Article

Evangelism as Discipline

Paul Worcester

Evangelism is more of a lifestyle than an event.

When I started to grasp the urgency of our need to share the gospel, I began attempting to share Christ, but I only did so sporadically. I would read a book on evangelism, get all fired up, and go share with a bunch of people for about a week or so at a time. Eventually, my zeal would fizzle out.   

I used to think evangelism was primarily something you “go do.” I planned times when I would go out and strike up gospel conversations with strangers, and I even organized group events for the purpose of sharing Jesus with others. But what I discovered is that God wanted me to also share Christ “as I go.” He calls us to take part in a culture of evangelism. (1)

Evangelism is more of a lifestyle than an event. We all have opportunities in our daily lives to present the gospel to those around us, but we must also have the discernment, courage, and discipline to take advantage of those opportunities as the Lord provides them.   

A Lifestyle of Evangelism   

A lot of people think spiritual disciplines, such as prayer and Bible reading, should be daily habits you fight for, yet they feel you should simply follow where the Spirit leads when it comes to evangelism. Being guided by the Spirit and being intentional are not at odds with one another! Everything God calls us to do must be done intentionally. Often, the Spirit is the One leading us to be disciplined and to make definite plans. In Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald Whitney has a whole chapter dedicated to evangelism. Within these pages, he writes, “I am convinced the main reason many of us don’t witness for Christ in ways that would be effective and relatively fear-free is simply because we don’t discipline ourselves to do it.” (2)

As I read books on relational evangelism and took time to study the Scriptures, three simple habits emerged. These were inspired by Paul’s writing in Colossians 4:2-6:   

Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains, so that I may make it known as I should. Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.  

This passage shows us that prayer must lie at the heart of any evangelism strategy. As E. M. Bounds put it, “Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still. He will never talk well and with real success to men for God who has not learned well how to talk to God for men.” (3)  Implicit in this passage is the idea that believers are to live close enough to outsiders in order to seize every opportunity to influence them for Christ. We are called to be salt and light to a dark world in need (Matthew 5:13-16)!  

These three habits for everyday evangelism will equip you to make evangelism a spiritual discipline in your life as you live on mission for the gospel of Jesus Christ.   

Three Habits for Everyday Evangelism

In Three Habits of Everyday Evangelism, we will explore how you can practice these three foundational habits for evangelism:  

1: Pray daily for open doors and boldness.  

2: Develop your “impact list” for the Prayer-Care-Share method.  

3: Regularly spend time with friends who need Jesus.  

If any of these practices seem foreign or unnatural to you right now, keep reading. All three of these everyday habits will provide you with simple, handy tools for sharing Christ with those around you as a natural part of your everyday life.  

Excerpted from Three Habits of Everyday Evangelism by Paul Worcester. For more, download your free copy of Three Habits for Everyday Evangelism now.  

Notes:

  1. Check out the “Creating a Culture of Evangelism for Youth Leaders” and “Creating a Culture of Evangelism for Collegiate Leaders” on the NAMB Evangelism resources page.
  2. Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Updated 20th Anniversary ed. (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2014), eBook.
  3. E. M. Bounds, Men of Prayer Needed, PDF, https://www.hopefaithprayer.com/books/Men-of-Prayer-Needed-EM-Bounds.pdf. 
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Meet the Author

Paul Worcester

Paul Worcester serves as the National Collegiate Director for the North American Mission Board (NAMB), where he equips leaders across hundreds of college ministries throughout North America. He and his family live on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, where they invest in young leaders through Good Soil Discipleship School. Paul is also a co-host of The GenSend Podcast and has authored several books for collegiate leaders and students. 

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