the Bible in public
- Read the Bible in public with a friend.
- Read the Bible in public with a small group.
- Read the Bible in public with a stranger.
- Ask someone where they go to church.
- Invite them to church.
- Ask questions about their church.
- Teach Bible class
- Distribute free Bibles at a garage sale, community event, etc.
- Mention God in casual conversation.
- Mention prayer in casual conversation.
- Mention a favorite verse in casual conversation.
- Hang Bible verses in your cubicle, classroom, etc.
- Listen to a sermon on full blast in your car so that other drivers notice and hopefully let you start a Bible study at a stoplight while everyone else is honking their horns behind y’all.
- Go door to door.
- Volunteer at a hospital.
- Volunteer at a food bank; engage others in conversation.
- Start a blog
- Start a youtube channel.
- Start a podcast.
- Give God the glory instead of the blame.
- Refuse to engage in unGodly activities. When they ask, explain why.
- Hand a Biblical pamphlet or tract.
- Draw a (literal) picture.
- Support a preacher, either overseas or domestic, and share the Gospel indirectly.
- Write a letter.
- Make a Facebook post.
- Make an Instagram post.
- Start a Pinterest board and join groups.
- Be active in forums like Reddit.
- Engage in the comments section of websites. Key word is “engage,” not “argue mercilessly.”
- Host a movie night with a Biblically-focused movie. Have an honest, open discussion and study about the themes after or during the movie.
- Offer a home Bible study.
- Lead a devotional.
- Include a Bible verse in your e-mail signature.
- Bring food to a neighbor in need and offer to pray with them.
- Pray with someone.
- Walk up to a stranger and ask if they’d like to study.
- Study the Gospel yourself. The more it’s on your mind, the more it’ll come out of your mouth.
- Share why you became a Christian.
- Ask someone why they became a Christian.
- Ask them what they did to be saved.
- Ask someone to help you share the Gospel.
- Pray for opportunities.
- Pray for helpers.
- Ask your preacher/elder/deacon for opportunities they know of.
- Listen for openings in conversations.
- Build relationships.
- Start a book club. The Chronicles of Narnia series in particular has lots of Christian themes and imagery worth discussing.
- Start a Bible reading challenge with your friends and family.
- Use a story (parable).
- Leave a Bible on the dashboard of your car.
- Focus on conversion, not baptism (although baptism is vital).
- Text someone a few verses or an invite to services.
- Refuse to gossip. If asked, explain why.
- Live the life of a Christian. People will be amazed.
- Sing a hymn casually.
- Tell them about Coffee and a Bible (hey, I had to).
- Pray before a meal in a restaurant.
- Evangelize to someone who tries to sell you something. At the very least, there’ll be one less solicitor on your doorstep.
- Share a sermon with someone.
- Actually talk to Mormon missionaries who show up at your house.
- Create a quick “Bible card” with key facts and a follow-up e-mail address for them to contact you later.
- Hand out five business cards for your church every single month to different people.
- Teach a class/devotional/sermon on evangelism. Make it a church-wide effort.
- Ask a deep question, such as “What do you think Heaven will be like?”
- Read the Bible to patients in a hospital.
- Visit a nursing home and spend time with the patients. The nurses and staff will notice.
- Host a atheist/Christian debate watch party.
- Livestream a Bible reading.
- Say “I’ll pray for you” instead of “I hope you feel better.”
- Download a Bible app on your phone and invite your friends via the Facebook sharing function to do the same.
- Buy a phone with prepaid minutes and setup a hotline for prayer/Bible study. Advertise in your local community.
- Minister to prisoners.
- Get active in a social issue that will allow you to share the Truth (i.e. anti-abortion walks, homeless shelters, etc).
- Excel in everything you do. “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as to the Lord and not to man” (Colossians 3:23).
- Listen before speaking.
- Listen to people’s issues. Connect them with Scriptural solutions.
- Make family Bible studies a regular event. Don’t forget, the first people we should be reaching with the Gospel are our own children.
- Go into the “synagogues.” Find places where people are already active in religious conversations, like Paul did, and engage with them.
- Evangelism flows best when it flows through relationships. Find the people closest to you and be very honest and open about your desire to see them saved.
- Use an evangelistic tool. Flipcharts, though outdated, were effective for decades. Find a modern-day equivalent that can help you share the Gospel and employ it.
- Share Biblical articles on social media.
- Get out of your comfort zone. Be bold.
- Share a picture of nature and remark about God’s handiwork.
- Leave a Google review on your church’s page. Online reviews help others determine where they should worship.
- Create a Facebook event for your church and invite all of your friends to it.
- Start a public Bible study at Starbucks, Chick-Fil-A, or anywhere you can find space. Use meetup.com to help others find out about it.
- Create a private Facebook group where you can have in-depth spiritual conversations. Encourage everyone to study and contribute.
- Leave a Bible tract at the gas pump.
- Send Bibles to hard-to-reach nations. Though the Bible has been translated into hundreds of languages, that doesn’t mean they’re reaching the people in those countries. Find a way to support more restricted nations financially.
- Take on leadership roles in your local church (public worship, teach Bible class, elder/deacon, etc).
- Carry a pocket Bible to read regularly.
- Respect where people are coming from.
- Ask about the differences between churches and their beliefs.
- Turn trite, regular greetings into opportunities to go deep. Instead of responding with “I’m fine,” when someone asks how you’re doing, say “I’m blessed,” or something similar.
- Try. Our goal is not to ram the Bible down people’s throats, but to share the Gospel and let them decide for themselves. Evangelism is a success if we simply tell.
- Smile.
- Start.
- Commit.
- Don’t quit.
What would you add/take away to this list? Let me know in the comments!
Last modified: May 2, 2019
I send a Bible devotional via text message. When I meet people in public, I will start a conversation and ask one of three questions. 1) Do you believe in God? 2) Are you a Christian? 3) Do you go to church? It doesn’t matter whether the answer is yes, or no, I then offer to send them the devotional messages. It also helps that I can pull out my phone and let them peruse the latest message. Over 90% of people say yes.
I have found this to be the best icebreaker to start a conversation about religion that I have ever used. And once they agree to it, I have a name and phone contact.