How to Evangelize

Co-authored by Mark Russell

Last Updated: November 13, 2024 Approved

Sharing your faith with nonbelievers can be intimidating and difficult, but also incredibly rewarding. Evangelism is a cornerstone of the Christian faith and can be a great way to connect with people and share your passion in a tactful, friendly manner. You can learn to make the whole process easier by reading a few simple evangelism tips, starting below with Step One.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Getting Ready

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1
Pick an appropriate location and time. If you want to get out and share your message with as many receptive people as possible, let them come to you not you to them. High-traffic areas good for evangelism might include downtown business districts, street fairs or farmers' markets, and college campuses.
- Avoid evangelizing around churches of other faiths and other places that might be contentious or difficult. The subway platform at 8 am won't find most people in a chatting mood. Use your judgment. It might be a great idea to evangelize outside a punk rock club on a Friday night, if you can pull it off, or it might just lead to arguments.
- Make sure to follow any solicitation laws in the area and abide instructions from business and property owners who might want you to move on. Be courteous and leave.
2
Prepare your personal message. You might outline and mark particular verses or stories from the Bible you hope to highlight in your evangelism. Also, prepare anecdotes from your own life as a believer that might serve to interest someone in becoming a member of your church. Whatever you think will connect with people in a personal way is appropriate. You might share:
- Favorite verses and stories.
- Important verses.
- The story of your faith.
- Your history in the church.
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3
Prepare a store of probing questions to ask. It's helpful to transition from simple conversation into a discussion of faith by leading with probing questions, and it helps to have a good list of them to draw from so you're not struggling to come up with them on the fly. Good questions might include:
- Do you believe in an afterlife?
- What do you think happens when you die?
- If you died right now, do you think you'd go to heaven? Why?
- Do you feel fulfilled in your life?
- Do you ever feel like something is missing?
- Do you ever pray?
4
Prepare yourself. You might consider praying and preparing yourself for a day of talking about your faith. Some people find it very hard to share their faith and experiences in the Church, and it takes courage to talk about what you believe in to people who might not always be interested in listening.
- Get a group together to evangelize as a unit. Don't approach people in a gang, but take frequent breaks and talk about how it's going individually. Having a support group will make the job a lot easier, letting tips and advice flow freely through the group.

Part 2

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Having the Talk

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1
Don't rush directly into the topic of witnessing. Start with some small talk and ask about what has been going on in his or her life lately. Don't expect that anyone would immediately trust you. It will take a while before someone opens up to you.
- Ask them if they have any pain or sickness and offer to pray for them. A healing from God will help show them that God is real and cares for them.
- The Billy Graham Association said that 90% of converts remain in a church when they find a friend there. So if you are in college or school, you can do this experiment: sit with someone in the cafeteria for 3 days and make a friend first, then talk faith on the third day. The results may be startling for you, the student may pour his/her heart out to you, even for hours, with questions.
2
Lead with a probing question. Ask a question that will lower the person's guard and get them thinking about larger existential issues, making them receptive to an exchange of ideas. A question like, "What do you think happens when you die?" or "Do you believe in an afterlife?" can be effective at transitioning the conversation into your territory.
- A most effective evangelistic tool that you can use is a survey. You can ask four questions about an individual's life, and after you know the needs and beliefs, witness to each based on the point of view.
3
Listen and pay attention. Evangelism isn't just waiting for an opportunity to speak, it needs to be a real conversation and exchange of ideas. When you ask a question like, "Are you happy in your life?" or "Do you ever feel as if you're missing out on something?" really listen to the answer someone gives. Aside from giving them the feeling that they have a willing listener, you need to pay attention to what they're saying to learn to respond accurately and convincingly.
- Avoid pressing the persons that are totally closed to you, but persist with the ones that are open. Listening closely will help you to gauge this interest and open them up even more.
4
Talk about your testimony to encourage the person. Tell them about your version of Christianity, what it means to you, and how your faith has changed your life for the better.^{[1]
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- It's important to treat this conversation as a conversation between two people, putting a face on the Church. In general, you'll want to avoid getting into overly complicated discussions of dogma and theology, focusing instead on the importance of faith and salvation.
The Commandments are typically somewhat familiar to the lay person, and a conversation about "laws" can be an effective transition into more theoretical concepts and ideas. Even non-believers can agree that lying, killing, and stealing are to be avoided, and hearing it laid out in those terms can make closed listeners more receptive.
6
Lay out the ABCs. Some evangelists like to use a basic introduction method of becoming a Christian as a way of giving a possible convert a concrete list of steps to keep in mind when thinking about developing their faith. The ABC method breaks down like this:
- A: Admit that you are a sinner
- B: Believe that Jesus Christ is the son of the Lord and died for your sins
- C: Confess your belief to Christ

