Evangelism: Throughout the History of Research Paper

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e. along relational lines. Secondly, it provides an easy way for Christians to share the gospel with individuals they know. The other advantage of lifestyle evangelism is that it usually attracts individuals who would not normally read the Bible or go to church. Nonetheless, the use of this method also consists of some disadvantages that are generally associated with the challenges it gives to Christians. First, unbelievers may not necessarily think that the person's behaviors are because of Christianity but rather because the individual is just a good person. Secondly, lifestyle evangelism tends to be process-oriented, unpredictable, and takes time to reach the lost.

Part THREE -- Door to Door Evangelism:

Door to door evangelism is an evangelistic approach used to reach every family in a particular area with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Throughout the history of the church to the modern day, this is the most commonly used method as evident in the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. As Christian leaders are currently encouraging renewed initiatives in teaching and training believers how to use this approach, it proves that this method is timely and more effective (Dunlap, 2005).

Similar to Jesus, door to door evangelism is an approach in which Christians move from one household to another in a certain area to share the gospel and even distribute gospel tracts. While this evangelistic technique follows the example of Apostle Paul, Christians should be trained and adequately prepared to handle every circumstance when using this method.

The advantages of door to door evangelism include its easy, reaches the entire community rather than a special group, communicates the church's interests in people to attend services, opens useful contacts, offers a good context for people to start personal evangelism, and its relatively cheap and easy to organize. The other advantages of the use of door to door evangelism include flexibility in planning the evangelistic efforts and avoid leaving an area without outreach.
On the contrary, this approach is associated with several disadvantages such as it requires teams of two or three individuals, it may not be suitable for younger people, and contains several difficulties in motivating people to get involved (Hazelden, 2009).

Part FOUR -- Application of These Methods in Individual Life:

The discussed methods of evangelism have a specific position in the evangelistic process though they do not replace the importance and place of the other approaches. The most suitable method for me is lifestyle evangelism given that Jesus Christ can simply be described as a lifestyle evangelist. Consequently, as part of my initiative and desire to follow Christ and be Christ-like, lifestyle evangelist is a suitable approach for being like Christ. My preference of the approach also originates from the fact that it is not confrontational, does not provide feelings of discomfort to the person being witnessed. This method is very efficient for non-believers as it meets them where they are and meets their needs as the believer is the light and life that shines.

Conclusions:

The various approaches to evangelism are methods that have been developed over time from Scripture to help in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. While each of the methods has advantages and disadvantages, their effectiveness is usually dependent on the situation. The most suitable approach is lifestyle evangelism since it enables Christians to be the shining light.

References:

"Creating a Culture of Evangelism." (n.d.). Proclaim -- Joining God in the Unstoppable Spread

of the Gospel. Retrieved August 3, 2012, from http://proclaim.typepad.com/culture_of_evangelism.pdf

Dunlap, D. (2005, January 16). Door to Door Evangelism. Retrieved August 3, 2012, from http://www.plymouthbrethren.org/article/410

Hazelden, P. (2009, April 7). Door to Door Evangelism. Retrieved August 3, 2012, from http://www.hazelden.org.uk/pt03/art_pt130_door_to_door.htm

"How to Effectively Use the Four Spiritual Laws." (n.d.). Scribd.com. Retrieved August 3,

2012, from http://www.scribd.com/doc/78534116/How-to-Use-the-Four-Spiritual-Laws.....

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