The most evangelistic person in a church may not be the senior pastor. In many churches there is a lay leader who has a heart for lost people and is effective in reaching people for Christ.
Ephesians 4:11–12 tells us that these evangelistic leaders are a gift from God to a local church. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” Evangelists are given to the church to equip others for the work of ministry, which results in the body of Christ being built up.
But who are these evangelists and how can pastors and elders honor their unique assignment? Here are a few suggestions:
1. Identify them: Jesus reminds us in Matthew 7:16, in the context of recognizing false teachers, that we will recognize them by their fruits. We can also recognize the evangelists among us by their fruit. They will demonstrate a concern for lost people, often praying for lost people, inviting lost people to church and urging the church to press into evangelistic opportunities. One way to honor them is to identify them. It may be that you will see this evangelistic heart in their life before they do — if so, you can help them discover their God designed assignment.
2. Acknowledge them: Have a conversation with them, take them to lunch or have them into your home for dinner. Find a way to let them know that you see them and that they make a significant contribution in the life of your church. They do not do their ministry for human recognition, but it will be meaningful to them if they believe their work matters in the life of the church. Just imagine the impact one or more evangelistic leaders can have in a local church.
3. Pray for them: Make a point to pray for your most evangelistic members as they set the pace for the congregation in sharing the gospel. Pray that God will use them to point others to Jesus and that God will give them fruit for their labor.
4. Encourage them: Find ways to let them know that they are appreciated and that their work is being used by God to make a difference. Evangelistic church members go out of their way to invite people to church, pray for lost people or speak truth to those who are far from God. Those members who lead out of an evangelistic desire may feel that their work is unappreciated by the church. Your encouragement will mean a lot to them.
5. Resource them: Think about what you can do to fan the evangelistic flame in these church members and leaders. Consider sending them to an evangelism training conference or equip them with a personal evangelism tool such as Share Jesus without fear. Purchase gospel tracts for them or buy them a personal soul-winning Bible.
6. Go with them: One of the best things you can do is go with them when they go out to share the gospel. Whether they like to knock on doors, set up a prayer stand or make gospel appointments, just spend some time with them. You will be strengthened and encouraged, and they will feel more like a part of the ministry of the church.
7. Send others with them: One of the most effective ways to stir up evangelistic zeal in a Christian is to send them out with a seasoned evangelist to share the gospel. When it comes to personal evangelism, more is often caught than taught. I have watched numerous men over the years develop evangelistic faithfulness simply by spending time with an evangelistic leader.
God has placed these leaders in the local church. Let’s make sure we are utilizing them according to God’s design so that the church can be built up and the lost can be reached with the gospel.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This column was written by Todd Gray, executive director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention.
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