Let’s take a look at evangelism from two angles: (1) Doctrine and (2) Examples.
(1) Bible Doctrine of Conversion. Because man has sinned against a holy God, he has no hope of change and restoration within himself. God must intervene for man to be changed. God alone makes the dead alive (born again) and, by His Spirit, makes a new heart (regeneration) able to respond in repentance and faith. The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that God’s love, glory, and holiness are maintained as He pours His wrath on His Son, who willingly gave Himself for our sin and bore the penalty we deserved. To be changed and converted, man responds to God’s free gift of salvation as the Father draws him; by grace through faith, he must repent of his sin and trust God’s offer of Christ as his Savior and Lord. This good news paves the way to conversion because it tells the truth about God, man, Christ, and man’s response. This truth shapes the entire life of a church. Thus, the church is shaped by a biblical doctrine of conversion in (i) Lord’s Day gathering worship and (ii) ordinary life.
(i) Lord’s Day Gathering. Here are three ways understanding biblical conversion shapes the church: (a) Order of service. The order of service shapes our understanding of doctrine, which in turn shapes our hearts and may lead to conversion. As the service follows the basic gospel arc: God, Man, Christ, and Response, people are instructed in God’s glory, our sin and need, God’s free gift of salvation in Christ, and our repentant response by grace through faith and trust in Christ. (b) Song selection. Instead of focusing on emotions and an abstract seeking of God’s presence, the pastor must focus on songs that teach the heart through the mind. These songs ought to be opportunities to teach the gospel. (c) Preaching. Without a biblical view of conversion, our preaching will be motivational or therapeutic. Both work in a secular setting and serve a purpose in dealing with life’s issues, but not for preaching the gospel. These are earthly solutions to heavenly problems that only the good news of the gospel solves. Preaching must be focused on showing that gospel arc, and then calling people to repent and believe.
(ii) Ordinary Life. Here are two ways understanding biblical conversion shapes the life of the church: (a) Membership. When membership is meaningful, the front door will be narrow, meaning pastors seek to bring to the congregation only those with a credible conversion testimony. (b) Discipleship. Biblical conversion impacts discipleship because people long for their friends and fellow members to grow in holiness and share the good news that leads to life with others. Christians, brought in with meaningful membership, take responsibility for doing spiritual good for others, which decentralizes a professionalism mentality where pastors do all the evangelism.
(2) Personal Reflection and Models of Evangelism. Over the years, I have engaged in evangelism in varying ways. Some have been contact evangelism in public spaces, and I have also been committed to relational evangelism. Through contact evangelism, I have joined other Christians to share the gospel in public spaces. For example, we had a guy in the marrieds class I led, who was particularly interested in this type of engagement. He had a huge cardboard axe painted to look like Paul Bunyan’s massive axe. We would go to Denton Square, and as people walked by, he would ask, wondering why he was holding this huge fake axe, “Can I axe you a question?” We would then share the gospel with those open to the conversation. Another example in my personal life was striking up a conversation and asking if I could pray for people while I was out running. For instance, as I passed someone, I would often stop running, let them know I was out running and praying, and ask if they had anything in particular I could pray about. Many times people would mention something, and that was it. I would leave and then pray for them. However, sometimes I could tell there was more openness to the gospel, and I would start a conversation that might lead to me sharing it with them. Often, I would write down their names, if they told me, and pray for them throughout the week.
One model for me in personal evangelism was Gaylon Richter. He graduated from the Air Force Academy, served as a major in the Air Force, and was a captain at American Airlines. He shared something he and his wife did while he was stationed overseas that became part of his normal routine wherever he lived. He called it Pray. Care. Share. This was a three-part engagement with neighbors in his subdivision. (i) Pray. First, Gaylon found his neighbors’ names using the local appraisal district property owner ID. Then he prayed for each person by name. As he and his wife walked, he introduced himself and built a relationship with them. (ii) Care. Inevitably, as he and his wife walked through the neighborhood, they saw ways to care for neighbors: taking out their trash cans, picking up trash in the yard, throwing paper to their front door, helping move things if they needed it, and more. (iii) Share. As he prayed and found ways to care, conversations came up. His goal was always trying to find a way to connect and move the topic to spiritual matters. He didn’t press without knowledge, but pressed wisely, seeking their understanding of the gospel. While I don’t use this exact method of evangelism, it has been my basic framework for my relational evangelism.
Another example of evangelism that was not trying to “close the deal” was a friend carefully sharing with an Uber driver as we drove through Ft. Worth traffic on our way back to the hotel. He addressed the driver at his level, asked him a few basic questions, and then left him with a challenge to read the Gospel of Mark. He didn’t try to get a decision in that brief moment together; instead, he put a rock in his shoe, hoping it caused enough discomfort for him to read the good news of Christ, repent, and believe.
Conclusion. Evangelism is simply God using instruments to bring His people to Himself. May we faithfully share the truth of God’s Word. Amen.
— November 5, 2026