How to Make Evangelism More Normal in Your Church’s Life

We are all busy. But we all have the same 24 hours a day and we all have time to do what is most important. Evangelism has to be a priority.

When you read the Book of Acts, you see that sharing Christ was as much a daily part of the lives of believers then as texting on a cell phone is today. But today, in most churches, evangelism is occasional at best.

How do we make evangelism less occasional and more normal in our churches today? Let me share a few thoughts.

First, remember evangelism is caught more than taught.

The truth is that people follow our example more than they listen to our words. Too often, pastors tell their people what they should do without giving examples from their own lives. Our application can become, “Do what I say, not what I do.”

Try this idea: every week for the next six months, mention a time that you, a fellow pastor, or a church member attempted to share Christ the week before. Give a quick testimony, offer a prayer request for someone with whom you shared, or perhaps a time you should have witnessed but failed to do so.

Pastors who have done this testify to a growing practice of evangelism by their people simply through the consistent example of leaders. This helps normalize witnessing as something we do, not something we just talk about.

Sharing personal stories of evangelism is one of the best gifts a pastor can give to a congregation.

Of course, the only way you can do this is by having actual stories to tell. I was convicted of this in my own life. My wife and I mapped out our neighborhood. We identified our neighbors who we believed didn’t know Christ based on previous interaction.

We sought to share the gospel with each of them over time. We had the privilege of sharing the gospel with people in seven of eight of the homes we identified. We led to Christ one couple three doors down and baptized them. We watched them ...