What Simple Evangelization Looks Like

Evangelization doesn’t need to be a huge community event.  It doesn’t need to be filled with an over the top approach.  It can be and actually should be simple.

Courtesy of peddhapati/Creative Commons License

Now, simple doesn’t mean easy.  It takes work. But, for teens to come to church and discover a relationship with Christ should be intuitive.  To create a process that is simple you need to:

DEVELOP AN IRRESISTIBLE ENVIRONMENT

Your environments communicate a lot.  Everything from cleanliness to hospitality sets an impression.  A clean and welcoming environment communicates that you:

• Are prepared for a person’s visit.

• Care about their comfort and experience.

• Love what you do.

If you are going to invite someone to join you, make sure it’s to a place that’s irresistible.  It will give them a reason to come back. (More on environments HERE)

CREATE AUTHENTIC RELATIONSHIPS

When you try to be everything for everyone all you’ll find is frustration.  If you want:

• A presence in the community.

• To reach more teens in your ministry.

• To be further involved in the lives of families.

You need to invest in men and women to serve alongside of you.  This way you do not have to be at every game, or event.  Your presence will be extended by the people who are with you in the trenches.

PROVIDE CONSISTENT OPPORTUNITIES

To bring teens to Christ you need momentum.  You cannot have momentum without consistency.  To create consistency means building a program that is easy to sustain.

While predictability might seem like a negative it can bring comfort.  When a teen knows what to expect it’s easier for them to invite a friend.  It takes care of the unknown which can be a huge obstacle to a teen’s faith journey.

PROMOTE AN INVEST AND INVITE STRATEGY

You could be the coolest adult on the planet but, you are not as effective as teens are at recruiting their peers.  Again, evangelization is not a simple word, so make it simple encouraging teens to:

• Get to know a person.

• Pray for them.

• Ask God for an opportunity to share their story.

• Invite them to an opportunity (church, youth ministry, etc.) where they can get to know Christ.

Then remind them it’s going to take time and rejection.  Remind them to keep the invitation simple.  When they understand the process they’ll be more likely to engage in it.

There really is no secret to evangelization.  No need for tricks or hype.  It’s simply inviting someone into a relationship with Jesus Christ.