“People want a form of evangelism they can stick in their schedule, switch off, and leave behind when they go home,” Timmis and Chester note in the third chapter of Total Church. Unfortunately for many believers, evangelism is seen as a scary activity that gets planned out, carried out, and forgotten about. In this philosophy of evangelism, people are seen as projects rather than as unique individuals made in the image of God.
The authors suggest a vastly different model of evangelism, which is so simple I’m tempted to apologize for them. It includes three aspects: building relationships, sharing the Gospel, and introducing people to community, which they have illustrated as a rope with three strands.
These three aspects can happen in any order, but all three should be a part of our evangelistic efforts. For example, you may frequent the same local coffee shop. As a result, you begin building a relationship with one of the baristas. After a while, you invite him to join you and your friends for dinner or to a fun event. At some point, you or another Christian friend will have the opportunity to share the Good News about Jesus with him.
Chester and Timmis note, “In our experience people are often attracted to the Christian community before they are attracted to the Christian message. If a believing community is a persuasive apologetic for the gospel, then people need to be included to see that apologetic at work” (59). Jesus said that everyone would know we were his disciples by our love for one another (Jn. 13:35), and every believer has different gifts that can be used to fulfill the Great Commission. If this is the case, why aren’t we more intentional about inviting people into our homes, our circles of friends, our lives?
I encourage you to consider how you can build relationships, share the Gospel, and introduce people to community. The Gospel is powerful, and by God’s grace, the church is a powerful apologetic for Jesus Christ.