Evangelism is a Process, Not an Event
Rethinking the Way We Share Our Faith in Jesus With Others
When it comes to sharing our faith, many Christians tend to think of evangelism as a one-time event - a single conversation or a specific moment where they share the gospel and lead someone to make a decision to follow Jesus Christ. However, I want to challenge this notion, emphasizing that evangelism is actually a process, not just an event.
One of the things I've discovered is that evangelism is not an event. We can have events that assist us with evangelistic activity. But evangelism is actually a process. Evangelism is a process, not an event.
This shift in perspective is crucial for Christians to understand as we seek to fulfill the Great Commission. Jesus commanded his followers, "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). Notice that Jesus didn't say, "Go and secure as many decisions for Me as possible." Rather, He called His disciples to engage in the ongoing process of making other disciples.
Let me illustrate this point using a farming analogy, which is a common metaphor for evangelism in the Bible. The primary metaphor in the Bible for evangelism is farming. That's the primary metaphor. And it's used numerous times to and and it's talking about evangelism. And farming itself is is not a punk till your activity. Farming is a process activity.
In the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-23), Jesus describes a farmer scattering seed on different types of soil. The seed that falls on good soil produces a bountiful crop, while the seed on poor soil fails to take root.
This parable highlights the importance of recognizing that people are at different stages in their spiritual journey. Some hearts are hardened and resistant to the gospel, like the rocky soil, while others are receptive and eager to grow in their faith, like the good soil. Our role as evangelists is to patiently cultivate the soil of people's hearts, removing obstacles and nurturing their budding faith until it bears fruit.
I like to believe there are six key steps to the stages in the farming model evangelism. F
Choose the fields.
Prepare the soil.
Plant the seed
Cultivate the seed
Harvest the fruit
Bring in the harvest
The most time-consuming and important stage is preparing the soil, which involves building relationships, addressing doubts and questions, and demonstrating the love of Christ through our actions. I believe the primary way you do that is through the relational connectivity of a disciple with a lost person, allowing the Holy Spirit to use them. Being the salt might of the world to open them up to the things of God through community.
This relational approach to evangelism is modeled in the life of Jesus. Throughout the gospels, we see Jesus investing time in building relationships with people from all walks of life - tax collectors, sinners, Samaritans, religious leaders - and, of course, His own disciples. He listened to their stories, ate meals with them, and demonstrated compassion for their needs. As a result, many came to recognize Him as the Messiah and put their faith in Him.
The Apostle Paul also understood the importance of relational evangelism. He wrote to the Thessalonians, "Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well" (1 Thessalonians 2:8). Paul didn't just preach the gospel; he invested his life in the people he sought to reach, forming deep bonds of friendship and trust.
As we seek to share our faith with others, we must be prepared to walk alongside them for the long haul, patiently guiding them towards a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. This may involve inviting them into our homes, our church communities, and our lives, demonstrating the love and acceptance that can only be found in Christ.
Evangelism is most effective in the context of a relationship.
The primary way that we prepare the soil is connecting a lost person to a community of believers. And the more you can connect that lost person around people who know and love Jesus, the more you're going to move their interests towards God and the validity of the things that you believe towards it because you're creating social credibility.
As disciples of Jesus, we must shift our thinking about evangelism from a one-time event to an ongoing process of cultivating relationships, preparing hearts, and walking alongside others on their journey towards faith. By patiently investing in people's lives and inviting them into the community of believers, we can trust that the Holy Spirit will work through us to bring forth a harvest for God's kingdom. Let us follow in the footsteps of Jesus and the Apostle Paul, sharing not only the gospel but our very lives as well, as we seek to make disciples of all nations, starting with our own neighbors.