The Six Principles of Effective Evangelism
Equipping Your Church for Kingdom Impact
As church leaders, one of our greatest challenges is equipping our congregations to effectively share their faith. Many of us have tried evangelism programs that produced limited fruit, leaving both leaders and members discouraged. What if the issue isn't with our people's commitment but with our fundamental approach to evangelism?
In a recent episode of the Revitalize My Church podcast, hosts Nathan Bryant and Bart Blair from Assist Church Expansion shared six principles of evangelism that can transform how your church approaches outreach. These aren't complicated techniques but foundational concepts that can help your congregation become more effective in sharing the gospel.
Why Traditional Evangelism Methods Aren't Working in Today's Churches
Many churches today are struggling to effectively reach people for Jesus. It's not that they've lost their heart for evangelism, but often the methods they've employed for decades no longer connect with today's culture.
Many churches have just stopped effectively reaching people. This doesn't mean these churches don't care about reaching people or aren't trying—it's that their methodology is no longer working.
Let's explore the six principles that can help your church develop a more effective approach to evangelism.
Evangelism as a Process Not an Event: Shifting Your Church's Perspective
The first principle is that evangelism is a process, not a one-time event. This concept challenges many traditional evangelistic approaches that focus solely on the moment of decision.
In Scripture, the most common metaphor for evangelism is farming. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 (ESV): "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth."
Practical application for church leaders:
Help your congregation understand their role in the process. Some members will excel at building initial relationships (planting), others at explaining the gospel (watering), and others at helping people make decisions (harvesting).
Create multiple touchpoints for visitors and seekers rather than expecting conversion at first contact.
Develop a "farming model" of evangelism in your church, teaching members to recognize where people are in their spiritual journey.
Celebrate all parts of the process, not just decisions.
Making Disciples Not Just Decisions: Reframing Your Evangelistic Goal
The second principle is that the goal of evangelism is to make disciples, not decisions. Jesus didn't command us to collect conversions; He commanded us to "make disciples" (Matthew 28:19-20, ESV).
Practical application for church leaders:
Develop pre-decision discipleship pathways that help seekers understand who Jesus is before asking for commitment.
Train your members to focus on helping people understand Jesus rather than just getting them to pray a prayer.
Create follow-up systems that move new believers into discipleship immediately.
Measure discipleship outcomes, not just decisions.
Relationship-Based Evangelism: Building Bridges Not Barriers
The third principle is that evangelism is most effective in the context of relationships. While God's Word is powerful on its own (Hebrews 4:12), God has designed evangelism to work through relationships.
Jesus himself modeled this by being "a friend of sinners" (Matthew 11:19, ESV). He didn't isolate himself from those who needed him most but engaged with them in meaningful ways.
We are called to be "salt and light" (Matthew 5:13-14), but "it's pretty tough to be light if you're never in the room. It's tough to be salt if you never make contact with the meat."
Practical application for church leaders:
Encourage your congregation to build genuine friendships with people who don't know Jesus.
Create church environments and events where believers can naturally introduce their non-believing friends.
Train your members in hospitality and relationship-building as evangelistic skills.
Challenge your congregation to reorient their social calendars to include people who don't yet know Jesus.
Emphasizing Relationship with Jesus Over Heaven and Hell in Gospel Presentations
The fourth principle addresses the content of our message. While heaven and hell are real and important, the primary message of the gospel is about relationship with Jesus.
John 17:3 (ESV) captures this beautifully: "And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." Eternal life is defined not just as a destination but as a relationship.
The gospel of John begins by emphasizing that those who believe in Jesus are "given the right to become children of God" (John 1:12, ESV). We are spiritual orphans invited into God's family through Jesus.
Practical application for church leaders:
Train your members to lead with God's desire for relationship rather than jumping straight to consequences.
Develop evangelistic resources that emphasize relationship with Jesus.
Audit your church's communication to ensure it emphasizes God's love and desire for relationship.
Help your congregation articulate the gospel in terms of adoption into God's family.Can a Dying Church Really Come Back to Life?
Team-Based Evangelism: Mobilizing Your Entire Congregation According to Their Gifts
The fifth principle offers tremendous freedom: God has called the church, not individuals, to reach the world. When Jesus gave the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20, He wasn't speaking to a single disciple but to the entire group.
Our common mistake in ministry in the church is that we think team, team, team... We have a worship team, a missions team and greeting team. But then we say, 'Go reach your neighbor by yourself.'
God has created the church with diversified gifts to accomplish His mission together. As Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 12, we are a body with different parts working together.
Practical application for church leaders:
Help members identify their evangelistic gifts and roles in the outreach process.
Create evangelism teams that combine people with complementary gifts.
Develop outreach strategies that utilize different gifts, from hospitality to apologetics.
Train your congregation to collaborate in evangelism rather than feeling they must do everything themselves.
Holy Spirit-Led Evangelism: Following God's Lead Rather Than Scripts
The sixth principle reminds us that we are completely dependent on the Holy Spirit, not a method or script. The Holy Spirit works through God's word, God's people, and circumstances to bring people to Christ.
We are "God's fellow workers" (1 Corinthians 3:9, ESV), partnering with the Holy Spirit in the process. This means we must be sensitive to His leading in each unique situation.
Practical application for church leaders:
Train your congregation in listening to the Holy Spirit's guidance.
Encourage prayer as the foundation of all evangelistic efforts.
Create space for testimonies about Holy Spirit-led evangelism encounters.
Teach flexibility in approach rather than rigid adherence to scripts.
Implementing These Principles in Your Church's Evangelism Strategy
As you consider how to implement these principles in your church:
Start by assessing your current evangelism approach. Does it reflect these six principles?
Begin teaching these principles to your leadership team and then to your congregation.
Develop training that helps members understand their place in the evangelism process.
Create pathways that allow people to engage in evangelism according to their gifts.
Build systems that support the process of moving people from initial contact to discipleship.
Remember, the goal isn't to create another program but to fundamentally shift how your church thinks about and practices evangelism.
Where to Learn More
This blog post is based on an episode of the Revitalize My Church podcast hosted by Nathan Bryant and Bart Blair from Assist Church Expansion. The podcast releases new episodes on the 1st and 15th of each month, with the 1st of the month featuring discussions between Nathan and Bart, and the 15th featuring interviews with guest experts.
By embracing these principles, your church can move from frustration to fruitfulness in evangelism, equipping every member to play their part in God's mission of reaching the lost.