Effective Training for Evangelism: The 7 “P”s

If you were to ask nearly any Christian why they hesitate to share the gospel or what holds them back from expressing their faith, you will undoubtedly receive one or all of these answers:

The person will get mad or irritated at me
Being laughed at
Being asked a hard question and not knowing the answer
Not knowing how to start the conversation
Not knowing what to say
Being awkward and feeling stupid

But for many other people, it’s not the fear of man that gets in the way, but finding the time or awareness that keeps us from sharing our faith. A mom taking care of four children is a lot of work, not to mention the father frequently working overtime to ensure food is on the table. We find ourselves busier than ever these days, and with whatever time we do have, we fill it with social media and video games to de-stress from life.

I recently removed a sticky note which donned my computer desk for several years alongside the “victories” one, which I wrote about a few weeks ago. It read, “Planning prevents piss-poor performance.” Even though this old Army motto was true, the more I thought about it, I realized it was severely deficient, especially for a Christian in the area of evangelism. A Christian can plan their time around evangelism all day long, and not move an inch. Planning can only get you so far; it takes much more than writing out a to-do list to equip yourself to share the gospel.

Let’s take a look at the 7 “P”s of effective training in evangelism and see how we can be better soul-winners for Jesus Christ.

Prayer

Prayer, according to the Bible, is personal heartfelt communication with God (Matthew 6:9-13). It’s how we speak to our Creator, express our thoughts, ask Him to supply our needs, thank Him for what He has given, and seek His guidance and presence in our lives. Prayer is not a ritual of empty words, but a sincere act of faith and dependance upon God.

Prayer is a way to cast our burdens on the Lord. 1 Peter 5:6-7 empowers believers, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties upon Him, because He cares for you.” God wants us to bring our worries and needs to Him because He truly cares for us as His children.

God relieves those anxieties about sharing the gospel and gives us the peace we need as we serve Him with our whole hearts. Philippians 4:6-7 encrouages us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” God is our source of spiritual strength through the Holy Spirit, as we come before Him in prayer.

Positioning

Positioning is knowing who you are, and where you stand as a believer in Jesus Christ. We get that belief from Holy Scripture, and no other source. As a blood-bought believer of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), you are:

Forgiven, free, and forever secure in Christ
A child of God (John 1:12; Romans 8:15)
An heir of Christ (Romans 8:17-18)
We are made new and born again (2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5)
Indwelt with the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9, Ephesians 1:13-14)

Read the Epistle to the Colossians and let it soak in about who Christ is, and who we are in Him–not to mention what we receive from Him. This should embolden us to proclaim His gospel, the good news, to those on the outside. We are not the enemies of unbelievers, but proclaimers of a message that brings eternal life to those who believe it. We want to help those trapped by Satan to do his will (2 Timothy 2:24-26).

But positioning is also about knowing yourself: your strengths, your weaknesses, your goals, and what you want to accomplish as a child of God. Are you introverted or extroverted? What type of evangelism are you more comfortable with; what makes you uncomfortable? Sun Tzu in his book, “The Art of War” stated that knowing yourself if half the battle and indispensable to winning the war. Knowing this you can make necessary changes and plan your evangelism accordingly–always striving to move further out of your comfort zone.

Preparation

Now that you know more about yourself and who you are in Christ, this gives us the necessary information for purposeful preparation. From what we know about ourselves and how we want to move further out of our comfort zone, how are we going to do this?

Like nutrients to the body, we need to take in what is healthy and regulate what is not. Maybe you are weak in the area of apologetics and need to brush up on the latest trends, so reading a book or listening to podcasts will help. Maybe reading more of God’s Word and less commentary is something you need as well. Maybe learning more about starting conversations, ending conversations, or how to maneuver through them by working on role-playing with a friend.

When I was a new Christian, I didn’t know my purpose or where God was leading me. One cold December night, I prayed for guidance. The doorbell rang as we prepared for Wednesday night study, and it was two Mormon missionaries. As I spoke with them, I realized I needed to understand their beliefs better to share my faith effectively. I studied Mormonism through various resources and invited them back over the next few months to share the true gospel. This experience encouraged me to team up with another church to travel to Manti, Utah, to participate in sharing the gospel during the LDS Manti Mormon Miracle Pageant, further preparing me for even more.

The best preparation for any battle we face is to know the Bible–our sword (Ephesians 6:17). Hebrews 4:12 declares, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The Word of God that has a powerful effect of people and is more influential than our own words. Know what it says, where to find key verses, and use it often in your witnessing. Make a list of questions to answer using the Bible. Study it above anything else.

Proper Planning

In a football game, the goal is clear: advance the ball downfield and cross the goal line while skillfully preventing the opposing team from achieving the same. This involves decisive individual efforts and executing the coach’s directives. Preparation consists of mastering the game, the plays, and the strategies; planning is about effectively managing time and determining the best course of action to succeed.

