Home » Evangelism » Elemental Evangelism, Part 1

Elemental Evangelism, Part 1

Photo of author
Written By Tim Brister

Tim has a missionary heart for his hometown to love those close to him yet far from God. He is husband to Dusti and father to Nolan, Aiden, and Adelyn - fellow pilgrims to our celestial city.

In the midst of the series on SBC, I shared briefly some of my experiences regarding evangelism (see here and here). I struggled with whether or not to post excerpts of my life outside the blogworld for several reasons, mainly because I know my proud heart and how easily it is to acknowledge spiritual performance rather than my absolute dependence upon God. I also know that I, like most of you, am your average Joe Christian. I am a 28 year old seminary student who works part-time at UPS in the middle of the night who, outside this blog, would be known by a very small number of people. I do not pretend to be a celebrity nor do I care to project that idea through the virtual world of blogging. In any case, I really appreciate the encouraging words I have received both on and off the record. If there is anyway I encourage folks to live, breathe, share, and demonstrate the gospel, then I am thrilled to be a small part of that.

In light of the apparent interest, I thought I would briefly mention seven elements of evangelism that I have comprised my efforts in sharing the gospel with others. There is noting really profound here, but I do think they would be helpful to think about. I suppose they would run in a logical or sequential order, though these elements often overlap. Here they are:

1. Missional/Contextual

As a Christian, I understand that I bear the responsibility of the Great Commission to go as one who is “sent.” This means I must know where I am going (context) and why I am going there (mission). Not only am I called to be a good student and exegete of Scripture, but I am also called to be a good student and exegete of culture as well. This means I must learn the thoughts, beliefs, and worldviews of the world around me. I listen to their lives, learn of their interests, ask questions about matters important to them. With each person, I am taking mental notes and being careful to remember the information I have acquired. The importance of doing this is to know how to clearly and effectively communicate the gospel in that given context.

Being missional means that your evangelism is going to be more than a “plan of salvation” or merely four points and a prayer. It means that you will learn of the struggles of your coworkers, asking permission to pray for them in their situation. It means that you show kindness and generosity in serving them in practical ways that show the love and graciousness of God. Finally it means that you demonstrate that you want to be a more permanent fixture in their lives, not just fly-by Christian here to deliver the goods. We are not here just to deliver the mail but also to help them read it (teaching) and know the person who authored it (God).

2. Relational/Personal

In the current milieu, evangelism almost by necessity has to be relational and personal. Effective evangelism occurs when you have cultivated a relationship with that person who no longer considers him a prospect and is no longer suspect of your motives. There should be conversations that are taking place about life, hobbies, news, or whatever that is not necessarily spiritual. The two most meaningful places to build relationships with unbelievers is in your neighborhood and at your workplace. This is because you have natural avenues inherent in your daily life where everyday contact is possible. Let me give you a couple of examples in my own life how this has worked.

The first person God sent me to was Dan. Dan is politically liberal, philosophically minded, and loves photography. Through these three avenues (politics, philosophy, and photography), I was able to become good friends with Dan (even though we disagreed on areas in the political and philosophical end). Within a matter of two months, Dan gave his life to Christ, and I gave my free time to photography. Another person at work I was hoping to reach was my supervisor Tony. Tony is a very outgoing guy who is a fantastic bowler (he does the tournament circuit, has the bag, two balls, the whole works). So I happened to challenge Tony to a game of bowling on Friday afternoon. The result of this challenge was that every Friday afternoon for a month, Tony and I spend the afternoon bowling together which eventually led to an early dinner close by. The the last two times we went, three other coworkers tagged along – none of them who know Jesus. During that time, I shared my testimony and the gospel with Tony several times, and though he is not a believer (yet), our friendship has become personal and meaningful.

So what’s my point here? I took a personal investment in two people. I found out what their hobbies and passions were. For Dan it was photography, so we spent evenings together in the bitter cold in downtown Louisville with him teaching me how to shoot night shots. For Tony, it was bowling, so we spent Friday afternoons at the bowling lanes where we would end up challenging each other to 3-4 games with a dinner to follow. Here’s the deal. At work, my dealings with Tony and Dan were superficially connected because it was work-related. However, when our friendship continued outside work, it became more meaningful, and they became more open to hearing the gospel as opportunities abounded. Furthermore, they got to see me outside work, in everyday life, as a follower of Christ. How much exposure of a Christian up close like this had they had before? Have they ever seen the gospel at work in the life of a Christian? Through the time and investment I made with these two guys, the misconceptions they might have had of a Christian were removed, and I was given numerous opportunities in natural contexts to share Jesus in bowling alleys and downtown Louisville.

