Aim: To look at what evangelism is and some of the different examples of evangelism in the New Testament.
Objectives: At the end of the session the group should:
- Be able to explain what Evangelism, at it’s simplest, is.
- Be able to identify the different biblical approaches to evangelism.
Personally Speaking…Adrian’s Story
I got my first taste of evangelism when I was seven when I tried to tell a friend about Jesus at primary school. He became a Christian, I think more to shut me up than because he really wanted to. I am what would be called a reluctant evangelist. I want to do it, I have a real desire to see people come to know Jesus but I ain’t no Billy Graham.
When I was 16 I went on a British Youth for Christ ‘Street Invaders’ team. We spent one week learning and two weeks in North London doing. We had a great time and saw a few people come to know Jesus.
Several years after that I went to university in Leeds (great place!) and in my second year got signed up to lead a multi-media evangelism programme called ‘The Edge’.
Four of us started it from scratch and went on to produce six very varied events. I don’t know if anyone became a Christian because of them.
I hope, however, that they made people think and consider Christianity a bit more closely. For the Edge I was very much behind the scenes and I guess that is how most of my evangelism is done. I talk to people when the occasion arises and try to live a life that is as much a witness as my words – I fail quite a lot.
Evangelism is as much a way of life as it is an activity. I’m not very good at it. I get scared and don’t talk, I mess up my answers through lack of knowledge and miss opportunities by being half asleep. I’ll keep trying though.
The Session:
Warming Up – Test your knowledge of Evangelism
Using the ‘Test your knowledge of Evangelism‘ handout introduce the idea of evangelism. The sheet is a humorous, multiple choice, questionnaire. For best effect introduce it as if it were a serious test of their knowledge. The group should catch on pretty quickly (hopefully). Believe it or not, there are no right answers.
Over To You – Manifesto.
In 1974 the International Congress on World Evangelisation defined evangelism:
To evangelise is to spread the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins and was raised from the dead according to scriptures, and that as the reigning Lord he now offers the forgiveness of sins and the liberating gift of the Spirit to all who repent and believe. Our Christian presence in the world is indispensable to evangelism, and so is that kind of dialogue whose purpose is to listen sensitively in order to understand. But evangelism itself is the proclamation of the historical, biblical Christ as Saviour and Lord, with a view to persuading people to come to him personally and so to be reconciled to God. In issuing the gospel invitation we have no liberty to conceal the cost of discipleship. Jesus still calls all who would follow him to deny themselves, take up their cross, and identify themselves with his new community. The results of evangelism include obedience to Christ, incorporation into his church and responsible service in the world
Now it’s the group’s turn to have a go!
Using the ‘Manifesto of Evangelism‘ handout: Ask the group to try and define evangelism as best they can. The definition should be written as though a manifesto is being prepared that is to be presented to a new church evangelism committee. What things should be included? What should be excluded. Discuss the group’s results and finish off by reading the quote given previously.
The Biblical Perspective – Different Types.
Split the group in to three smaller groups. Give each group one of the following verses:
- Group 1 Acts 8:26-40, 2 Timothy 4:5 & Ephesians 4:11 – Stories of ‘Evangelists’ doing their stuff
- Group 2 John 4:1-26 & 1 Peter 3:15 – Jesus and the women at the well and Peter exhorting us to have an answer ready. Both examples of Christians ‘gossiping’ the gospel
- Group 3 Matthew 5:16 & John 13:35 – Lifestyle evangelism
Ask the groups to answer the following questions:
- Who is the passage talking to/about.
- What type of evangelism is being done.
Regroup and discuss the answers. Of the three types of evangelism that are represented in the exercise, which do the group feel they are capable of doing and which, if any, they are currently involved in.
Pulling It Together.
Someone described evangelism as ‘one beggar telling another beggar where to go to get bread.’ In this session the questions of ‘what’ and ‘how’ concerning evangelism have been looked at. The group has looked at what evangelism is – how they define it and how a group of ‘professionals’ defined it. The bible study gets the group to think about what they are doing and how they can be an evangelist without having to stand on a platform in front of thousands of people or be the next Billy Graham, though if there is one in the group Praise the Lord!