If you plan to go grocery shopping, plan to actively hand someone a tract, by taking one with you. If you need to get gas for your vehicle, keep tracts in your car that you can fold up and stick inside the credit card reader for the next person. If you plan to go out to dinner, keep some tracts in the car to give to the waiter / waitress along with a good tip. Plan with the intention to share the gospel.

Here are some tips to help you stick to your plan:

Find a more mature Christian of the same gender to disciple you. I wouldn’t be the man I am without strong Christian men who not only supported me, but taught me how to share the gospel.
Always carry tracts with you. You don’t need many or much room. Carry a few Ten Commandment Coins in the watch pocket of your jeans or some IQ card tracts in your wallet or purse.
Know what you are going to say when you hand tracts out. Read them and ponder different ways how to approach people.
Think about goals you want to accomplish and don’t go home until you do. Maybe this means handing over your car keys to a friend to hold as accountability until you get it done.
If you plan on going out to eat: think about what to say to the waiter/waitress? If you are buying a car: think about how you can turn your experience into a presentation. If you have someone coming to your home to fix something: make a thank-you packet with a gospel of John, tract, and DVD.

Practice

It’s one thing to be prayed up, plan to share the gospel, prepare yourself to do it, and completely neglect to actually open your mouth and say something. In order to do anything well, we need to practice.

How this is different from preparation is that you are practicing those things you learned about in preparation. One of the best ways to practice is actually sharing the gospel with strangers. Think of it like scrimmages in football. Like I’ve said in the past, “Sharing the gospel to strangers is practice; sharing the gospel to family, friends, and people we see on a daily basis is the big game.” We want to make sure that when we suit up to play–we are ready. In order to get ready, we need practice.

There are three possible reasons you are afraid to share your faith:

You are not prepared enough.
You are not practicing enough.
You are not trusting in Christ enough.

Greg Kokul of Stand to Reason quotes an old military proverb emphasizing the value of preparation and practice: “The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in battle.”

Part of practicing means failing—a lot. Thomas Edison reportedly tested over 6,000 different filament materials before finding one that worked well. And what was the winning material? Carbonized bamboo. But the great thing about sharing the gospel is that we never fail. God’s Word will never be unprofitable but will always accomplish what the Lord pleases (Isaiah 55:11).

Persistance

Persistance is continued effort despite difficulty or resistance. To keep going even when we don’t feel like it or becomes challenging. But in order to be persistant, we need to have evangelism at the forefront of our minds. The Christian life is comparable to a foot race in that we need to refuel, wear only the necessary clothing, and look towards the hope of the finish line. The Bible gives us clues as to how to be persistant amid this wicked world we live in.

Recharge often

Like our cellphones, we won’t get very far if we don’t recharge often. God has given us bodies that need refueling and rest so that we depend upon Him for all we need. He also gave us these principles in His Word for us to liveby. God instituted the Sabbath as a day of rest from labor and to spend quality time with Him (Exodus 20:8-11). He gave manna to sustain the children of Israel while they were roaming the wilderness every day (Exodus 16). Jesus instructed us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11) Many times Jesus went away to be alone with the Father to recharge and refuel by prayer. In Matthew 25, it was the wise virgins who took oil to refuel their lamps and were ready for the coming of the bridegroom. We need our sustinance from Christ, who is our perfect rest (Hebrews 4) and the milk of the Word so we can grow (1 Peter 2:2).

Lay aside things that weigh us down in the race

In a race, you need to be fast and light on your feet; not be bogged down with things that will hinder you. We see this implimented in the Bible:

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV

There are many things that will weigh us down to slow our Christian race. Video games, social media, spending too much time with friends can be possible time-suckers. Even good things like writing, blogging, or listening to music can waste precious moments. Each one of us must continually ask ourselves what is consuming our time, talent, and treasure. Grace Mally in her book, Will Our Generation Speak said it best: “…Jesus did not actually tell us to make friends. He told us to make disciples. …a good question to ask ourselves is not, What’s wrong with this activity? bur rather, Will this advance the kingdom of God?”

Keep your eye on the prize

As was stated in the last section, in Hebrews 12:1-2, we endure with patience the pain of the race and look unto Jesus with faith who is the finish line. As in the Christian life, the race is hard on the body. People sometimes experience bloody nipples, missing toenails, chaffing between the legs, heat exhaustion, swollen knees, blisters, twisted or broken ankles, and even soiling themselves on the course. And these “gluttons-for-punnishments” do it—for fun and to win a medal that wil eventually rust or tarnish! But in verse 3 it goes on:

For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
Hebrews 12:3 NKJV

As in a foot race, us Christians are running the same race towards the finish line together. Those who have gone before us already crossed the finish line (Hebrews 11-12:1). And we should never forget that it was Jesus who crossed it first. Though He was fully God, He was also fully man, and that should encourage us to keep going; because He is at the finish line, waiting for you to cross it.