Fishers of Men

By today’s standards it is an old book. Arthur McPhee first published “Friendship Evangelism” in 1978. Today the principles advocated in that book are championed in a variety of programs variously known as lifestyle evangelism, caring evangelism or other similar names. All contain the common thread that to do effective evangelism Christians should concentrate on their natural affinity groups of family, friends and business associates. 

McPhee made that point by contrasting the fisherman who fishes with a hook and the one who fishes with a net. The hook fisherman catches a single fish at a time. The net fisherman catches multiple fish because fish usually swim in schools. 

The Bible records that after Andrew met Jesus, the first thing he did was to find his brother Simon and tell him about the Lord (John 1:40–42). After Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, she told the townspeople about the man who told her all she had ever done. John 3:39 says, “Many Samaritans from the city believed because of the woman’s testimony.” 

After Jesus healed the demoniac in Mark 5, Jesus sent him home to tell those he knew “how much the Lord has done for you.” In Acts 10, the Roman centurion Cornelius gathered his relatives and close friends (v. 24) to hear the apostle Peter tell about Jesus. While Peter spoke, the Holy Spirit was poured out on “all who heard the message” (v. 44). 

The Philippian jailer in Acts 16:30 asked, “What must I do to be saved?” The jailer was so concerned about his family that he had his former prisoners share the gospel with his whole family (v. 32) and as a result the jailer and all his family were baptized. 

The New Testament clearly demonstrates that Jesus and the apostles often used natural affinity networks of family, friends and business associates to spread the gospel message. 

Today it is commonly recognized that the longer one is an active Christian, the fewer lost people one knows. That is because over time Christians tend to increasingly build their social networks from other believers. Friends are drawn from Sunday School classes. Many Christians participate in weekday Bible studies or prayer groups. Some Christians join church-sponsored athletic programs or volunteer in church-sponsored ministries and missions programs. 

Each activity strengthens relationships with fellow believers while slowly and surely decreasing contacts with those outside the church. That is why some people have trouble identifying anyone they “know” who is not active in a church. 

A LifeWay Christian Resources study titled “Americans Open to Outreach From Churches” found that 63 percent of Americans are willing to receive information about a local church from a family member. Fifty-six percent of respondents were willing to receive information about a local church from a friend or neighbor. 

While an openness to the church and to the gospel exists on the part of unchurched people, Thom Rainer points out in his book “The Unchurched Next Door” that only 2 percent of church members even invite an unchurched person to church during any given year. 

The importance of Christians sharing their faith through natural affinity groups of family, friends and business associates was illustrated in a study of 15,000 churchgoers. Eighty percent of the respondents said they came to faith in Christ through a friendship. The other 20 percent were spread through: 1. Contact with a church leader — 6 percent; 2. Sunday School — 5 percent; 3. A church event — 3 percent; 4. Cold call church contact — 3 percent; 5. A crisis — 1 percent; 6. Church visitation — 1 percent. 

One California church reported its most effective outreach program is members attending ballgames. There the members purposefully meet new people and follow up to form friendships. Later as opportunities present themselves, the members share their faith in Jesus Christ. The pastor commented that in secularized, urban settings, friendship evangelism may be the only avenue to reach large numbers of people with the gospel.

Still few Christians purposefully build relationships with lost people for the purpose of sharing Christ. One study found less than 25 percent of respondents who actively cultivated such relationships. More respondents in the study actually disagreed with the concept (38 percent). 

Some called the strategy manipulation. Others said verbal sharing was unnecessary; that one’s Christian life should be sufficient witness. Still others (47 percent) said they would be “too scared to share a verbal witness.” 

Friendship evangelism is built on a natural relationship — family, friend, business associate. It is based on the relationship being genuine. What kind of friend would a believer be if that person did not share the good news of Jesus with a family member or friend? 

Jesus should make a difference in the life of every believer, but how will the lost person know the reason for that difference if one does not tell them about Jesus? 

When Jesus said, “Follow Me and I will make you become fishers of men” (Mark 1:17), He invited His followers into a learning process. None were instantly successful then. None are today. Becoming “fishers of men” is a process but it cannot happen until one actually goes fishing. 

Christian churches will always invite nonmembers to special events. After all, what is a Sunday morning worship service if not a special event? But we may have to refocus attention and be more intentional about taking the gospel into the community. Perhaps we will have to join the Rotary Club, the PTA, the labor union. Perhaps we will have to serve on community boards, do volunteer work or play in civic-sponsored recreational leagues. Perhaps we will have to use our natural affinity groups of family, friends and business associates to become fishers of men.