Hacks, Fears and Incentives: 4 People on How They Evangelize

If you’re like me, you’ve never seen someone “get saved” outside of the pastor-pulpit-altar call setting. During the Mission: Possible months of April and May at Lifepointe, it became quite clear to me that I didn’t need to be a pastor, didn’t need a pulpit, didn’t need a sermon followed by the most eloquent speech (or threat) to invite someone into this beautiful life with Jesus. If none of the sermons convinced me (and they sure did! Get your fix here, you’re welcome 😝) to live out the Great Commission in my everyday life, speaking to these 4 rock stars surely did the trick. Below, four members of the Lifepointe family talk about the hows and whys of evangelism off the pulpit.

 

ADAORA MOMAH | Lawyer, Chef, Actress

1. What made me more intentional about telling people about Jesus?

I guess it was at the point I had fully surrendered my all to Jesus and I had an encounter with Him, one of those ones you can’t explain but you feel peace and some crazy level of unexplainable joy. It was a beautiful feeling and I remember afterwards, I just wanted to spend more time with God and understand what He was about. On this quest, I fell in love with God and if you\’ve been in, love you know that you can’t help but tell everyone about this person and how he makes you feel. I knew it would be selfish of me not to tell people about the great joy I had found in God.

2. What’s in your evangelism starter pack?

• Prayer: I always pray that God fills me up and tells me where to go. I pray that God uses me as a vessel to reach out to the lost.
• Conversational cards: OMG get one! Ask sola Lawal. They work like magic. Guaranteed to make anyone laugh at least.
• The word of God: God is His word and God is not a secret to be kept. I let His word renew my mind and fill me with joy so overflowing that I just can’t keep silent.
• Love: This is so important. I feel we should live a life of love. Always treat people with love no matter how highly or lowly you think of them. Most times, just showing you care is enough to preach Jesus to a person.
• Persistence: Don\’t get frustrated, or discouraged or feel inadequate. Just keep going, do what you can and leave the rest to God!

3. Do you have crazy, weird, or heartwarming evangelism story to share?

Ah! I actually have quite a few. I\’ll share a heartwarming one. On one outreach in UNILAG, I met a bunch of girls just coming back from lectures. Two of them were Muslims and the other two were Christians. I started by making them laugh because I\’m funny like that (LOL), then I proceeded to tell them about the love of God. As we started talking they all opened up about their emotional state and issues with their various relationships which I thought was super cool. We prayed, exchange contacts and became friends afterwards. I realize that God can use us even when we think we are not good enough. We just need to be willing.

4. Do you ever get nervous about evangelism? Any practical tips on calming one’s nerves?

Oh yes, all the time! We are all scared people that just trust God to take over when we speak. For tips, I would say just be willing, have faith and believe that God will not leave you stranded. Plus, what\’s the worst that can happen? A person says no! Ask if you can just pray with them, trust me no one turns down a free prayer (LOL).

5. What would you say your personal evangelism style is?

I think mine is humor. I start with the conversations cards, get people to talk and once they open up, boom! I tell them about Jesus. Those conversation cards are amazing, get one!

6. Has your strategy evolved over time? If yes, how?

Just a little, I\’m more intentional about knowing people and their struggles first. I don’t go out with the mindset that I must win a certain amount of souls. I just think to myself, “how am I going to share God’s love with people today?”

 

 

Lifepointe Conversation Cards

 

 

SOLA LAWAL | Finance Professional

1. What made you more intentional about telling people about Jesus? An event? A conviction? A revelation?

A few years ago, while I was setting my goals for the new year, I realized that my goals were self-centered—all about me, my career, my finances, my family, etc. There was nothing related to other people. I remember my game plan to become CEO of a multinational by a certain year, I was pacing myself to achieve that goal. I now realize my life isn\’t about me at all. It’s all about God and that’s a serious paradigm shift, not only fueling my commitment to evangelism but all things. I don\’t see evangelism as doing God a favor, expecting a reward. It\’s part of me. I find it difficult to stay quiet and do nothing, when my neighbor’s way isn\’t right with God. For me, finding ways to reconcile people to God is the most important and noble goal. Although I\’m still committed to achieving my personal goals, I realize that living beyond myself is a more noble goal. Imagine you\’re in a country ravaged by famine—no food, no water—and then you manage to discover a big stream of clean water and a city full of fresh food enough for 10 countries and you ate till you were full but kept quiet and told no one about it—what kind of person are you?

2. What’s in your evangelism starter pack?

• Prayer is key. I try to pray before, during and after having conversations with people. I think it\’s even the most important part of any evangelism–90% prayer and 10% conversation.
• I also look out for common ground/common interests during conversation. I realize It\’s easier for people we have similar interests with to be receptive to what we have to say.

3. Do you have a crazy/weird/heartwarming evangelism story to share?

A friend and I went to share our faith somewhere. We saw about 6 ladies at a table, just having a nice time and I was interested in talking to them. My friend, on the other hand, wasn’t—you know, which guy goes to a table of 6 ladies to talk about Jesus? I walked across to their table with my ice cream, I was a bit nervous and didn’t quite know what to say. Getting to their table, I introduced myself and asked if I could join them in their conversation and that was it. We had a nice conversation about faith and some of the girls even had some of my ice cream.

4. Do you ever get nervous about evangelizing? Any practical tips on calming one’s nerves?

Oh yes, I get nervous many times. Especially when it involves the opposite sex (and even worse if they’re very attractive). I’ve realized that being nervous is normal, I just need to say the first word; \”Hello/Hi, how’s your day going? How are you doing?\” I still evangelize despite being afraid/nervous/shy. Having a companion is also very helpful.

