Introduction

Ever since the inception of the Billy Graham Crusades in the 50's, the rise of the ecumenical movement, and the proliferation of parachurch groups, evangelism has come to mean different things to different people. To some, doing evangelism means inviting people to a church service or a Crusade where they are urged to walk an aisle and pray a prayer. Indeed, many can scarcely imagine genuine conversions happening otherwise. To others, evangelism is much less a monologue and invitation than it is a dialogue and conversation. The thought of a speaker imposing his own seemingly speculative views on a helplessly captive audience is too much for some broad spirits to bear. For others, evangelism has become equated with initiating conversations with strangers, sharing gospel tracts, praying a prayer, and sometimes even downplaying the importance of theological development. Waiting for unbelievers to observe something different in Christians is perceived in some quarters as naīve and even lazy. Still others leave evangelism to the pros - pastors, seminary professors, youth leaders, and the like. After all, if evangelism is so important, who am I to try it?

So what do you think? Are each of these methods as good as the others? Are they equally innocuous, or might there be dangers lurking under the surface of any or all? And what exactly are we doing when we do evangelism, anyway? In other words, what are the essential components without which we have not done evangelism? How do we define evangelistic success - prayers prayed? Commitments made? Aisles walked? Compassion gifts distributed, perhaps? And once we have answers to these questions, how do we actually go about doing evangelism, and what should our motives be? Let's add some knowledge to our zeal.