In this article, I will share with you how easy it is to evangelize your city. As a believer, every one of us knows we are to share the Gospel with others. Yet, a 2019 Lifeway Research study revealed that 55% of Protestant believers didn’t do this.
Why not? Fear.
Yes. Fear stops Christians from evangelizing their city.
What exactly are we afraid of?
- Rejection. We are afraid that we will be rejected by those we talk to about Jesus.
- Humiliation. We are afraid we will humiliate ourselves by making a mistake.
- Strangers. We are afraid to talk with strangers because it is uncomfortable.
- Knowledge. We are afraid we don’t know enough of the Bible to share effectively.
None of these are a valid reason for you to not evangelize your city. Just continue to read my article. I will show you why you should evangelize and how easy it is to do.
The seven easy ways I describe will show you what a few people can do with very little expense. You don’t even need vast amounts of Bible knowledge.
Why just a few people? I believe individual Christians, not just their church, should be doing evangelism. They, not the church, need to fund their evangelism. God equips us and supplies what He calls us to do.
Six of the seven easy ways are designed for one to four couples to do together. This way the cost is minimal for each couple. The seventh is designed for a small church.
Learn more about being a bold witness in these articles:
Salvation Is The Family Business For A Child Of God
Why Should You Evangelize?
The simple answer is because God commands us to share (preach) the Gospel. Every believer is designed to share the Gospel. God placed the ability and power to share the Gospel in our spiritual DNA. Let’s look at a few different verses that reveal this.
2 Peter 1:3
tells us, “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (CSB)
The Greek word translated as “power” here is dunamis,
and it means the explosive, dynamic power of God. This is the same power Jesus
told the 120 in the Upper Room to wait for.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the
earth.” (Acts 1:8 CSB)
This divine power, dunamis, empowered the 120 in the Upper Room to be witnesses. It also empowers us to be witnesses.Peter is telling us in his 2nd letter, that through this same divine power we are given everything required for life and godliness. This means our spiritual
DNA comes with everything we need for physical life on earth and for our spiritual life.
In other words, we are equipped with everything we need to be a witness and evangelize our cities.
You are equipped to boldly evangelize your city.
Who Should Evangelize?
Who has God chosen to evangelize? Isn’t that the job of the evangelist and other ministers called by God? Aren’t they the ones God called to evangelize?
God has called every believer to evangelize. If you are a Christian, it is your job to evangelize. Look at what Paul told the church in Corinth.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-21 CSB)
We, every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, are given the ministry of reconciliation. What is the ministry of reconciliation? It is telling others that God isn’t mad at them, and He loves them. It is telling them God has already forgiven them of their sins.
Ambassador for Christ
The passage from 2 Corinthians also tells us we are ambassadors for Christ. What is an ambassador?
Definition of an ambassador: A minister of the highest rank sent to a foreign court to represent there his sovereign or country. An official messenger and representative. (from Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2011 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
We are ambassadors for Christ. Same as the president sends ambassadors to other countries to represent the United States, we are sent to the world to represent God.
We are citizens of heaven representing God on the earth. It is our job to represent God in every word and every deed.
What are Ministers for if not to Evangelize?
Good question. Paul answers this question in the fourth chapter of Ephesians.
And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. (Ephesians 4:11-13 CSB)
It is the job of the ministers to equip the saints, those that believe in Jesus, to do the work of the ministry. What ministry? The ministry of reconciliation.
Remember, when we are born again (saved), God deposited in us everything we need for our physical life and our spiritual life (2 Peter 1:3). It is the ministers’ job to help us to discover and use what is already in us.
In other words, God empowers us, and the ministers God has given the Church are to teach us how to use that empowerment.
What if I am afraid to Evangelize?
Fear is the common denominator that stops Christians from sharing the Gospel with others. First, where does fear come from? Fear is the opposite of faith. The author of fear is satan.
We are told that there is no fear in love. “There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears is not complete in love. We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:18–19 CSB)
Meditate on the passage for a while. Let it get down into your spirit. We love because God first loved us. It is love that provokes us to share the Gospel with others. It is God’s love in us that compels us to go into all the world.
If we don’t go, who will go?
What if I don’t Know Enough Scripture?
Lack of knowledge stops Christians from evangelism. On the other hand, I see newly born-again Christians sharing their experience with anyone that will stop and listen. And these new Christians don’t know anything, but the fact God loves them and sent Jesus to die for them.
You don’t need Bible knowledge to share the Gospel. What you do need is to have experienced Jesus. You need to be born again.
If you are born again (saved) then you qualify to be able to evangelize your city. If you have a minimum of one experience with God, then you have a testimony. If you have a testimony, you are ready to share the Gospel.
At the end of this post, I will show you my Three Scripture Method of sharing the Gospel.
If you are not going to evangelize your city, who will?
How to Prepare to Evangelize your city
1. Pray. Prayer is always the first step before you do anything for God. What do you pray? First, you ask God for direction in what to do. What if He doesn’t tell me what to do? Then, just go. We have already been commanded to go by Jesus in Matthew 28:19. Second, you pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and help in what you are about to do. Third, pray that God either leads you to those that will listen to what you have to say, or that He will bring them to you.
