“Out is evangelism as sales pitch, as conquest, as warfare, as ultimatum, as threat, as proof, as argument, as entertainment, as show, as monologue, as something you have to do. In it's place is Disciple-making as conversation, as friendship, as influence, as invitation, as companionship, as challenge, as opportunity, as conversation, as dance, as something you get to do.  You’re more ready for this than you realize, and so are your friends!” — Brian McLaren “More Ready Than You Realize”

Explore ways that you can grow in Invitational Evangelism below. We all have a different style of sharing our faith and that's okay. God doesn’t require us to follow a rigid set of rules as long as we're open to God’s nudges during conversations with people.


Exploring

  • Ask friends & neighbors their opinion and faith story.
  • Engage in discussions about faith in a variety of settings: work, home, with friends, etc.
  • Invite friends and neighbors to explore with you.

Getting Started

  • Articulate your own faith story through conversation with others. How did you come to faith in Jesus Christ? How did you first encounter Jesus Christ?  What were some of your hesitations? What did you do next? 
  • Begin to invite friends and family to join you in worship services or at other church events and experiences.

Going Deeper

  • Prepare and convey your faith story in a group setting, such as in a small group meeting, on video, or in person during a Sunday morning worship service.
  • Dialogue about your faith freely with friends, neighbors and coworkers.
  • Continue inviting people to worship and other church activities.

Centering on Christ

  • Become comfortable inviting others to faith in Jesus Christ.
  • Inspire others to reflect on their own story
  • Help others to articulate their faith story in preparation for sharing it with others, either in conversation or in a larger presentation.

Classes

  • “E·van·ge·lista·phobia” [i-van-juh-lista-fobia]:
    1. Being afraid when talking about evangelism.
    2. The fear of offending or scaring others way when helping them learn about following Jesus. 

    This class, created and led by Rev. Matt Horan, will address “evangelistaphobia” and help you overcome it. Develop a way of sharing the Good News that is appropriate for who you are, because chances are, you're not Billy Graham.

  • “Share Your Story”
    The Share Your Story class is about you. Participants reflect on their lifelong faith journey, whatever it might be, and discern the lessons learned along the way. Then, the class will work together to help each other shape their story so that it can be shared with others, thus teaching others those same lessons from your experience. Every story has the power to change someone else's life. Come and see what God might do with your story once it is shared with others!

Resources

Books

Websites