Is God calling me to be an evangelist?

What is an evangelist?

An evangelist is someone who:

• Comes from the church and is fed by the church;
• Goes where the church isn't;
• Proclaims and lives the gospel;
• Interprets the church to the world and the world to the church;
• Encourages all to play their part in God's ministry of evangelism.

An evangelist is full of life and grace, and sharing the love of Jesus brings them that fullness.

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Corinthians 5.14-15

What makes an evangelist different?

We asked a bunch of evangelists from around the UK what they thought an evangelist was, and together they concluded that:

“An evangelist has a heart’s desire to share Jesus with people both in that moment and over the long haul. They have the ability to connect the everyday to the things of heaven. They listen for the stories people tell about their own lives, and point out God at work. An evangelist can be all shapes, sizes, personality, and even age… from 4 years old to well over 90, and from any Christian tradition. And God has equipped evangelists by his grace and his Spirit.”

All Christians are called to be able to be ready with a reason for their faith as witnesses.  What marks an evangelist is their enthusiasm to talk about Jesus, stirring people to think and make decisions about God and faith.

An evangelist can find themselves frequently in situations where they are where they are having conversations about Jesus and not being quite sure how they got there.

At other times they can be quite deliberate, and place themselves in positions where people start asking questions. 

And sometimes they see someone decide for the first time to become a follower of Jesus, or to recommit themselves to follow Jesus.

Meet an evangelist: James Kendall

In John 1 we read the story of Philip meeting with Jesus and rushing off to get his friend Nathaniel. Philip has put his trust in Jesus and wanted to share what he had discovered - not needing to preach a sermon, but simply sharing from his own understanding. I have this same excitement about sharing my faith in Jesus and to show others how he is relevant to our lives today.

I am coming to realise that I am an evangelist, called to share my faith with others, particularly with those who do not consider coming to church - such as the blokes I meet in the pub on a Friday night. I am currently setting up a missional men’s group, designed to be a relaxed space for men to explore faith together as we hang-out and drink beer.

Do you see yourself as…

Individual evangelist

You find yourself talking to people about Jesus, whether it is friends, or family, or at work or in a coffee shop. Sometimes it feels like you are the only one doing it, so why not connect and we can support you!

Identified evangelist 

We are starting to build a community of recognised evangelists - why not be a part of the community and we can learn from and pray for one another?

Champion evangelist

You long to see your local churches engage in mission, witness and evangelism. By helping others see where God is at work, we can inspire them to be involved.  We are looking to bring together hubs to enthuse and support mission and evangelism - could you also be involved?

Mentor evangelist

The best way to learn to be an evangelist is to go with someone who is doing it. Would you be able to be a mentor and inspire others? Or would you like to find a mentor? Let us know.

But how can people call for help if they don’t know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven’t heard of the one who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it?                                    

That’s why scripture exclaims, a sight to take your breath away!

Grand processions of people telling all the good things of God!

Romans 10.14-17

How do I find out more?

Andy Gray, Faith Sharing Enabler

Allie White, Administrator for Mission and Evangelism