5. What would you say is your personal evangelism style? Has your “strategy” evolved over time? If yes, how?

Yes, I think my strategy has evolved over time. I can be quite confrontational (like Peter in the bible). When I ask folks if they\’re saved and they say “yes!”, I don\’t always take their yes and move on. I ask them why they think they\’re saved, and listen to what they have to say. Also, I try to describe what been saved means. A lot of the time, they end up saying they don\’t know if they’re saved or that they\’re not saved. Another approach is asking quality questions and focusing more on listening to people than just talking. It has helped me understand people better. I must say that there\’s no \’one size fits all\’ strategy to this. With time, I\’ve learnt to be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit when dealing with each individual.

RUONA PHIDO | Sales & Marketing Consultant

1. What made you more intentional about telling people about Jesus? An event? A conviction? A revelation?

I believe that a lot of people are continuing in their old ways because they do not know better.  Before I gave my life to Christ, I knew about God but I did not fully understand Him because I didn’t really have anyone explain to me or tell me about him. A lot of souls are hungry and thirsty for the word of God but they have just not heard it, they haven’t had anyone talk to them about Jesus.  Hosea 4:6 says “My people perish out of lack of knowledge”.  My duty as a Christian is to fill that gap, to speak about Jesus to people and leave the rest to the Holy Spirit to finish what was started. I also believe every Christian has a mandate to share the good news to people. The main goal Jesus had when he came to earth was to turn people’s hearts to God. When I evangelize, continuing my father’s work on earth is always at the back of my mind.

2) What’s in your evangelism starter pack?

• Prayer, prayer and more prayer! Every time before I go to evangelize, I always pray. I pray for boldness and confidence, I pray for the Holy Spirit to be with me and to speak through me. I pray for guidance and scriptures to tell the people, and it has worked quite well for me so far.
• Apart from prayer, I will say a warm cheery smile. Like, how many people can turn away or refuse to talk to a smiling lady (grinning).

3) Do you have a crazy/weird/heartwarming evangelism story to share?

I won’t say crazy, but mind blowing. I remember the last flash mob evangelism Lifepointe had. I went to speak to one young guy, and the Holy Spirit told me to tell him that he was going to receive good news before the day ran out and I told him. I called him a few days later and he actually did receive good news. He told me that a contract he had been expecting for a very long time was finalized on that day. That just blew my mind, and increased my faith.

4) Do you ever get nervous about evangelizing? Any practical tips on calming one’s nerves?

I rarely get nervous during evangelism. My number one tip is prayer, prayer makes me very confident.  Another thing I do when I go to evangelize is to believe Jesus is right there standing beside me and smiling as I talk to people.

5) What would you say is your personal evangelism style? Has your “strategy” evolved over time? If yes, how?

Well, I always start with a conversation. Mid-way into the conversation, I ask if the person is a Christian. If yes, I then go on to ask what church the person attends, and try and invite them to Lifepointe (of course). And if the person says they are not a Christian or not saved, I talk to them about Jesus and then invite them to Lifepointe (Smiling).

 

 

PRINCE JOSSY | Business Data Analyst

1. What made you more intentional about telling people about Jesus? An event? A conviction? A revelation?

For me, I would say it was a bit of all. Both an event and a conviction. At one point in my life, I found myself in a place of hopelessness where I was nothing but a shadow of myself. The only way out was Jesus. At that point where I was lowest, He gave me strength and hope and rescued me. So, for me, I would never want to keep silent about Him because I know and have encountered many people going through what I went through and who don’t know what to do. The devil has kept them in a state of perpetual depression and they must hear this good news—that there is a way of escape and that way is JESUS. The Bible says he is the Way, the Truth and the LIFE.

2. What’s in your evangelism starter pack?

The word is in my evangelism starter pack: I find that knowing God’s word and what has been said about me and about whoever I’m speaking to helps liberate them. They don’t just have to take my word for it but I can say “it is written” just like Jesus did and show them what is written concerning them. That feeling is exhilarating. And of course, there is prayer. They go hand in hand just as Acts 6:4 tells us: “…. we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.”

3. Do you have a crazy/weird/heartwarming evangelism story to share?

I won’t say I have a crazy evangelism story to share yet. I always just try to talk to anyone I can, in any capacity I can, wherever I go. The trick is to start with something endearing like a compliment to build common ground and then build up to the point where the person feels confident and comfortable enough to let down their guard and then we can talk about Jesus. That’s how I normally do it.

4. Do you ever get nervous about evangelizing? Any practical tips on calming one’s nerves?

I do get nervous sometimes but then I remind myself that it’s not about me and that I am only a vessel doing the will of my father. Of my own, I can’t convict or change anyone—that’s the Holy Spirit’s job. That consciousness gives me boldness to carry on. But nervousness is totally human and acceptable.

5. What would you say is your personal evangelism style? Has your “strategy” evolved over time? If yes, how?

I am not sure I have a personal evangelism style but I think what I try to do, more often than not, is to find common ground with whoever I’m speaking to and just make them feel safe and relaxed. I can be shy even though I don’t necessarily show it so I give kudos to people with the effrontery to preach in buses. I don’t think that’s for me but I’m willing to try it out some day. I’m also a strong believer in the power of invitation—inviting people to my church. Lifepointe is an awesome place to be and grow, if I do say so myself (LOL). So, I talk about my church everywhere I go and tie that back to Jesus.

 

The jig is up, guys! Here’s to living every single day of our lives seeking and grabbing opportunities to introduce people to Jesus. Who’s with me?

 

Ans