Personal evangelistic ministry:

Thought break: What definition captures the power and importance of letting others know the next step in pressing closer to Jesus? Take a moment to think through your answer. Then write down your working definition.

Here’s mine: Personal evangelism, disciple-making, is a key component in my life, inviting those around me to clearly see Jesus and take the next step closer to Him. It is taking seriously the responsibility given in Matthew 28:19, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” Discipleship is an intentional, lifelong journey, going deeper with Jesus. The working definition of a disciple is “someone who loves Jesus, lives by His teachings, and leads others to Him.”¹ Personal evangelism is a facet of discipleship that I am compelled by my own relationship with Jesus to share. Instead of keeping this life-changing experience to myself, I invite others to go deeper with Jesus by helping them see their next step.

I asked an AI, ChatGPT², to define this experience with the prompt, “What is a good opening hook for an article titled ‘Personal evangelism: Making the next step clear’?” ChatGPT 3.5 said, “Picture this: a heartful conversation that sparks curiosity, a genuine connection that transcends differences. Personal evangelism is not just about sharing beliefs; it’s about creating meaningful encounters that pave the way for transformative journeys. As we embark on the path of personal evangelism, the key lies in making next steps clear—navigating the spiritual terrain with purpose and intention. Join us as we unravel the art of profound connections and discover how, in the realm of faith, clarity is not just a choice; it is the catalyst for transformation.”

The importance of personal evangelistic ministry cannot be overstated. Searching for the topic with the search engine dedicated to Ministry Magazine took only 0.23 seconds to return 5,430 results. Personal evangelism has been a major theme from the publication’s beginning. But, as an October 1958 article titled “Pastoral and Personal Evangelism” asked, “Is Paul’s method still up to date?” The answer reminds us that while personal evangelism stretches as far back as the Christian church itself, it must always be conducted in a contemporary context.

When we, as pastors, invite congregations to engage in personal evangelistic ministry, we must teach principles that transcend years and contexts yet appear fresh and relevant. Here are three principles to apply to your personal evangelistic ministry.

Principle #1: Personal evangelism builds on who you are

Shannon, who liked to run, was also a member of The Path Seventh-day Adventist Church.³ When she learned of other church members who enjoyed running, she did not stop there. She started connecting with those she encountered while out running in the Austin, Texas, area. When she heard of an upcoming race, she formed a group consisting of half community people and half church members who all trained together for the race. When race day came, the group of sixty showed up en masse wearing bright blue T-shirts with “Follow me to The Path” printed on the back. The race’s organizers took notice, and a relationship developed.

Shannon turned her love of running into personal evangelism. The joy of reading can result in a book discussion group. If the interest is healthful cooking, sharing recipes can lead to deeper conversations. Everyday occurrences can build relationships that matter.

This first principle means taking each interest and unique element of who God made us to be and using it to build connections to Jesus. For example, if you have an interest in remote-controlled airplanes, join the local RC club and serve as chaplain as crises arise.⁴ This principle requires us to be the individual God gifted and designed us to be and to use our interests as ways to connect with people who need Jesus.⁵

Personal evangelism uses everyday encounters to build relationships and point people to Christ. Author W. Oscar Thompson Jr. challenged the idea of witnessing by stopping person X on the street and asking, “Have you met Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?” Rather, Thompson regards it as engaging the people closest to us, those we trust the most and who, in turn, trust us.⁶ People in crisis do not speak to strangers. But when we invite others into our closest circle, crises in their lives will create opportunities to share how Jesus brings hope and comfort in the darkest moments. Personal evangelism is most effective when shared with the people closest to us.

Principle #2: Personal evangelism uses everyday encounters

The powerful training tool Contagious Adventist challenges us “to learn the skills of converting routine, everyday experiences into spiritual conversations that will attract others in winsome and friendly ways and create in them a desire to learn more of what the Bible teaches about Jesus.”⁷

I started pastoring before Y2K and Gen Z. In each church I served, I met people whom I clicked with. We did ministry the same way or shared a vision for connecting with our community. Then, in one church, I met Amber (not her real name). Interestingly, she was not someone whom I clicked with. In fact, our differences grew rapidly. But if you asked me to point you to an example of a person whose life personified principle #1, I would direct you to Amber.