2. Gather the scriptures you need to be able to share the path to salvation. In the next section of this article, I will share the three scriptures I use. Yes, it is only three.
3. Gather anything else you need to do your evangelism.
The purpose of evangelism is not to build your church, but to build THE CHURCH. If they don’t like our church, we help them find the church they will like.
7 Easy Ways to Evangelize Your City
I have kept the six of the ways to evangelize your city simple and inexpensive to do. They can be done by anywhere from one couple to four couples. I have done this on purpose.
I believe people should fund their evangelism, not the church. God called us to evangelize, and He will supply the funds to do the evangelism. With two to four couples, they can share, and no one is taking every weekend to do this.
The seventh way to evangelize ypur city is for a small church and is also inexpensive. It can be done by any small church in America (or elsewhere).
Here are the seven ways to evangelize your city:
1. Splash pad evangelism
2. Nursing home evangelism
3. Neighborhood Bible study
4. Prayer booth evangelism
5. Music at the Park
6. Sporting Event evangelism
7. Outreach to a particular area or neighborhood
Next, I will go through each one individually and tell you how to do them.
Splash Pad Evangelism
This is an easy outreach that one to four couples can do. If four couples do this, then each one goes out once every four weeks.
Equipment needed: tabletop gas grill, cards about your church, case of the small size of bottled water, hot dogs and buns, paper holders for the hot dogs, ketchup, mustard, plastic food handler gloves, tongs, a sign, and a table if there isn’t a picnic table near the splash pad.
This is an excellent outreach for the summer. Most communities have a splash pad in at least one of their parks. If four couples join to do this, then the expenses are easily affordable.
You can buy a quality tabletop gas grill can be bought for less than $100.00. A four-foot portable table can be bought for less than $50.00. The sign can be shared. After that, each couple buys the hot dogs and buns needed for that week. The sign only needs to advertise free hot dogs and water. We never put anything on the sign about the church or of Jesus.
This outreach is most effective when done every weekend the splash pad is open. Setup near the splash pad with a sign advertising free hot dogs and bottled water. At first, you may have to go out and invite people to come. Once they get to know you, they will come freely.
Serve the hot dogs by adding the ketchup and/or mustard yourself. Otherwise, you will have a mess on your hands.
This is friendship evangelism. Just be friendly and kind to everyone you meet. When they ask why you are doing this is when you tell them it’s because of the love of Jesus. Have cards available about your church. (We just used business cards with the church name, address, and phone. On the back were service times.)
Be prepared to not only share the Gospel but also to pray with people. This is a fun and easy way to do effective outreach. Arrive at 11 a.m. and be gone by 1 p.m.
Nursing Home Evangelism
Nursing homes are where I first started preaching. This is an excellent outreach for those that are called to ministry. You can learn to preach with the most forgiving people on earth. They are just excited to have you there.
I have never known of a nursing home that didn’t welcome people wanting to hold services or Bible studies. You can make this outreach as simple or complex as you want.
Most people mistakenly believe this is an outreach only for the residents of the nursing home. This outreach is effective in reaching the workers at the nursing home and the family members of the residents.
It can be done with music played on a Bluetooth speaker or with actual musicians. I don’t believe I have ever been in a nursing home that didn’t have a piano.
A short worship service is best in nursing homes. Bible studies can be very effective in assisted living centers and senior living communities.
This outreach will only cost you the gas to get there and the time you spend there. It is an inexpensive outreach, yet the most rewarding of all.
If you can’t sing, like me, then just play worship music as the people are gathering together. If you have singers, then lead them in simple choruses and hymns they know. Often there is at least one resident that can play the piano and sing. That is what I used in my early years of doing this.
Have them sing two or three choruses or hymns, preach for 10- 20 minutes, then pray at the end. The key here is to spend time with them before and after the service.
Get to know them and talk with them.
As you get to know the residents, they will be anxious to introduce you to their family when they come to visit. This is a ministry that will mark you for life.
Neighborhood Bible Study
This is easy and cheap to do. You can supply drinks and snacks or just tell everyone coming to bring their favorite drink.
This can be done with unbelievers. It all depends on how you set it up.
There are topics unbelievers are interested in learning what the Bible says. The two major topics of interest to unbelievers are creation vs evolution and end times.
“But what if I don’t know enough of the Bible or the topic?” you might ask.
In this age of the Internet, we can study almost any topic in depth. Sure, you may have to sort through garbage, but the info is out there. All we must do is take the time to study.
It is simple to invite people to a Bible study. The topic can be brought up during normal interactions with your neighbors. You can even go and purposely invite them.
Just say something like, “A lot of people are interested in what the Bible says about the end times and current events. We are holding a get-together at such and such time to discuss it. This is not a religious meeting, but just a discussion of what the Bible says and our personal views. Would you be interested in joining us?”
This is a great way to lead your neighbors to Jesus.
Prayer Booth Evangelism
This is another simple outreach that costs very little to do. Communities normally have celebrations, festivals, and fairs where individuals and companies set up advertising and selling booths.