As a Christian, when friendships are developed with unbelievers in your world, you will begin to love them in a way you could not had you not dwelt among them, ate with them, and spent meaningful time with them. This love is what should saturate our gospel presentations and also break our hearts for their need of Jesus. I may not be a good photographer or a good bowler, but I do want to be a good lover of lost people. I may not be an outgoing person or charismatic person, but I do want to communicate the gospel with my words and with my life.

Some of the questions we must ask ourselves are,

>> “How well do I know and understand the thoughts, worldviews, and feelings of the unbelievers in my world?”
>> “To whom is God sending me?”
>> “Who am I building a relationship with for the sake of the gospel?”
>> “Am I willing to make the personal investment in their lives, even when it doesn’t seem fruitful?”

Okay, so I realized that I wrote more than I had planned. As a result, I am going to break these seven elements down into three posts. In my next post, I will pick up elements three and four – apologetical and doctrinal/biblical.

16 thoughts on “Elemental Evangelism, Part 1”

  1. Timmy,

    I am short on time, but I wanted to ask a quick question. You said

    …but I am also called to be a good student and exegete of culture as well. This means I must learn the thoughts, beliefs, and worldviews of the world around me. I listen to their lives, learn of their interests, ask questions about matters important to them.

    Where do you find this charge to be a student and exegete of culture? This is very similar to something that was popular a few years ago that some called friendship evangelism. I’m not saying I agree or disagree. I am just curious and digesting as we go. 🙂

    Thanks,
    Mark

  2. Mark,

    If you were going to cross another culture, say to the Japanese for example. When you enter that culture, you are going to realize that there are aspects of that culture which are vastly different from what you are familiar with. They speak a different language, eat different food, wear different clothes, etc. They also have a different understanding of life, family, work, religion, etc.

    We have lived in a Christianized culture where much of the cultural patterns have been assumed rather than examined. Any missionary entering another cultural context must examine and evaluate the culture norms, beliefs, patterns, etc. for a starting point to engaging the culture. When the gospel began to work from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria, and eventually the Gentiles and Greeks, each area was a different culture with different convictions, values, and beliefs. Now exegeting the culture must not be equivocated with becoming like or even agreeing with the culture. It only says that it knows and understands it and from there knows how to communicate the gospel to that particular group of people. Why else would Paul say, to the Jews I became as a Jew, to those under the law as those under the law, to those not having the law as one not having the law, and to the weak as to the weak? He knew each cultural context, studied it, and became all things to all men for the sake of the gospel, that he might win some to Christ. This pattern follows God becoming man in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. God through His Son came to us, lived with us, related to us, and eventually died for us. Jesus did not only remain in one culture but went to Samaria and the surrounding regions, preaching repentance and the kingdom of God.

    So I guess that’s how I would answer that question.

  3. Also, there is a big difference between friendship evangelism (which rarely if ever brings the gospel to a relationship) and what Timmy is proposing. Friendship evangelism isn’t really friendly — nor is it evangelism — in the first place. It’s smoke and mirrors. We aren’t really interested in being a person’s friend, we just want to covertly insinuate ourselves in a person’s life in the hope that they might one day ask us why we’re so chipper.

    But the vision of missional which Timmy is talking about encapsulates what it means to be “in but not of the world;” that is, we legitimately interact on a personal level with the culture while at the same time bringing our faith to bear on it as part of that interaction.

    I like the band Oasis; it’s my favorite band and the one that inspired me to learn to play guitar. They’re not a Christian band nor are the members Christians. But legitimate interaction with their music demands that I bring my faith to bear on it and recognize where the gospel speaks to some of the things they sing. I’m gonna hate myself for saying these much abused and overused words, but it’s about honesty and authenticity about who we are in relation to what we live in (or with).

  4. First of all, is it just me or does it really look like the clouds on this header are moving if you stare at it long enough? Sorry, random moment.

    Yeah, I see friendship evangelism a bit disingenuous and sneaky. There is an element of covertness about our work, but it should not be deceptive. Another problem I see is that evangelistic efforts often turn into a contractual agreement. We will be your friends so long as you visit our church. We will put clothes on your back so long as you listen to us preach to you. We will _________ so long as you ____________ (you fill in the blank). I see friendship evangelism in sort of the same light. I will be your friend so long as you are interested in becoming a Christian, but if not, then see you later. Man I have been rejected more times than I know, but my job is to daily sow the seed. God changes the hearts and draws the sinners. I must share the gospel in the power of the Spirit with the compassion of Christ without ceasing.