Each time I saw Amber, I also met someone new. She seldom attended anything or went anywhere without company. When an event took place at the church, Amber brought a friend. If she served a civic organization elsewhere, she took an acquaintance with her. If someone in her community experienced a crisis, Amber showed up in a meaningful way.

The principle is to purposefully choose to do life with others and, as the opportunity arises, speak the name of Jesus. It might involve an individual in the elevator we regularly see or the delivery truck driver who makes repeated pilgrimages to our door. It could be the librarian who helps check out the books we enjoy reading. Such relationships can be opportunities for spiritual conversations that open up the next step toward Jesus.

Such a “fellow journeyer” model displaces the salesperson model of evangelism. As fellow journeyers, we invite people to take the next step closer to Jesus by making that next step clear to them. At the same time, we are respectful of those whomwe wish to win to Christ. As we journey with other people, we can learn much from the ones whom we are seeking to win to Christ. This relational model builds connections rather than twists arms.

When I was shopping for a new armchair, I saw a few that I liked. I sat in a couple, commenting about them to my husband. A salesman appeared. He instantly agreed with every assessment and offered to make the back of the armchair taller. Squeezing my hand, my husband nodded toward the door. The salesman was saying what he thought we wanted to hear. Not interested in our opinion, he only sought to sell a chair. It left us with a bad feeling because we did not want to be manipulated.

The same is true of personal evangelism. Using everyday occurrences to journey with people shows respect. Instead of twisting arms, forcing assent to a truth, or coercing minds to go where we want them to, we instead lead them toward Christ, in order to make the next step clear.

Principle #3: Personal evangelism shares where Jesus is present

A vibrant and active personal evangelistic ministry invites others into a saving relationship with Jesus. It is making real the words of 1 Peter 3:15: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (NKJV). Personal evangelism builds on where and how Jesus is already working.

The statement “When I pray, coincidences happen, and when I don’t, they don’t,” is credited to William Temple.⁸ Not to recognize that coincidence is actually Jesus working is to miss His leading. Our role as personal evangelists is to point out where Jesus is alive and vibrant in human experience. We are called to let people know that He wishes to be a part of their lives and that He is indeed actively involved in our world today.

As a missionary, Robert Pierce saw hurting children, and it shattered his heart, prompting him to write his famous prayer, “Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.”⁹ Pierce founded Samaritan’s Purse in response to the needs of children in Vietnam. In our lives, we will see things that break our hearts. They can become opportunities for personal evangelism. Wading into the places where people are hurting “with the distinctive, Christ-centered Seventh-day Adventist message of hope and wholeness”¹⁰ points people to Jesus. What breaks our hearts allows Jesus to use us to address that pain. Even small beginnings can produce waves of hope.

This principle also enables us to share how Jesus met a need in our own lives. Think of a place where He showed Himself to you. It could be the moment that after the loss of a precious parent, you found a kernel of hope and found a way to face one more horrible day without them. It will then enable you to explain to another going through their own loss how Jesus can provide comfort and the ability to face the sharp edges of grief. Perhaps the testimony may be of breaking free from addiction because Jesus gave the strength to face each day. The places Jesus heals us are stories worth repeating because someone else may be facing that same crisis. A friend or relative pointing someone to Jesus results in 70–95 percent of decisions for Christ.¹¹

Bringing it all together

Each of these three principles is foundational to building a personal evangelistic ministry. Personal evangelism is as unique as each person whom God created. Disciple-making happens as we capitalize on everyday experiences to bring hope and show where Jesus is already present. As Henry Blackaby says, “Find where God is working and join Him.”¹²

Return now to the definition for personal evangelism you wrote down before reading this article. Take a few minutes to see what adjustments are needed as you apply these three principles. Then take your next step. Take the next step in growing your own personal evangelistic ministry and upgrade the training you will give to those you are entrusted to lead.