Paul Wheelhouse

November 19, 2023

The Christian Information & Resource Center of the ACA (this website) outlines the 7 Pillars of the Christian Life (see Resources page). Evangelizing and Witnessing is one of the pillars. There is a difference but so closely related we consider them to be a part of the same pillar. The difference is that “witnessing” is used for individuals, lay people and ministers. “Evangelism” is used for called evangelists and for programs by churches and organizations. Programs are a more formal outreach to others whereas “witnessing” by individuals is less formal. “Witnessing” in fact has always had an individual meaning going back to the Greek New Testament. “…John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ…” (Rev. 1:2 ESV Greek word for “witness” is martyrion from which we get the word martyr).

This is the first article post for this pillar. I hope you find this very helpful.

  1. A genuine love for the person or people you are witnessing to or evangelizing or about to so so is the most affective motivation. We can only have this agape unconditional love by the power of the Holy Spirit.
  2. Prayer is absolutely vital. Pray before you begin to engage. Pray during your engagement. And pray after for the Holy Spirit to work on the planted seed in the hearts of the hearers, and pray that the Devil does not come and steal the planted seeds. Pray that you have the right attitude and motivation and for God’s guidance to whom you go to and how to bring the Good News.
  3. Witness and evangelize with the Bible with you always. Do not be bashful about carrying a Bible. Do not be “ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation” (Rom. 1:16 ESV). The Bible, as God’s word, is the number one book. There are many supplemental materials to help those witnessing or evangelizing. All of them are based on the Bible. There are a number of Christian publishers who have been publishing evangelism and witnessing materials.
  4. Freely handout and distribute Bibles and other materials such as tracts, Bible information sheets such as the Bible Reading Introduction handout freely posted on this site.
  5. Get all the witnessing and evangelizing training you can get.
  6. Don’t use evangelism and witnessing training materials in real engagement opportunities in a rote or “pat” ingenuine intellectual way. Rather, internalize all the material, and then pray the Spirit of God guides you in pulling on key passages that connects with the real person to whom you are engaging praying that you are able to connect to them on a heart level. Every person is different and will be at their own spiritual place.
  7. Engage with people warmly, genuinely, with pleasant speech, yet with conviction, persuasion, passion, and love, relying on the power of the Holy Spirit. Also have a spirit of humility through which you do not see yourself as dominating over them, such as believing that your Christian culture is superior over their culture, but rather as a humble servant who has received such Good News that you cannot but help tell them.
  8. Do not do it alone. If you are doing it solo and everyone else who is not solo, know that you have support. And that support should be four-fold: prayer support, materials support, Christian fellows support, and financial support. Nurture your support. Communicate regularly with them and express the needs.
  9. Use any and all the available technology and their means: print, audio, video, radio, TV, Internet and websites, email, chat, MS or FB Messenger, social media platforms, and other electronic systems and networks.
  10. Prayerfully get those to whom you have witnessed to or evangelized connected to those who can lead them to the next step: discipleship, if this is possible. Sometimes, we witness briefly to a stranger in passing while at an airport, train station, etc and will probably never see them again. But for those we can contact, do not “drop” them, but connect them to a church and a minister to complete their journey to Christ. If you are a minister or any layperson who has the time and leading, then lead them all the way to Christ and prepare them for entrance into the church through Baptism, teaching them the fundamental Christian doctrines.