On the Grow!

The early church proclaimed the Good News with no fear of negative response or indifference (Acts 17:30‑31). The message was given regard­less of the result. Evangelists as we know them are mentioned only three times in the New Testament (Eph. 4:11; Acts 21:8; 2 Tim. 4:5). This does not imply that evangelism was a limited activity in the early church; rather it highlights the fact that evangelism involved the entire church. All Christians were expected to witness. Historically, as professional ministers emerged, lay people were less inclined to witness for the Lord. That was considered the pastor’s work. At least Christians thought their pastors were better qualified. Yet the New Testament pattern of evangelism involved the total fellow­ship.

That vibrant New Testament pattern calls us to redefine our modern understanding of evan­gelism. Genuine Christian evangelism is life­style evangelism. Life‑style evangelism is not something you go and do; rather it is something you do as you go. It is not done just in visitation for the church on Monday night, but it takes place in the normal flow of our daily communi­cation and interaction with people. We can further sharpen our focus on evangelism by calling it “that life‑giving, life‑sharing expression of one’s faith that begins with the new birth and ends with the last breath. In its simplest terms, it is evangelism as a style of life.”