​Eight Weird Ways to Be an Evangelist

​I haven't met too many people who have an interest in being an evangelist. In fact, I am not sure I have an interest either, at least not when you consider the stereotype. But here are a few ways to break the mold.

1. Start on the other person’s turf. At some point or another it might be good to invite a friend or colleague to church or a Bible study, but more often than not the best place to start a conversation about God is on the other person’s turf. You’ll probably find people much more relaxed talking about big questions like God while grabbing a bite after work, joining them for a jog, or when catching a cup of coffee.
2. Show and tell. Sometimes we think of loving people and sharing Christ as two separate tasks, but that’s not the way Jesus saw it. He said, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Mathew 5:16). There’s a reason show and tell was so popular as a kid. People need to see the gospel at work as well as hear it.
3. Work to find reasonable answers to people’s reasonable questions. There really are intellectually satisfying and evidenced-based answers to questions like: “How can we know there is a God?” “Where is God when there is evil and suffering?” or “Why should I trust the Bible?” Helping people find good answers to these questions will go a lot farther in helping them embrace Christ than just telling them they need to have more faith.
4. Keep it a conversation. I’ve met too many people who think sharing Christ means giving people a mini lecture on the finer points of Christianity. Do that and you’re likely to see people make themselves scarce. Instead, share just a thought or two about Christ at a time, then ask your friends if what you’ve said made sense or how they see the data differently. Keeping them in the conversation along the way will likely earn you the right to a second conversation, and then a third.
5. Share truth tentatively. As I’ve walked with Christ, my convictions in many regards have gotten stronger. At the same time, the way I share those convictions has gotten more tentative. For example, instead of saying, “Here are three reasons that prove God exists,” try “I can see how it can be hard to believe in God. Do you mind if I share a few reasons that have given me confidence God exists.” In the end, I share the same stuff, but when I offer truth more “tentatively” it is much more likely to be received.
6. Be content to share one piece of the Christian story at a time. There are all kinds of truths we might share with people when explaining the heart of Christianity – we are all made in the image of God, we all sin and thus distance ourselves from God, Christ’s sacrifice was enough to take away our sin, faith in Christ and not our own works is what God is looking for, when we trust Christ as our Lord and Savior he makes us his children forever – but there is no requirement that we share all these truths in one sitting! For many, people just one piece of the puzzle is all they can swallow at a time, so be patient and wait for the next conversation to share even more.
7. Don’t be afraid to share your own story. If you are thinking of sharing Christ with someone, it must be because you have already seen Christ work in your life. Pick three words or phrases: one that describes your life before Christ, one that describes what happened when you came to trust in Christ, and one that describes what your life has looked like since. Having a little outline like that in your head makes telling your story easy.
8. Relax and pray. If you think whether someone comes to Christ or not is all on your shoulders, think again. The results are up to God (1 Corinthians 3:7), so relax and ask God to work in the lives of others in ways you never could.