What is Evangelism and Why is it Important? - Joey Ferrell
Evangelism. You may have heard this word many times and not really understand the meaning behind it. After all, you will not find the word evangelism in your Bibles. But, the concept is definitely there, and we must understand the significance and the importance of utilizing evangelism in our day and time.
Definition
Evangelism is derived from the Greek noun that is used for “good tidings” or “messenger.” The Greek word looks very similar to the spelling that we have in evangelism. It is euangelion. You can notice the similarity pretty quickly.
What does it really mean? In brief, it means to tell the Good News of Jesus Christ.
While it would take a very lengthy article and time to fully expound on all of the ways that we can evangelize, what we can look at today is just a touch of how we can jump start a few ideas in which to grow upon.
The Bible clearly has multiple examples of evangelism, especially in the great commission of Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-16, Luke 8 & 10, Proverbs 11:30, and many more. The “how” isn’t always as clear as they “why.” Here are a few suggestions of how to evangelize in your local area.
Card programs - if you know of people in the community who have had sickness, lost loved ones, had life changes, and so on…a nice greeting card in a timely manner may be more than enough to open a door of opportunity.
Social Media invites - There are many local area groups on Facebook in particular. In our area, there is hardly a week that goes by that someone does not post asking about a “good church” in the area. This is a great way to make an acquaintance. Just don’t be overpowering with the conversation. The goal would be to invite them to visit.
New mover and visitor bags - There are different ways to acquire new mover contacts. One of these is through the House to House mail out program. When you may receive a list of contacts, make up a small gift bag with a couple of tracts, maybe a DVD (you can order some from our website for free), a couple of small goodies like a pen/pencil, not pad, etc. and deliver it to their door step. Even if they are not at home, the bag can be left…just make sure the contact information is there for the church! These are also great for visitors that come to your building for services.
Personal invitation cards - Have some cards printed up with the church name, address, and meeting times only on the front side. On the back of the card, have a place that says “you are invited to come and visit with us. Please show this card to someone to let them know you are looking for me. My name is __________________________. My phone number is (optional) ___________. We look forward to seeing you!” Hand these cards out anywhere and everywhere you come into contact with people.
Example - Make sure that in your daily life that people see Christ within you. Christians should be happy people, and we should be people that want to tell everyone that we can about our happiness and our salvation. We should want to be “messengers of the Good News”….euangelion.
Why is evangelism important? Well, if you have read this far, you probably already have some indication of the importance. The main emphasis is simple…we are commanded by our Lord to tell others, but, the motivation should be that we love our neighbor as much as ourselves…and want to see our neighbor (friend, loved one, etc) in heaven with us.
Let’s get busy! There are souls that need us today…right now!
Our main emphasis at The Gospel of Christ is to Take the Whole Gospel to the Whole World. This is the basis of our evangelistic efforts. We pray that you will see many great resources that you can also use in your own evangelistic efforts from The Gospel of Christ including through our television broadcasts, field representative visits, free media items and our website.
We are currently reaching over 50,000 households each week through our broadcasts across the country, thousands of website visitors each week and hundreds of free media items sent out via mail and digital downloads. This is all made possible by individuals and congregations of the Lord’s church. We hope you will visit a congregation near you soon. Find our supporting congregations at www.findthelordschurch.com.
Until next time…
Joey