Article by Teresa Chang
Our church really started to get a heart for evangelism in 2015. That summer, several of our church leaders went to Serbia for a short term mission trip. This was the first mission trip that we had ever done with an evangelistic focus; previous mission trips were focused on helping out long term missionaries and serving on missions bases. During this trip, we led an English camp for youth from the local street markets, and on the last night of the English camp, we preached the simple gospel, had an altar call, and nearly every single youth rushed to the front to give their lives to the Lord. Our church leaders were shocked and in tears, rejoicing in the goodness of God for the souls that were won. That following winter, a friend we had been praying for and sharing the gospel with for 15 years finally gave his life to the Lord! Our hearts were ignited to bring souls to Jesus!
To lead people to Jesus, you need a vision for souls. This vision will come as you seek God’s heart for the broken and hurting around you. Let Him share with you the compassion He feels for them, and make sure your congregation knows how much He loves the world.
Here are a few things to consider as you give evangelism a more prominent expression in your congregation:
1. Motivate people with joy.
Joy is a great motivator with a phenomenal amount of power. You can motivate people for a season with duty—or you can motivate them for a lifetime with joy.
Teach on evangelism from the pulpit. Tell your church about the responsibility we have as children of God to share our faith, but don’t speak from a place of duty. Instead, help people understand the joy they can experience when they go out into the harvest. Jesus declared in Luke 15:7, “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.”
God primarily motivates us through positive means
such as love and delight, rather than rules and duty.
It’s your responsibility to help people discover the delight aspect and strategically wean them from the duty. Activate every member with joy.
2. Be creative in how you share Jesus’ love.
Give people creative ways to reach the lost. Help your congregation learn how to share their testimonies and lead people to Jesus. Provide training so prophetic evangelism becomes a natural part of the body. Encourage your church to reexamine even traditional methods of evangelism such as tracts and the four spiritual laws, because we need to tell people about Him in any way we can. It is time for us to know and respond to God’s heart for the lost.
One of the easiest ways to tell someone about Jesus is to write out your salvation story and just share it with a friend. “This is how I came to Christ.” That is the original gospel tract!
3. Celebrate all expressions of evangelism in your church.
Celebrate the people who are out telling others about Jesus, praying for people and walking in prophetic evangelism. Even if they haven’t led anyone to the Lord yet, bring them up to the front of the church and let them talk about their experiences. Every time we celebrate risk, it is valuable and can shift the hearts of the entire church body.
As you reinforce the importance of evangelism, it will become a part of the culture and lifestyle of every individual in your church, and your church will have an extreme impact on your city and region.
