62 days puts us to 2019! What I hope to do in this post is to give you some practical evangelism strategies for using this season to your advantage in sharing the gospel. Certainly, some of these strategies could and should be used at other times of the year, but this seems to be a good time to employ them as even the lost world appears more naturally inclined to giving and receiving these last two months of the year. Let’s use this to our advantage for being intentional in sharing the message of Christ.
1. Buy some tracts (see here and here for suggestions).
2. Give out tracts when you tip (generously).
Leave a generous tip for your waitress or barber or the mailman or any other service industry and include a tract with it. DO NOT USE A TRACT IN LIEU OF A TIP. Seriously. Instead, be generous and include the tract. You can also include your contact or your church’s contact information on the tract so they could follow up with you or you could (and should) make a point to follow-up with them.
3. Buy someone’s meal and leave them a card and a tract.
You have to plan for this but it’s just November 1, so set a little money aside now. In December pick out a person or a couple and anonymously buy their meal. Then ask the waitress to simply give them a card. In the card wish them a Merry Christmas and either include a tract or share the gospel yourself inside. We try to do this once every December and our children love it!
4. Bake your neighbors some cookies, or make them a holiday gift basket, or buy them a holiday candle.
Or if you live on a street with lots of neighbors make them all a little bag of cookies. This is a great way to meet them if you don’t know them and a way to make contact with them if you’ve been out of touch for a while. Don’t waste the opportunity! Either plan to talk with them about the gospel or give them a tract that includes your contact information on it.
5. Have a men’s football gathering.
Use a Saturday, or Monday Night, or Thursday Night to get together to watch the game. Let folks know that at halftime you plan to share a short devotional. Use this time to share the gospel!
6. Offer your services to rake leaves or set up Christmas decorations.
You’d be surprised at how many elderly people cannot do these things on their own but don’t know who to ask (or may be embarrassed to ask). Do you have an elderly neighbor you could help? Serve them as an opportunity to share the gospel. It might be a great way to build a lasting relationship just by offering to help them.
7. Take your family or church or small group caroling.
And you guessed it – bring some tracts!
8. Tell people what you’re most Thankful for – Christ!
Often times people say how thankful they are for their family, friends, health, etc. Those are good gifts. But use the opportunity to tell people around the Thanksgiving season that you are thankful for Christ and His finished work. Use the opportunity to point to Jesus when you can.
9. Ask people if you can share with them what you believe about Christmas.
This time of year affords many conversations where people say things like “I’m so ready for Christmas to be over!” Or to bemoan the busy-ness and commercialism. When people say something like that, be intentional about asking if you can share about what you believe Christmas is. And then share the good news of God incarnate!
10. Use Thanksgiving to share the gospel with unsaved family members.
Say “Hey, before we pray over the meal I just want to mention a word about Jesus…” Take 60 seconds to share the gospel.
11. Use the New Year.
Be intentional about asking your coworkers, neighbors, friends, and family about how you can pray for them in 2019. And use that conversation as a launching point to talking about Christ.
12. Always carry the tracts with you during the next two months.
You can say “I’d like to give you this. It talks about the true meaning of Christmas.” You can give one to your boss, your stylist, your hunting buddies, or the greeter at Walmart. Literally, anyone, you come into contact with! Again, if appropriate, leave yours or your church’s contact info on them.
13. Read the Bible with people.
You could ask coworkers or friends or family members if they’d like to go through the Christmas story this year. Get together with them over lunch once a week during December or another time. They may say no. But I guarantee you it won’t happen if you don’t ask! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to read the Bible with those who need to know Jesus?
14. Challenge your unsaved friends and coworkers to make reading the New Testament a New Year’s Resolution.
Offer to help them. Keep them accountable and ask them what they are reading. The word of God is so powerful! Do what you can to encourage others to read it
15. Serve Christmas dinner.
This takes some time, work, and planning. Last year we had a brother in our church who owns a local donut shop feel a burden about this. He advertised and cooked free meals for people on Christmas Day. We took the meals to folks and shared the gospel.
16. Preach at a football game.
Admittedly, I have saved this one for last because I haven’t done this one yet. But my friend and fellow blogger Michael Coughlin has. And I want to do it one day too. Ask him more about it. And check in with me every now and then to see if I’ve held up to doing this. Mass crowds gathering affords a great opportunity to share the gospel.
Conclusion:
This is about being intentional. Be sure and follow up with people when possible. Also, don’t just hand a tract and run! If possible, share yourself verbally and let the tract just be a tool they can look at later. This requires being versed in the gospel ourselves.
I love this time of year. But it’s also a time of year when people are hurting and depressed. Let’s be salt and light in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces, in our homes, in our circles of influence. Use this time of year intentionally for the glory of God. Remember, our good deeds are important but don’t forget that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. You can’t just be a little ‘nicer’ this time of year, you must share the message of hope!
I’d love to hear any other ideas you may have…
You can print of a .pdf of this blog post (slightly trimmed) to put in your church bulletin. Click here to download.