Monthly Practice:
Evangelism
Overview
"In your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..."
1 Peter 3:15
Evangelism is about looking for ways that God’s work in your life can intersect with, and contribute to, his work in the people around you.
We share our faith with others because if we’ve truly experienced God’s grace and love others, we will want them to experience the same. Sharing our faith sharpens our understanding of the Word, reminds us of everything God has done for us, and helps others experience His love. We share the Gospel (that Jesus came and died so we could have a relationship with Him) wherever there is an opportunity to introduce others to the same love that changed our lives.
Weekly Guides
Week 1
PRE-MEETING PREPARATION
- Make sure you have access to the weekly video and can play that for the group.
- Review the weekly Big Idea for your reference. This is intended to give you context for the week. You can choose whether or not to read this in group as a summary/refresher after watching the video.
- Read through the Group and Individual Practices ahead of time.
BIG IDEA: Evangelism is a partnership.
- Evangelism isn’t something we do for God; it’s something we do with God.
- Evangelism should flow from our own relationship with Jesus.
- God is always working; our responsibility is to join in what he is already doing.
Connection Time - 20 Minutes
Sermon Review - 20 Minutes
(Guides are updated weekly on the Community webpage.)
Group Application - 40 Minutes
Group practice - do this together in Group
- WATCH the overview video together, then engage in discussion.
- REVIEW the video and Discussion Highlights for this week.
- Take a few minutes to note how you have experienced the goodness of God lately. It could be something short and simple, or deep and complex. Then, give each member a chance to share what they wrote down.
- ASK: Who do you know that would benefit from hearing that experience? Is there anything that would make sharing that experience with them challenging?
- ASK: What are some things you can do to remind yourself that God is always working and wants to work through you?
- REVIEW the memory verse and other resources for the month.
Individual practice - to do on your own throughout the week
Write out a testimony of your relationship with Jesus. This could be about when you first trusted in him as Lord, or about something you have recently experienced or learned. Try to keep it under three minutes; you’ll share this testimony with the group in your next meeting.
Pray - 10 Minutes
Week 2
PRE-MEETING PREPARATION
- Make sure you have access to the weekly video and can play that for the group.
- Review the weekly Big Idea for your reference. This is intended to give you context for the week. You can choose whether or not to read this in group as a summary/refresher after watching the video.
- Read through the Group and Individual Practices ahead of time.
BIG IDEA: Evangelism is a process
- Every person is on a spiritual journey.
- We will play different parts in different people’s journey toward Jesus.
- God uses us, even amid our own process of learning and growing with him.
Connection Time - 20 Minutes
Sermon Review - 20 Minutes
(Guides are updated weekly on the Community webpage.)
Group Application - 40 Minutes
Group practice - do this together in Group
- Allow each member time to share their testimony (around three minutes each). Afterward, discuss the challenges and benefits of practicing this together.
- For those with children: discuss how you might be able to share testimonies of God's work in your life with your kids.
- WATCH this week's video together.
- REVIEW the video and Discussion Highlights for this week.
- ASK: What makes trusting God with the outcome of evangelistic conversations difficult? How does trusting God bring relief to having these conversations?
- ASK: Do you feel like there are any concerns or hesitations about sharing your faith with others?
- ASK: How does the Gospel allow us to put those fears and insecurities to rest? What are some practical ways you can invite Jesus into those places?
- REVIEW the memory verse and other resources for the month.
Individual practice - to do on your own throughout the week
- Spend some time thinking about the people you know who don’t actively follow Jesus. Take note of where they seem to be in their spiritual journey, and what might be a reasonable but faithful next step in allowing them to see and understand your faith.
Pray - 10 Minutes
Week 3
PRE-MEETING PREPARATION
- Make sure you have access to the weekly video and can play that for the group.
- Review the weekly Big Idea for your reference. This is intended to give you context for the week. You can choose whether or not to read this in group as a summary/refresher after watching the video.
- Read through the Group and Individual Practices ahead of time.
BIG IDEA: Evangelism is a practice.
- Evangelism is not only about other people finding Jesus, but also about discovering more of Jesus for ourselves.
- Practicing evangelism develops a deeper sense of ownership in our faith.
- Our capacity for evangelism grows as our relationship with Jesus deepens.
Connection Time - 20 Minutes
Sermon Review - 20 Minutes
(Guides are updated weekly on the Community webpage.)
Group Application - 40 Minutes
Group practice - do this together in Group
- DISCUSS the previous week's individual practice. Did it help you identify any steps you can take or conversations you can have with someone?
- WATCH the overview video together.
- REVIEW the video Discussion Highlights for this week.
- PRAY for one another, asking God to provide boldness and opportunities for evangelism to each group member one at a time.
- ASK: How has your confidence and motivation to share your faith changed as you have grown closer to Jesus?
- ASK: What habits or perspectives have helped you become more comfortable with sharing your faith?
- REVIEW the memory verse and other resources for the month.
Individual practice - to do on your own throughout the week
Read the following verses and consider how you would use these verses to summarize the Gospel message:
- Romans 3:23
- Romans 6:23
- Romans 5:8
- Romans 10:9
Pray - 10 Minutes
Week 4
PRE-MEETING PREPARATION
- Decide in advance what you will do this week for the Group Practice. This can be anything that builds community and relationships. If your group missed a week, you can also use this week to make up for previous content.
Connection Time - 20 Minutes
Sermon Review - 20 Minutes
(Guides are updated weekly on the Community webpage.)
Group Time - 40 Minutes
- REVIEW the previous week’s individual practice. Try to share your memorized verse with the group!
- In addition to the usual connection time and sermon review, use this week’s meeting to foster community and deepen relationships.
- REVIEW the memory verse and other resources for the month.
Pray - 10 Minutes
MEMORY VERSE
So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
2 Corinthians 5:20
BOOKS
- Sent. Holleman, Ashley and Heather.
- About My Father’s Business. Campbell, Reggie.
- The Master Plan of Evangelism. Coleman, Robert E.
