Evangelism: Eight Common Problems

One issue our elders will be discussing is evangelism: reaching the lost with the good news of Jesus Christ.

Here are some thoughts on eight common problems in evangelism, by Colin Adams, a Scottish pastor:

1. Church members cannot articulate the gospel clearly.
Response: The pastor should articulate the gospel with clarity from the pulpit on a regular basis. Presenting the gospel clearly on a regular basis will help fellow-Christians present it more clearly too. If necessary, church members should work through a study like 2 ways to live.

2. Church members have few non-Christian friends.
Response: Cut down on the number of church activities during the week to allow some room for relationships to be built with non-Christians. Leaders must model a lifestyle of witness. Sow ideas about new ways to connect with people. Ask: where do the people of our community hang out, and how can we reach them?

3. A lack of evangelistic motivation.
Response: Preach on the clear call in Scripture to evangelise. With God’s help, lead people to Christ. There is nothing more encouraging to evangelism than to see people coming to know Jesus! Talk often about the terrors of God’s judgement upon the lost. Start with the leaders: are they doing evangelism? If so, there will be a trickle down
effect.

4. Members are unable to answer friends questions.
Response: Do apologetical sidebars in sermons, raising would be objections from non-Christian friends. Recommend books like Every Thought Captive. It may be beneficial to do some practical work in this area, a course which mixes theory and practice.

5. Lifestyles of members do not commend the gospel.
Response: Repentance! There must be a willingness to apply God’s Word to every area of our lives, not just to Sunday’s. Church discipline might factor in here too.

6. Outsiders see the church as judgemental and lacking compassion.

Response: Confound expectations by being involved in public acts of care and concern in the community.

7. Only professionals evangelise.
Response: Show people from the Scriptures that this is untrue. Ask people constantly about where they are doing evangelism, and who we can pray for in their circles. Frequently bring people up the front – ordinary people – to talk about their witness and how we can pray for them.

8. Don’t know what to do once someone is interested.
Response: Emphasise the importance of prayer. Only God can bring about true conversion! Now is probably also the time to bring them along to Christianity Explored, and eventually to church services. If they’re truly interested, they’ll come.