Part 3

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Taking the Next Step

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Provide receptive people with a Bible and other appropriate literature. Have some Bibles on hand to gift to the most receptive of the people you communicate with.
- If your church has provided you with tracts or specific documents they hope to disseminate, give them to as many people as possible, interested or not.^{[2]
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2
Lay out a plan with them. A person isn't going to become spiritually mature and be "Saved" after talking to you for five minutes. What's the next step? What should this person do tomorrow and the next day to build and maintain their new interest in your faith? Where might you direct them?
- Consider exchanging information, or giving them literature about your Church if you don't feel comfortable giving them your personal contact information.
If the person has never prayed before, they might be curious and nervous about the process, which you can help facilitate by walking them through their first prayer session. Say a simple and brief prayer, introducing them to it as a practice. Tell them how to pray and when to pray.^{[3]
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If you're in a town that's not your own, take some time becoming familiar with churches in the area that you can recommend. Knowing the time of the next service could be a nice way to give your possible converts a good next step.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How can I effectively share a gospel with someone that's not Christian?

Mark Russell
Christian Theology Expert
Mark Russell is a Christian Theology Expert based in Bourbonnais, Illinois. He is a Senior High School Youth Pastor at Gathering Point Church of the Nazarene, and has held this post for over nine years. He is the director of the Next Gen programs at the church, managing all youth education programs. Through this role, he also leads a team of adult youth leaders and completes preaching duties. Prior to working at Gathering Point, he worked as Assistant Principal at Grove City Christian School and was a Youth Pastor at Grove City Church of the Nazarene. He received a BA in Elementary Education and Teaching from Mount Vernon Nazarene University.

Mark Russell

Christian Theology Expert

Expert Answer

When presenting a gospel to someone, it is always important to have an intimate conversation and establish a good rapport. This means not trying to preach but actually taking the time to get to know such a person on a personal note. Being genuinely interested in their life and really listening to what they have to say or to think. This approach shows your interest in them and that you do not try to sell them any kind of agenda. Remember, people are a lot more open to spiritual conversations if they feel properly cared for and understood.

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I'm a little afraid of the responses I will get. How can I get over this fear?

Community Answer

It's a good idea to go with a friend. First off, it builds a little confidence to have someone who also believes and can fill in any gaps in your knowledge. Secondly, you guys can laugh it off together afterwards if it turns out kind of awkward. You could also try going with a church group where you can just stand and just watch the first couple of times to get a feeling of what to say. Most importantly, Jesus and the Holy Spirit is with you - Jesus is so worthy of our effort and at worst, if you are rejected, they're not technically rejecting you, but Jesus.

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How do I get people interested in the Bible?

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Most people are only interested in reading things that either touch upon their pre-existing interests or promise to provide knowledge they need. One of the best ways to interest others in reading scripture is to get to know them -- when you do, you may learn of personal struggles or areas of interest that the Bible touches upon, at which point you can make the connection and give the friend you're evangelizing some recommended reading.

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Tips

Remember the new convert will not be spiritually mature right away. Give the person time to grow.^{[4]
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Evangelize for the right reasons. If they are social or material, you are no better than a salesman. The Lord is always reaching out to the unbelievers, but you can still get in his way if you are a hypocrite.

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Proclaim the Truth of the Gospel without respect for persons or favoritism. Do not use opinions and non-biblical doctrines and traditions when trying to explain the Gospel of Christ to unbelievers or members of another religion/denomination.

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Be sure to practice what you preach! If you are not living by the doctrines that you are trying to get them to follow, they might reject you. Nobody is perfect, but don't let that be an excuse to not live by the word of God.
Never have an 'or else' mentality. Telling someone that they are condemned if they do not accept Jesus can be a big turn-off and easily end any form of relationship.
Before ending the conversation, let the person know that there's a God who loves them so much and that He will be waiting right there when they call on Him.
Keep in mind that it isn't your job to "convert" someone—that's up to God. Your main purpose is to sow the seed and let God do the rest.

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Warnings

It is ideal to go out in pairs if you plan to do street witnessing for safety reasons, just as Jesus sent the disciples out two by two.

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Don't start unnecessary arguments by evangelizing to members of other religions who are satisfied in their faith. Posting up outside other Churches is asking for conflict. Don't do it.

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If someone is becoming argumentative when you are trying to witness to them, save the conversation for a later time. Also some people only want to argue with you and aren't actually interested in hearing about the gospel. They only want to get you stirred up and angry. Don't let them. Keep your cool always.^{[5]
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