We have now reached part 3 of Evangelism for Introverts, by Mike Bechtle, which was published in the Mar/April and May/June 2010 issues of FIRST!
MIKE BECHTLE writes:
Baby turtle peeping out by Atif Gulzar
I had certain ideas about what evangelism should look like. When I prayed to be a better witness, I assumed God would supernaturally change my desire so I would want to share in those ways. But that didn’t happen. Instead, I found that many of my ideas weren’t biblical. When I finally discovered what the Bible actually says, it all began to make sense—and I had the desire to share in new, appropriate ways. So, what did I learn?
1. Evangelism isn’t our job—it’s God’s job
We’re responsible for building relationships, pointing people to Christ and allowing God to use those relationships to draw people to himself. We have to be faithful in delivering God’s message when he calls us to do so, but trust him with the results.
2. I don’t have to use sales techniques.
We don’t have to convince people to come to Christ. God does that. Our role is to introduce one friend to another (Christ), and let them develop that relationship. Take the time to get to know the person well and discuss spiritual concerns that directly relate to that person’s life. Ask open-ended questions, listen carefully and seek to learn something from the person.
3. I don’t have to witness to everyone I meet.
Introverts aren’t made for quantity of relationships-they’re made for deep relationships. When an extrovert walks into a room full of people, she surveys the crowd to see how many people she can talk to during the event. But when an introvert walks into the same room, she surveys the crowd to see which one person looks the “safest” to have an extended conversation with.
4. “You shall be witnesses” is a description of a person who has firsthand experience with something.
If we know Christ, we are qualified witnesses—whether we feel like it or not. As we deepen relationships with people, the things we’ve seen and experienced become a natural part of our conversations with them. [To be concluded]
The final part of this article will be in our next post.
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If you missed earlier posts in this series you can read Part 1, Evangelism for Introverts here.
Also, Part 2 - Introverts are different – and that’s good!
MIKE BECHTLE is the author of Evangelism for the Rest of Us: Sharing Christ Within Your Personality Style (Baker Books), on which this article is based and used by kind permission.
You can visit Mike’s website www.mikebechtle.com for more information and resources.