BIG QUESTIONS REFLECTION

I was recently asked to do a talk on evangelism for a prayer ministry. They mentioned I was allowed to discuss any topic as long as it related broadly to the theme of evangelism. I decided to ask—perhaps provocatively—what is the key to effective evangelism?

There are so many evangelistic approaches, ministries and programs out there, so which ones work? Is there one approach that is the gold standard? It was a big task, which wasn’t possible to answer in a single talk. But I was curious if we were able to at least scratch the surface.

Based on the Book of Acts, I mentioned there is an aspect in the early church’s approach to gospel-sharing which is fundamental. I mentioned to the group that effective evangelism requires being filled with God’s Spirit and attuned to His direction.

The disciples were told to wait until the coming of the Spirit before going out and being witnesses in the world (Act 1:8). When the Spirit came upon them, they were empowered and emboldened to share about Jesus. And many people came to believe.

In Acts 8 when Philip meets the Ethiopian eunuch, we read that the Angel of the Lord told him to go down to a specific road, but the Spirit told him to go toward the eunuch’s chariot. After the encounter, the Spirit takes him away to preach the good news in other towns. The Spirit guided Philip in his evangelism.

In Acts 16:6 we’re told that the Holy Spirit kept Paul from traveling to a particular area to preach. In this instance, the Spirit guided Paul away from preaching the word in Asia, and ultimately somewhere else.

And of course, the Spirit is ultimately the One who changes human hearts, not human wisdom or speech. We are merely instruments. Jesus tells us in John 16:8 that part of the Spirit’s role would be to convict the world of sin. In other words, the Spirit does the internal work of convincing us of our sinfulness.

When it came to evangelism, it is clear that the disciples and early church were filled with the Spirit and attuned to His direction when it came to evangelism. And this is my prayer for our church. That we may be a church filled with the Spirit and attuned to His direction.

This past year, New City was able to engage in this collective calling through our Big Questions events. It was a space to discuss meaningful topics that many people wrestle with at some point in their lives. We were able to invite non-Christians who seldom go to church into New City’s doors. And most importantly, seeds of the gospel were sown.

As a continuation, New City plans to host a Christianity Explored course (or something similar), for non-believers and new converts in 2026. It is now, more than ever, where we need to collectively pray for the Spirit guidance.

Prayer is vital. The early church prayed, prayed, and prayed some more. It comes up a lot in the Book of Acts. Prayer and evangelism go hand in hand.

I find this true in my own life. When I forget to pray, I have a tendency to avoid acknowledging God in daily tasks, in my speech, and in my encounter with others. When I pray, things are reoriented toward God and His will. I am aware of Him, and approach things differently, acknowledging him in my daily tasks, in my speech, and in my encounter with others.

My hope is that each of us can pray for God’s Spirit to guide us in our interactions and conversations with those God has placed in our lives. It is a bit nerve-racking to realize that God calls us to be his witnesses, but His grace is sufficient.

If we know people who would benefit from this, let’s please reach out to pastor Moses so we can get a core group for the course. The success of this depends on not on the program itself, but on us, as Tim Keller has said,

“...the future of evangelism in North America is this…it’s not in programs…you are going to have to talk to people, you are going to have to talk to people especially who are the closest to you…”

This is so true. While the entire enterprise of evangelism is God-centered and not based on our ability, He nonetheless calls each of us to be his witnesses. He calls us to be light in this dark world. He calls us to share His love and grace with those around us, as broken and as frail as we are.