Connection Evangelism
By admin March 26, 2006
I think that’s a good way to think about it—going to battle armed with the gospel. I’d just add, “as long as you don’t make a jerk out of yourself.” You always want to be winsome.
But KGoad, you keep talking about “coworkers,” i.e., people you know already and have some connection with. But what about just doing what is sometimes called “contact evangelism,” where you just walk up to someone who doesn’t know you from Adam and ask if you can share the Gospel with them?
To be honest, I have always had questions—and a certain level of discomfort—with that kind of evangelism. The fruit it produces, in my experience, always seems rather fragile. I’m sure there are ways to do contact evangelism that avoid that problem, and I’d love to hear from someone with any ideas.
But for now, I’ll just come right out and say it: I’m personally a much bigger fan of Connection Evangelism, the kind where you have some sort of natural connection with a person—meaning that they are your neighbor, your coworker, another parent at your kid’s soccer practice, etc. In other words, it means that you have some genuine means of striking up a real (if budding) friendship with them, to the end of sharing the Gospel. It seems to me that is a much more natural—and even effective, if you’ll allow the word—means of evangelism than the alternative. Any thoughts?

