Personal Evangelism in Australia

 PERSONAL EVANGELISM IN AUSTRALIA

When a lot of people think evangelism, they straightaway think street evangelism. Or shopping centre evangelism. Of approaching people they don’t know.

And that's good. Really good.

Our church's Saturday night evangelism team have the most beneficial and supernatural encounters with total strangers out on the streets every time they go out. It's amazing.

And I'd like to suggest an additional way:

The Lord, and Paul often started at local synagogues - and from there their ministries spilled outside, into homes, the streets or elsewhere.

So I wondered, What might be a modern-day equivalent of the 'synagogue', in Australia - an obvious place to start?

And I thought, churches!

Aside from in our own homes, among our own family and friends, churches are an obvious place to meet others publicly with whom we might share our faith. There we find some of the ripest fruits for the picking - a place we oughtn't want to neglect.

While you're at church, put your spiritual radar up, and ask God, Who do you want me to talk to - who shall I spend time with - and see who is highlighted to you. And see if they’d appreciate you spending time with them sometime through the week.

It may be a newcomer to church. Someone who even recently answered the altar call, maybe. And now they only need someone to show them friendliness and try to establish a meaningful rapport with them. That could make all the difference for them.

When you approach a visitor at church, you hardly have to feel apprehensive about whether or not they'll welcome your approach. Most newcomers to churches want someone to talk with them.

They'll hardly be startled, even if you start talking about the Lord. Most visitors to church wouldn't think it out of place to hear about God at church after a service.

What everyone will warm to most, is love - love shown for its own sake, not because we're trying to get numbers to our connect group or something.

I've found, whenever I've straightaway invited someone at church to a connect group, they seldom came, no matter how sincere I was. But when I arranged instead to hangout with them outside of church, and did so more than once, purely for friendship's sake, eventually they'd say to me, "That home meeting you go to: can I come?"

'Love must be sincere, and active' (see Romans 12:9, Amplified Bible).

Through making that one friendship, you could then get introduced to the person's circle - salvation could snowball to their family and friends - and you could be the catalyst for it.

So, next time you feel like evangelising - and it doesn't happen to be a Sunday, or not your regular street outreach night - how about praying quietly for a moment, ask God, Who can I go see? And see who the Lord puts on your heart, who comes to mind.

Then see what's appropriate to do. Visit them at home. Go out for a meal together. Kick the footy around down at the beach.

It might be someone you've met at church.

Someone who's responded to the altar call recently.

Or someone who always used to come, but hasn't for a while. Pray the Lord draws him or her; rebuke any hindrances - you could end-up seeing them back next Sunday!

Jesus loved His own, to the end; of them which the Father gave Him, He lost none - John's gospel says. Imagine if we could say the same.

One time we prayed, "You send them, we'll love them." Then new people just started turning up! All we had to do was love them. Practically. Through the week. Actually becoming sincere friends. And aside from any other outreach programs at all, the church grew, just by that. Years later someone remarked, "Why are so many young men getting saved at your church?" We remembered our prayer. When God knows you'll love people, He'll send them.

Or, someone might come to your mind who hasn't been to church at all yet.

Evangelism doesn't always have to be among people you don't know yet down at the shops. It could be someone you've already met that the Lord will lay on your heart.

Instead of only one-off encounters on the street all the time, evangelism can also unfold a bit more naturally, organically, inter-connectedly, relationally, wholistically, and flourish, in multiple times and settings.

Evangelism is a shepherding activity too, not just a once-off encounter with people.

When Jesus saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no SHEPHERD.

Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest" (Matthew chapter nine)...

...then in the very next chapter (chapter 10) it says He called to Him His 12 disciples, empowered them and sent them out.

That means evangelism was an expression of the shepherd's heart. Shepherding involves knowing, following up, spending time with, feeding and caring for sheep known to the shepherd. Evangelism isn't all like ringing a bell to passersby. Though it is that too.

In time between us we'll end-up seeing people come to Christ, and praying with them - we'll see the supernatural power of God manifest, just as much. Anywhere and everywhere.

Just like we have been deliberate about street ministry - intentionally setting a time and place for it, making it regular - we can do this intentionally too.

Pray, Who can I go see, Lord? who can I spend time with.

Then go do it - with whomever, wherever and whenever seems best - purposely.

And keep up with the street outreaches and programs too.