evangelism

Ideas for Evangelism

1. Look at people's giftings and character... prayers or prophets? apostles or apologetics? in-looking or out-looking? loud or quiet? Decide on when God is calling you to be you and when God is calling you to challenge yourselves.. these are aimed at the young people..

- Are you skilled on the internet? Can you set up a web site? Good with computers? Set up a Powerpoint presentation or similar to use as evangelism. Click here for some help and ideas from gospelcom.net

- Good with people? Be there for your friends and support them through difficult times. Invite them round if you have Christian parents. Recognise when people need support, space, ask if they want prayer

- Good at sport? Commit your sport to Jesus. Pray before running, carry a cross, a WWJD bracelet if you want. Let people know you're a Christian. Contact Christians In Sport.

- Good at serving? Just give your time selflessly in the church, the community, your school or college. Ask God to show you how you can serve him in your school or work place

2. Can you turn a conversation around to evangelism and to Jesus, God, church? Don't just keep asking God for opportunities, ask God to show you when the opportunities are there! How do you turn a conversation? Work at it. Get young people in pairs and get them to practice.

A funny story when this was used by a local evangelist, Mark Perkins, with our young people was: Lad 1 to Lad 2, 'so what music do you like?' Lad 2 replied 'rock music'. Lad 1 answered to turn the conversation, 'there's lots of rocks in Jerusalem' !! (this story also told in games section)

3. Encourage young people to bring friends along to socials, to church, to events in the local area. Make sure that you and your young people are prepared to meet, spend time and get to know these young people when they turn up. There's no point having people in church or to socials if they are excluded as they're not part of the 'in crowd'. It takes a cultural shift in the minds of youth leaders and the young people sometimes to achieve this. On the flip side, don't neglect your Christian young people! Think about what will happen with these young people that come in, often young people who are chaotic. Follow them up, get their details if appropriate and OK with them. Involve young people in the strategy

4. Get missionaries in to talk about their experiences. Encourage young people on mission. When young people return from mission or time away get them to share experiences with others and the church. One of our 'young people' (now 19) went to Australia for a year to travel and in that time God worked even though he wasn't doing official 'mission' work. He did a presentation. Make sure young people away are supported in prayer and that you have constant updates. When one young person was in Albania we prayed for him at our youth service almost every week without fail. Another idea is to study the lives of missionaries.

5. Evangelism is about everyday living and being different - supporting the new student, refusing to bully, standing up when others diss God, not swearing, smoking, drinking - being salt and light. Encourage a lifestyle that is different but not distant from popular culture. It's about a life of integrity - being what you say you are. At a recent secular training event for work I said that integrity was really important to me - I can't tell young people not to drink too much if they see me in town and I'm drunk. No-one else had thought about that and it made an impact.

6. Evangelism is about being creative in as many ways as possible - it's not simply talking to people to tell them about Jesus. I like to encourage young people that being a Christian should be the best life, that God is the most creative out of anyone ever and that he passes that on to the young people. Do you need to create new opportunities or training for the young people to use their gifts and skills for God? For example music, dance, badge making, I don't know, whatever they're into!

7. Evangelism is about being open and in communication with the Holy Spirit. If you are full of the Holy Spirit then people we see something in you that they are attracted to - Jesus! Encourage young people to read the Bible, pray, listen and respond to God. May be you need to make them accountable to one another - to pray, to repent and to be open to God. It's an even bigger challenge for me and you too!

8. Why not run a training day or evening on evangelism. This could lead to some practical action - eg do an Alpha leaflet drop or youth work leaflet drop. Stand on the steps of the church if in a city centre? Ask God.

9. Stand in a town centre with a Cross and see if people want prayer! Have backup in prayer support and church support too if you can.

10. Do you know how to present the Gospel clearly and relevantly? Why not have a session with young people where they get into two's and three's and have to prepare a 3 minute talk on what the Gospel is - if they can, they find an 'angle' on the Gospel to help it be communicated too. Encourage them to use the Bible throughout the process. feedback from the group (in love!) and in a couple weeks, revisit this idea and see how people have improved.

This will challenge people to make clear what they believe in their own minds - how to communicate - learn Bible verses and maybe even develop their faith too (and yours!)