The cost of booth space is normally small. Otherwise, you will need a small table, folding chairs, cards about your church, and a sign that offers prayer.
Keep the sign simple. “Can We Pray With You?” is all the sign needs to say. Nothing about Jesus or your church.
When people stop by just be friendly. Not only find out the need they want prayer for but show interest in them as a person and what they are like.
It helps to download an app to your phone that allows you to look up topics and it will list verses concerning that topic. YouVersion is the most comprehensive Bible app. There is another app that is designed for this called “Life Issues and Bible Solutions”. It has over 1400 scriptures covering life’s issues.
Look up the issue and read the scriptures. Then pray with them. Don’t touch without asking. Some are very sensitive about being touched.
Have cards (like 3×5 index cards) where you can write down their name, address, phone, email, and the prayer request. Tell them this is so you can continue praying for them and follow up to see if the issue has changed.
If they refuse any personal info, don’t push them.
The other thing you might want to have on hand is outreach Bibles. You can give someone a Bible and highlight the verses or verses that correspond to their issue.
Music at the Park
This does require musicians with acoustic instruments but is an effective way to draw a crowd.
Don’t start with Christian music. Begin with secular music that is popular in the area. What draws a crowd is those involved having a good time. Just a small group having fun either singing or listening.
Have a few of your extroverts out away from the group singing. As people come close to listen, they can come and position themselves by those drawn to the music. As time passes, they can engage people in conversation.
After the crowd has relaxed and realize it is okay to be there, then move to songs that they might be able to sing with you. This is all about relaxed fun. Pick the songs right for the crowd. That might mean kid songs if there are children present. Parents love that.
When the time is right, move to a Christian song they may know. Pick one that has crossed over into secular music.
One extremely popular song is “I Can Only Imagine” by Mercy Me. This song is a great lead into an informal Gospel message.
At the end have cards of the church available for those who want them. You can find yourself praying for people, leading them to Jesus, or just discussing their life.
Be open and let the Holy Spirit lead you.
Sporting Event Evangelism
Another very simple outreach a few people can do on their own.
Equipment Needed: folding table, thermal containers for drinks, and a sign.
This started as an outreach during high school football games. Yet, it can be adapted to be used at many different events such as soccer, baseball, and softball tournaments. Just look for the opportunities.
For football games, it consisted of passing out coffee, hot chocolate, and/or spiced apple cider. In this outreach, I recommend the name of the church is on your sign.
The object of this outreach is to build awareness and authority for your church. Just be friendly and pass out drinks. Have cards about the church on hand to pass out to those that ask about your church.
Outreach to an Area or Neighborhood
This is designed for a small church to be able to do. It can cost anywhere from $300.00 – $1,000.00 to do. It all depends on what you want to include.
For us, we picked a small poor neighborhood of fewer than 200 houses. The key to this outreach is advertising. You need to let them know you are coming two weeks before you are doing the outreach. That means knocking on doors and passing out fliers two weekends in a row before the event.
On the day of the event, send people out to tell people you are there as the event is being set up.
What do you need to do this? You can do it with one or two inflatables or just handmade games such as corn-hole and ring toss. You can even buy cheap little gifts to give away to the winners of the games.
Kids enjoy face painting and, of course, cotton candy and popcorn if you have the equipment.
A speaker and microphone setup will make it easier to play music and have people hear you.
The key to the success of this outreach is a drawing for gift cards. I recommend a minimum of $300.00 in gift cards. One for $100.00, two for $50.00, and four for $25.00. This is a large enough amount to make people want to win.
Make it mandatory to be present to win and do the drawing at the very end.
Play games and let people have an enjoyable time.
At the end of the outreach, present a simple Gospel message and invitation. Have cards about the church available and maybe outreach Bibles for those that come forward to make a commitment to Christ.
Then you wrap everything up with the gift card drawing.
This is a simple but very effective outreach.
My Three Scripture Method of Sharing the Gospel
There are numerous ways and methods to share the Gospel. The Roman Road, Journey Through the Bible, The Four Spiritual Laws, and many other effective ways.
I believe in the KISS principle – Keep it Simple Stupid. Stupid simple is how I share the Gospel. I have learned and used different ways over the years, but mostly I now just use this method.
The Three Scripture I Use:
- John 3:16
- 2 Corinthians 5:17-18a
- Romans 10:9-10
How do I do this?
- First, I read John 3:16. I explain this verse is the heart of the Bible. It encapsulates in one verse what the whole Bible is about. I then go on and briefly talk about Jesus life, burial, and resurrection.
- Second, I read 2 Corinthians 5:17 and the first phrase in verse 18. I talk about how it is our spirit that is made a new creation. I emphasize the phrase in verse 18 – “Everything is from God.”
- Third, I read Romans 10:9-10. I explain this is how the new creation happens. I then ask if this is what they want. If yes, then I pray with them.
Just a simple, straightforward method anyone can do.
The Challenge:
If you don’t go, who will? It is every believer’s responsibility, and mandate from God, to evangelize their neighborhood and their town or city. The time is now for Jesus is returning soon.
You might also like another article of mine:
Through Evangelism, You Must Take the Battle to the Enemy
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