Posts Tagged ‘Contact’

Contact Evangelism:
Sharing the Biblical gospel in direct contact with strangers.

Friendship Evangelism:
Sharing the Biblical gospel within the context of friendships.

“There are at least 89 instance of Christ and His associates doing evangelism in the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). Of these 89 instances, 77 took place in the context of Contact Evangelism. For example, Jesus preached the gospel in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7), and He traveled throughout the region, preaching the gospel (Matt. 9:35). Only 12 instances happened in the context of what could be considered Friendship Evangelism. These include the often cited example of Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners (Matt.11:19), and assume that eternal truths were shared during casual, friendly encounters. These findings are represented in the following pie chart. These incidents provide us with a clear model for evangelism, based on sheer volume of examples of Christ Himself doing contact evangelism. Furthermore, it is instructive that most of the friendship evangelism opportunities in the Gospels were the direct result of previous encounters in the public. For example, consider Zacchaeus. He is often touted as an example of friendship evangelism because he and Jesus shared a meal together. The fact that he met Christ in the context of His public ministry is entirely neglected by most proponents of Friendship Evangelism (Luke 19:1-4). This is true Friendship Evangelism: a friendship that begins (not ends) with the proclamation of the gospel. It is based entirely on the gospel rather than on sporting or social events designed to sneak the gospel into the conversation at some later date.

There are at least 46 instances of the early Church engaging in evangelism (both contact and friendship) in the book of Acts. Of these 46 instances, 38 took place in the context of Contact Evangelism. The apostle Peter’s sermon at Pentecost (Acts 2:14-38) is a fine example. Paul’s sermon at Mar’s Hill is another instance of Contact Evangelism with the intellectual giants of his day (Acts 17:22-31). Only 8 incidents happened in the context of what could be considered Friendship Evangelism. Examples counted as Friendship Evangelism include Paul’s lengthy ministry in Ephesus (Acts 19:8-10) as well as his time of house arrest, since he was able to teach the Word of God to those who came to visit him (Acts 28:23,30,31). Again, since this time was spent “persuading them concerning Jesus,” keep in mind that a verbal witness is essential in addition to the friendship. These findings are represented in the following pie chart. It is interesting to note that the ratios are comparable to those in Christ’s life – within three percentage points. It’s probably not wise to make too much of this, but considering the fact that the apostles were taught by the Lord Himself, it’s not surprising that they followed His example.”

Let this excerpt be an encouragement to you today. If you are unsure of how to share your faith biblically our ministry would like to help you. On Fire For Jesus Ministry offers basic evangelism courses and we are getting geared-up for some new courses. We will not be calling you to be an “open-air-preacher” or even into “street ministry”, but we will show you a biblical model to share your faith without fear. We are ALL commanded to share our faith with those around us whether they are our unsaved friends, family or strangers. There is a basic evangelism classes being offered this summer (at my Home church in Central Florida), and registrations are almost full so get signed up today…