Metthods of Evangelism

Part ONE - Evangelistic Method #1

The Roman Road method of evangelizing is a tool which has been used by American evangelical churches for years and continues to be used today. The method simply derives its name from the sixth book of the New Testament, the book of Romans. The method consists of a series of verses all taken from the book of Romans and in a simplistic fashion lays out the plan of salvation. The main points are: Everyone is a sinner, the price of that sin is death, Jesus has already paid the price for our sin as the sacrificial blood atonement, enteral life is only found in Jesus Christ, and relationship with Jesus justifies us in the eyes of God. These points are all supported by different verses which act as a roadmap. The method starts by addressing the sinful nature of mankind and the misconception that all "good people" go to heaven. This is done by disregarding one's personal perception of what is considered "good" and "bad" and examining what God's word says about mankind's righteousness. The unbeliever finds in Romans 3:23 that everyone has missed the spiritual mark and sinned against God. So what does it mean to sin against God? Romans 6:23 teaches that there are consequences for our sin and that the punishment for sin is death. This is of the upmost importance because people must understand the end result of sin so that they can understand their need for salvation. The death resulting from the judgment of God is explained not to scare the unbeliever into conversion but to show the justice and holiness of God. An advantage in using this method is that it is relatively easy to learn and a great tool for the beginning evangelist. The method acts as a straightforward outline for the evangelist to follow. By using the verses, the evangelist can go through the process of justification systematically and in a short amount. This is a great tool when it may not be possible to spend an extended amount of time with the unbeliever. One of the major disadvantages to this method is its limitations. Since the method is comprised strictly from the book of Romans other key verses from throughout the Bible are not presented.

Part TWO ¬- Evangelistic Method #2

In Matthew 28:19 Jesus instructs His disciples, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..." The disciples received a divine order from Jesus to go out to all the world and make disciples. For me, I define a disciple as a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ and there is more to making a disciple than just speaking with someone for 30 minutes regarding the things of God. It is more than running them through a generic "sinner's prayer" and then telling them, "You're saved." Discipleship involves a relationship which includes love for the unbeliever. In First Corinthians 13:2-3 Paul writes, "if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." So we have to get to know the people that we are trying to evangelize and build relationships because the key to this all is love. We need to ensure that we remember the importance of making disciples and the tremendous responsibility it entails. Since Jesus was the first to make disciples, we should look to His perfect example as the model for successful evangelism. The Friendship Evangelism Method shares many similarities with the New Testament accounts of Jesus's ministry. Jesus walked closely among the people of His day and built close personal relationships with twelve of them. Building personal relationships that creates opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ is what Friendship Evangelism is all about. The unbeliever gets the opportunity to see faith in Jesus Christ being walked out on a day to day basis. By befriending an unbeliever and getting involved in their life, a comradery and an atmosphere of trust is created. This intimate relationship based on friendship and trust will give you the opportunity and authority to speak to your friend about their sin and need for Christ. According to a 1998 survey conducted by the Church Growth Inc. based out of Monrovia, California, 78% of all conversions of unbelievers