What comes to mind when you think of the term, "Evangelism?"
I think my first exposure to Evangelism was at a "tent meeting" where a preacher was preaching a "hell-fire and brimstone" message in which people were being converted through fear.
Later as a teenager, I remember being in a church that used the Evangelism Explosion method and going door to door to share the gospel. I had trouble memorizing what I was supposed to say, so I had a lot of anxiety. I was shaking in my boots and I secretly hoped that I wouldn't have to say anything while I was standing outside their door. Then I'd come home feeling guilty for not having said anything and for being such a coward.
I remember being taught, "Pizza Parlor Evangelism", where the gospel could be presented in picture form on a napkin. I was somewhat more comfort with that method but even that seemed somewhat mechanical and impersonable. Something was missing.
Somewhere along the line, my discomfort with Evangelism made me rationalize that it wasn't my spiritual gift and that it was best left to those with the gift of Evangelism. I thought that I was "off the hook" and gave little more thought to it until I went to a Youth Evangelism conference sponsored by Youth for Christ.
At this Youth Evangelism conference we learned to share the gospel in a more relational manner, through the 3 story method. It begins by you listening to the story of the person that you want to share Christ with. If you really listen, you'll find unguarded moments and points of connection. Then you share your story with that person, showing them how you can relate to their story. And finally, you share how God's story connects with your story and theirs. You still need to know some basic scriptures and understand the gospel for yourself, but there's not a script to learn and the emphasis isn't on material, it's on building a relationship with the other person and showing them how they can have a relationship with Jesus.
How about you? What's your experience with Evangelism?
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