Suggested Preparation

• Go out in twos (Luke 10:1). One will be praying as the other is sharing.
• Head to a place where people loiter (park, mall, etc.). This is the target audience, as people don’t like getting interrupted if they are trying to accomplish a task. 
• Check your own hearts (Psalm 51:10-13). We want to be pure and holy before asking the Holy Spirit to use us to lead people to Him.
• Be prayed up before you head out. We are plundering souls from Satan’s kingdom, and he does not like it. And, God is the only one who can save them (2 Cor 4:6).
• Know and practice sharing the Gospel with trusted friends. It also may be helpful to know some basic apologetics, particularly answering the question, “Why you believe what you believe?”

Getting People to Stop:  

Ask a simple question, something like “Excuse me, may I ask you a question?”  

Getting Their Permission:  

Ask the individual(s) if they’d be interested in taking a short questionnaire concerning spiritual things. 

Ex. “Hi my name is _______ and this is _______. We are from a local church, and we are out in the community trying to determine people’s religious preferences around the area of the Church and perhaps dialogue about faith. We have a brief four-point questionnaire. Would you be willing to take a minute or two and assist us?"

Get to Know Something About Them Personally (shows that you care):  

--where are you from?    --what do you do for a living?    --(for students) what are you studying?                   

Asking these questions will help you determine what they believe (for groups address each person individually):

1.      Would you classify yourself as spiritual, religious, atheist, or agnostic?

2.      To you, who is Jesus Christ?

3.      Do you believe in an afterlife?  (If yes) Can you describe it?

4.      (If heaven/hell) How does a person get to heaven?

(If unsure or hoping there’s a heaven or an afterlife) If you could know for sure without having to wonder would you want to know?

(If anything else [ex. Atheist]) How do you know that’s true?

Possible Diagnostic Question instead of Q4: If you died today and stood before God, and he asked, “Why should I let you into heaven?”, what would you say?

Concluding the questionnaire: If they are opened and engaged, feel free to continue the conversation. (Many of these conversations will go for 20-30 minutes.) Do you mind if I ask a follow-up question to what you just said? This isn’t part of the survey, so we are officially done, but If you don’t mind, I wanted to ask . . .

You will meet many different people when evangelizing, some open and some not. One category would be those who are receptive to the message and you may sense that they could be ready to surrender to Christ. In these cases, after sharing the Gospel, it may be appropriate to ask, "Is there anything keeping you from giving your life to Christ right now?" You may get the privilege of introducing them to Jesus.

More frequently, people are not quite ready to trust Christ. For those still wrestling, a 21-day challenge in the Gospel of John can be helpful. "Can I leave you a 21-day challenge? It is to read one chapter in the Gospel of John for 21 days. There are 21 chapters, one for each day, and ask, 'Jesus, if you really are who you say you are, would you reveal yourself to me?' If nothing happens, no harm done; you just learn a little more about the Bible, but if Jesus does show you who He is, it will change your life forever and your eternity." Note: that it is good to have a Gospel of John on you to give them, or you can show them on your phone.

Finally, you will encounter those who are closed off. They will often answer the questionnaire, but not want to continue talking. That is fine. We don’t kick down doors the Holy Spirit has left closed. Regardless of when the conversation comes to a close, be sure tothank them for their time, and let them know you really appreciate them sharing. 

Above All Remember

• We are simply called to be faithful. That means sharing the Gospel with dependence on the Holy Spirit. God is the one who saves them not us. Don’t get discouraged if the seed falls on hard ground.
• Prayer is the fountainhead from which all ministry flows. Be prayed up before evangelizing, pray for God to lead you to the right people, and pray for people after you share. We suggest always going out in pairs so that one person can be praying while the other is talking.