An Apostolic Method of Evangelism
“How do we get people to hear the good news?” This is the age-old question in evangelism. Over the years, various methods and means have been developed to answer this question. Some of these tactics have been better than others, yet, sadly, the question remains.
One method of evangelism that has proven popular in recent years is the ‘attractional model’. This form of outreach is built around the idea that churches host special events which focus on the lost. The goal is for Christians to then invite their unsaved friends to attend. This method is widely used in crusades, gospel meetings, and, to a certain extent, even evangelistic courses. Personally, I am not opposed to this ‘come and see’ approach to evangelism, as long as the gospel is faithfully proclaimed and no compromise occurs. I have spoken at many events where people have encouraged their non-Christian friends to attend; this is a good and successful method of evangelism.
The danger arises in the fact that some have taken the attractional model too far and, in my opinion, have engaged in unbiblical and compromised practices. For instance, the whole ‘seeker-sensitive’ approach to church has led local fellowships to cease focusing on believers and the task of building them up for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-13). While the motives are good (i.e., to reach the lost), the practice reflects a misunderstanding of the nature and purpose of the local church. I certainly commend the zeal of those who want to reach out to those who are perishing, but we must ensure that our methods are biblically grounded.
One of the biggest dangers with the ‘attractional model’ is that entertainment often becomes central. The desire is to put on the best ‘show’ so that more people will want to attend. The flaw with such methods is that they ignore the fact that no one seeks after God (Romans 3:11) and that God alone is the one who seeks and saves the lost (Luke 19:10). Using fleshly methods, such as entertainment, to appeal to the desires of sinful humanity, will not create true converts who are broken over sin and repentant. It creates entertained sinners, not contrite sinners.
So, if the ‘attractional’ model has issues, what method can we use to reach the lost? How can we get people to hear the good news?
I would suggest that one way to effectively reach the lost is by rediscovering an apostolic method of evangelism. This isn’t the only form of apostolic evangelism, but it is a method we see used in Scripture. It is popular today for Christians to talk about ‘getting back to the Book of Acts’, yet when it comes to evangelism, we don’t see Christians wanting to do that. In Acts, we see several methods of evangelism, but the one I want us to consider in this article is door-to-door or house-to-house witnessing.
In Acts 5:42, we read,
Every day in the temple, and in various homes, they continued teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
Here is a prime example of Holy Spirit-inspired apostolic evangelism—the gospel went from house to house.
Today, many people don’t know a true Christian, so the attractional model isn’t going to work to reach them. If you rely on Christians inviting their unsaved friends to an event, what will happen to those who don’t know a Christian?
There has also been a fundamental shift in how people interact today. We’ve moved online—everything is done in a virtual world, and people often don’t go out in public. This means methods such as open-air evangelism (which I love) aren’t going to reach everyone either. So, how can we reach every person in our community? Every lost person lives somewhere; if they aren’t going to come to us to hear the good news, we must follow in the footsteps of the Apostles and take the good news to them.
Personally, I find door-to-door evangelism both hard and scary, but I have also found it very encouraging. By being in the community and meeting people in their gardens or at their front doors, I have found that I can better minister to them. When I was pastoring, I found house-to-house evangelism opened doors to share the good news, hear about people’s concerns, and pray for those who were suffering. It also allowed me to invite people along to church. These people were never going to seek out a Christian, but we went looking for them.
Some of the tactics I have used in door-to-door evangelism include:
1) Knocking on Doors: This may seem obvious, but the first step is to knock on a door. By simply showing up at someone’s house with the intention of sharing the good news—perhaps by means of a questionnaire—I have found many people open to conversation and eager to ask questions.
2) Literature Distribution: This is an easy method of evangelism! Get a handful of gospel tracts (preferably with your church details on them), then put them through letterboxes. In the UK, nearly every front door has a letterbox, so each tract distributed goes straight into the homes of people in your community.
I’m aware that in the USA, this method of evangelism isn’t always legal, so I would encourage everyone to study their local laws. For us in the UK, I’ve found this to be a simple way to cover communities with the good news and to get more people active in evangelism. I have even seen people attend church because of a tract through their door.
3) Gift Bags: Often at Christmas and Easter, we make up gift bags containing sweets, a church invitation, and a gospel booklet. We then go house-to-house giving away the gifts. When someone answers the door, I introduce myself and say where I’m from, then explain that we have a free gift for Christmas or Easter. Most people are surprised and grateful for the gift bags, and it is rare for someone to turn one down.
These are just a few ways I’ve used to get the good news into people’s homes. If you engage in house-to-house evangelism, I’d encourage you to keep notes of the streets you’ve visited so you can plan a campaign to reach the entire community.
Let’s take the good news to all people so every home may be reached for Jesus!
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