    When we look at the accounts of Jesus’ preaching and Paul’s preaching, you will find mixed results. Some were really mad and wanting to beat them; others were curious and wanted to inquire more; and yet others believed and followed Christ. I think the key is to keep loving them, living among them, and giving them Jesus in your words and in your life. I am afraid that too much of our gospel message is clouded by the medium and the messenger – that being us and the apparent lack of evidence of the gospel at work in our own hearts and lives on a daily basis. I also find it that when we preach the gospel to ourselves, we are more likely to share it with vibrancy and freshness because we are daily meditating and experiencing its power in our own hearts and lives.

  5. Timmy,

    I am always happy to come back and read about being salt and light at your site.

    The idea of covert/friendship evangelism is irritating as well. I’ve experienced enough resistance from others when realizing I am a Christian because automatically they can be skeptical of ulterior motives. Some of it is their fault because they don’t understand that loving them is sharing the message of Jesus. The other fault is ours in a related way because we don’t always know that loving them is sharing the Gospel as well.

    I noticed recently in Matthew where Jesus tells the parable of the soils in which the seed is the word/Gospel proclamation, the soils are various hearts. A few paragraphs later Jesus uses the sower parable again but builds it differently. There he describes the field/soil as the world and the seed as the “sons of the kingdom” which grow alongside the tares/weeds.

    At least from thinking about this lately, and in relation to the conversation here, we tend to camp out on the seed is the word/Gospel proclamation. And miss that we are the seed as well. I don’t want to stretch too far and conclude that we are therefore the word/Gospel (not yet, anyway)…but I am wondering about Matthew’s placement of this on the heels of the previous parable as Jesus told them.

    What does it mean for Jesus to describe the Gospel as seed and to describe the sons of the kingdom as seed? Seems a strong (proof? eh!) text for what we talk about today as incarnating the gospel…this thing of living missional.

    I wonder though as well, if there is something slightly off center when we talk of “doing” instead simply “being” who we “are”. Jesus doesn’t say, “Do the salt thing” or “Do the light thing”, rather he says, “You are the salt…You are the light”.

    This is worry over “missional” “incarnational” etc. becoming the “new cool”…fad…though I am really too late for that worry.

    All this to say, if the seed is in us we are thus seed-bearing, if we indeed have the light we will shine, if we are salt we will be salty…but if the salt has lost it’s saltiness…it doesn’t start “doing salty”. It cannot.

    What I like (promise to end here) about what you are doing here, in these latest posts, like your photography, presenting a beautiful snap-shot of the reality of living.

    We do because we are. If we are looking for a new “do” I doubt it’ll “be” because of who we “are.”

    grace and peace.

    Kelly

  6. Timmy,

    I understand the cultural aspects of what is needed when a missionary goes to a foreign country. If for nothing else but communication for basic everyday living. The points you make are good and I pretty much agree with them. I was in a hurry and thinking too much about the “called” part of your comment and whether we are explicitly “called” to exegete culture, etc. It doesn’t really matter and it’s not worth pursuing. It is certainly a method we must use if we want to communicate, live and interact within a cultural setting. Sorry, didn’t mean to go overboard. Paul’s example was a good one as even he dealt with disagreements with cultural issues.

    I wonder if we really live in a Christianized culture anymore. I also think that sometimes we make things more difficult than they need to be. I am sure we all know how to make friends. We all know how to tell friends and even strangers sometimes, on an elevator or where ever, how much we enjoyed the movie we went to see last weekend. Well, shouldn’t we be just as excited about the Gospel? I bet we are more apt to tell someone about watching 300 over the weekend and hardly ever mentioning worship on Sunday. I’m just throwing out some ideas and pointing the finger at myself too.

    As far as friendship evangelism, are you guys saying that the evangelist really has no desire to befriend the unbeliever? That they have no intention of building a real relationship? That is certainly not my experience.

    Timmy, did you not start with the intent in the above examples that the ultimate goal was to share the Gospel? Or were you more of the mindset that you would just befriend these folks and if you get to share the Gospel, fine and if not, fine too?

    I understand that the process of friendship evangelism vs. being missional may be different, but certainly the intention of sharing the Gospel is the motivation for both, right? Either position can end up with the Gospel breaking up a friendship.

