Pre-Evangelism Work
In gardening the ground must be cultivated before a seed can be planted. I call the cultivating work in the context of evangelism: “pre-evangelism”.
Principle #1. Everyone desires to be acknowledged, heard and understood. (Even if you disagree)
Principle #2. Relationships are like a bank account. You start by making deposits before considering withdrawing.
Principle #3. Jesus’ parable on the sower provides the framework of our role as the seed spreader and allowing God to do the supernatural work of forming someone spiritually.
Principle #4 & #5. We ask spiritual questions to get someone to share their opinions. For many these pre-conceived ideas are rarely evaluated and the act of letting them verbalize it may cause them to re-evaluate.
Pre-Evangelism Work
In gardening the ground must be cultivated before a seed can be planted. I call the cultivating work in the context of evangelism: “pre-evangelism”. Here we look for opportunities to invest in other people and build a stronger relationship. This may involve meeting a need or being available to be a listening ear when their heart is heavy.
Pre-evangelism takes many shapes and can be summed up as being a good neighbor. As the relationship grows we also disclose God’s involvement in our lives. We share moments of insecurity, uncertainty, challenge, provision, doubt, fellowship, worship..ect. Often, when we take the first step to share our personal situation it creates an environment where they might start to open up about their own experiences with God.
When a spiritual conversation happens, we want to have an accurate understanding of their views and opinions. One helpful disposition is to be curious to discover their spiritual opinions. This is done through starting a spiritual dialogue and extending the love of Christ through being a patient and active listener.
