Principles of Everyday Evangelism
Evangelism doesn’t require big plans or special events.
It happens in everyday life.
Let me explain using John 4 a foundation...
You’ve heard it before: “Preach the gospel, and use words when necessary.” People say Francis of Assisi said it. He didn’t. What he said was this: “All the Friars should preach by their deeds.” He meant your actions should match your words. Nobody would argue with that.
But some people twist it. They think you can preach the gospel without speaking a word. That your life alone is enough.
It’s not. The gospel is news—good news. News needs telling. The gospel is about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It’s about how we can be reconciled to God and receive all the blessings that come with it.
You can’t live news. You proclaim it.
To preach means to announce. To declare. Paul said it plainly in Romans: “How can they believe in someone they haven’t heard about? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” Faith comes by hearing.
A godly life matters. Jesus said, “Let your light shine so others see your good works and glorify God.” But your example is a complement, not a substitute. It’s the melody, not the message.
Evangelism means telling the good news. But most Christians don’t do it. Statistics say only 39% have shared the way of salvation in six months. That number feels too high. Most don’t speak at all.
Why?
Some don’t know how. Their churches didn’t teach them. Others are lazy. But many are scared. Scared of losing friends. Scared of drama. Scared of messing it up.
And some think evangelism has to be dramatic—preaching on street corners, knocking on doors, or arguing with strangers. That’s one way. But it’s not the only way.
Most evangelism happens in the middle of life. Jesus showed us how with the woman at the well.
A few lessons from the well...
Jesus was tired. He stopped at a well in Samaria. He wasn’t on a mission trip. He wasn’t going from well to well looking for converts. He was thirsty. A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and they talked.
This is how it happens. Most evangelistic opportunities aren’t planned. They just happen. You’re at work. You’re on a walk. You’re at a rest stop. Peter and John healed a beggar on the way to the temple. A crowd gathered, and they preached.
For the average Christian, this is how it looks. Be ready. Ask God to help you see these moments and give you courage to act.
The woman was shocked that Jesus spoke to her. He was Jewish; she was a Samaritan. Jews and Samaritans hated each other. She was a woman; he was a man. Most rabbis wouldn’t talk to women in public. She was likely an outcast, drawing water in the heat of the day to avoid others.
Jesus didn’t care. He was kind to her. Kindness opens doors.
Society loves rules that keep people quiet. Don’t talk politics. Don’t talk religion. But you can argue about football or laugh about dirty jokes.
Forget those rules. Speak the truth. Do it kindly and wisely, but don’t let fear shut you up.
Jesus didn’t beat around the bush. He asked for water, then spoke about spiritual things. He didn’t wait to earn her trust. He didn’t try to build a relationship first. He just spoke.
Christians worry they need permission to share the gospel. They don’t. God has already given it. You don’t need ten years of small talk to say, “Do you believe in God? Do you know the gospel?”
Awkward? Sure. But awkward passes. Truth remains.
When the woman asked for living water, Jesus told her to bring her husband. He knew she’d had five husbands and was living with a man who wasn’t her husband. He went straight to the heart.
People resist the gospel because they love their sin. They’ll talk about dinosaur bones or the problem of evil, but those are smoke screens. The real issue is rebellion against God.
Find the stronghold of sin and go after it. Gently, but firmly. Jesus did. He wasn’t cruel, but he was clear.
The woman tried to change the subject. She brought up a theological debate about where to worship. Jesus answered her but brought it back to the heart. True worship isn’t about location; it’s about spirit and truth.
This happens all the time. People shift the conversation to something safer. A good evangelist knows when to answer, when to redirect, and when to ignore. The goal is always the same: bring them back to the gospel.
After her encounter with Jesus, the woman left her water jar. She ran into town and told everyone about him. Her testimony brought the townspeople to Jesus. One conversation turned into many.
This is how it works. One act of faithfulness can lead to countless others. Evangelism isn’t just about one person. It’s about the whole community.
Evangelism doesn’t require big plans or special events. It happens in everyday life. It requires boldness, kindness, and a willingness to speak the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Live a godly life, but don’t stop there. Speak. The gospel is news, and news must be heard. Trust God to work through your words, no matter how simple they seem.
As Jesus showed at the well, one faithful moment can change everything.
Thank you! Timely reflection on sharing God's message of love and redemption through Christ - this very topic came up last night at dinner with friends. We shared examples of how this happens - in line at the store, at our grandkids' ballgames, wherever we are. I especially liked your statement, "your example is a complement, not a substitute." Too many people have bought into the lie that living life with joy or kindness or generosity is enough. No! It requires - at some point - that the Gospel be vocalized. Blessings to you both.
Agree. Evangelism is a glaring weakness in parts of the Reformed world. Also, Presbyterians are perhaps the most shy of all Protestants, which doesn't help, and it's true that sharing the gospel is not something that's really taught or emphasized.
But the answer is not necessarily big tent revivals. I think we'll do better playing small ball. It certainly fits our culture better. In this I see two parts: making our churches more vibrant communities, where we'll be comfortable inviting friends, and finding ways to integrate our Christian outlook into our normal conversation.
On the first, a big problem, at least in urban/suburban settings, is members of a local church really don't know each other very well, so the community never develops far. You can't get to know someone well, even after many years, if all your encounters are only in one context (at church). This has been a problem in nearly every church I've been in. The ones that did best emphasized home groups, outside ministry, retreats, and other ways of mixing up the context so people really got to know each other.
Regarding the second, most folks are quite reluctant to get bold about sharing their faith. Boldness does have a place, but it's probably not for newbies. Still, anyone can begin to develop these skills by simply developing a practice of mentioning simple things like their local church, their willingness to pray for someone, a brief scripture related to the topic of conversation, etc.
A big part of the problem is that evangelism, as far as it has been taught to American Protestants (at least since Finney), is very much in the sales mold, as a goal-oriented activity with measurable outcomes. But we would do better to think of it as the planting of seeds. For instance, we show our concern, we share a little of God's Word, we practice small acts of hospitality, we mention going to church as a normal activity.
The seed model also helps us to understand that God works with people over time, and we don't have to do all of it - someone else may water and then another may harvest. But we can at least get the process started.