    I agree that we need to be a witness for Christ that points to Christ so as to not cloud the Gospel for it can be offensive enough by itself. Sometimes when we try to simplify things we make them harder.

    Mark

    p.s. Okay, here is my simple minded way of looking at this whole thing. Worship, pray, study and feed on Christ. Become a better, growing disciple that you may live for Him in all you do. Find somethings you like to do and/or want to learn to do and do them! Enjoy what God allows you to do and even have fun. 🙂 Meet and make friends with people in your hobby/activity and build real relationships with them. Don’t hide your Christianity and talk about Christ on purpose and I don’t mean sound like a “Bible thumper”. Pray and ask for opportunities to share the Gospel. Be a witness in all you do.

  7. Kelly,

    I think it is important to emphasize the fact that we *are* the salt of the world and light of the world. Your comment made me think about what Jesus told Peter and Andrew when He called them. He said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt 4:19). So much of evangelism today is focusing on ways to be better fishermen. However, what is Jesus’ emphasis here? It is that we should follow Him! When we follow Him, His promise is that He is going to make us into fishers of men. When our hearts, minds, and wills are daily being conformed to Christ’s, walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, abiding in Christ as the branch is to the vine, we will find that we are becoming fishers of men, not by technique or something new that we “do,” but because of what Christ is making us to be through the indwelling work of His Spirit. So yeah, I am reminded that we are to follow Him. That’s our responsibility. I trust in Jesus’ work to make me useful for the kingdom and effective in the gospel work.

  8. johnMark,

    You said,

    “I wonder if we really live in a Christianized culture anymore.”

    I don’t think we do, and that is precisely why we can no longer assume it so but must have a critical appraisal of the world in which we live. I don’t mean to sound complicated in thinking through these things. You are right. We need to get out there and do it. My desire is simply to do it well. Paul said that all run in a race, but not all win the prize. He then exhorted that we should run in such a way so as to win. This call came immediately after his passionate declaration that he does all things for the sake of the gospel. So my only desire is to not just be in the race, but to think, train, discipline, and focus to such a degree that I may win.

    Yes, I do build relationships in order to share the gospel, but the difference between friendship evangelism and the missional emphasis I mentioned above is that it is not exclusively in order to share the gospel. Jesus ministered in many ways to the world that did not always result in people denying themselves, taking up their cross, and following Him. My point is not to demean those who consider themselves evangelists or argue that they have no desire to befriend lost people. My concern is that our approach and interest be heartfelt, sincere, and authentic. I really don’t care whether you call it missional, evangelistic, Great Commission Christian, etc. My point is that we maintain the integrity of the gospel as well as the integrity of the relationship with our unbelieving friends by short-circuiting the long term commitment of loving them, serving them, and pointing them to Jesus.

    I like your summary paragraph in conclusion. I think one of the reasons why it sounds different or complicated is because we have reduced the gospel so much over the years and have compartmentalized evangelism to departments in church, staff positions, weekly programs, and a few points. Missional living shatters all those long held paradigms and calls all Christians to embody the message of Christ and embrace the world God has sent them to. It is 24/7 and encompasses every aspect of life.

  9. Timmy,

    Thanks for the dialog. We are not in disagreement. I do think the mp3 and paper I posted in one of my other comments has some warnings worth heeding though.

    One thing I just can’t help not to ask is – How about biblical living? 🙂

    Thanks bro,
    Mark

  10. Timmy,
    First, I’d say your far from the average Joe Christian. 🙂

    Second, thanks so much for your efforts to disciple fellow Christians through your blog. This particular post is going to make for some good material for my class this Sunday as we work through Matthew 5 and being salt and light of the world.

    God Bless,
    Mark

  11. johnMark,

    Biblical living. That’s right. Unfortunately, many Christians don’t know what that is or what it looks like. Therefore, it must be unpacked and explained. The relationship between Christ and culture, gospel and mission, and Christians with non-Christians has been addressed from scholars and pastors alike, and they are issues we must continue to address. I appreciate your interest in the discussion, and I hope to continue it in future posts. 🙂

    Mark,

    Thanks man for your encouragement and kind words. Together, we are disciples and learners of Christ. If we can use our blogs to stir one another up to love and good deeds, then I consider it a privilege to facilitate such important discussions. May God grant a deeper passion for the gospel and greater pursuit for his glory!

Comments are closed.