Presented by Lauren Stibgen
The Oxford language dictionary defines evangelism as the spreading of the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness.[1] It is also defined as zealous advocacy of a cause. Merriam-webster.com defines evangelism as a winning or revival of personal commitments to Christ, and it’s also defined as militant or crusading zeal.[2]
An evangelist is, therefore, someone who spreads the gospel by preaching or personal witness, winning personal commitments to Christ—and, I would add, with zeal!
There are three ways to consider evangelism: proclamation, incarnational/relational, and apologetic/intellectual.
Proclamation evangelism is the preaching mentioned above. It is a direct telling of the gospel to others. You probably will not be deploying this tactic at work, unless you are a preacher!
Incarnational/relational evangelism is the living it out—building relationships and sharing your faith at work, with a bit of apologetic/intellectual evangelism as well. Meaning, you will need to be able to explain why you are living it out.
One of the most relevant definitions of evangelism I have read is this working definition presented by the Theology of Work project that says, “Evangelism is the organic process of intentionally engaging individuals in their spiritual journey, joining the Holy Spirit, watching for where he is already at work to help these individuals take one step closer to God and a new life in Christ, becoming the unique reflection of the image of Christ as the resurrected, glorified persons God intended.”[3]
This punctuates that evangelism is focused on the individual, and not some large group of people. We certainly come across many individuals during our workday!
But why evangelize? Isn’t this for the well-trained and professionals? And, surely, we shouldn’t do this at work—or should we? Studies show 90% of church going people who come to Christ as adults do so because of a relationship with one or more Christians outside of the four walls of the church. With many of these adults going to work, this makes our workplace evangelism key to God’s plan for salvation!
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matthew 28:19-20).
Earlier in Matthew 9:37-38 Jesus tells his disciples, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
I want to remind you the disciples were not some well-studied priests of the time. And remember, Jesus was a humble carpenter before he began his ministry. God did not call the qualified, he qualified the called! Thinking about the disciples as fishermen and a tax collector and Jesus as a carpenter, helps me to feel more qualified in my calling to be an evangelist at work!
Our purpose here at The Christian Working Woman is to encourage, equip, and empower Christians in the workplace to love Christ more, to live their daily lives by biblical principles, and to go to their jobs as ambassadors for Jesus Christ.
Rooted in the verse from 2 Corinthians 5:20, which tells us we are Christ’s ambassadors, we are here in ministry to help you grow as workplace evangelists.
Clearly the word evangelism is rooted in our faith as followers of Jesus Christ. Are you zealous about it yet?
Many women I encounter don’t feel like they can share their faith at work. Whether it is feeling unqualified to share the gospel or simply fearing it will not be welcomed, there are more perceived obstacles than there are perceived open doors for Jesus at work.
This is one of the reasons I like the working definition from the Theology of Work project mentioned earlier. The definition helps us frame the process of evangelism at work rather than simply telling us, “Hey, go proclaim Christ at work!”
Evangelism is an organic process, specifically meaning it happens naturally. We don’t need to get all worked up and plan it all out. Consider the examples we have in the Bible. First Jesus. Notice how he shared his good news with others. His evangelism was incarnational and relational in every way with a touch of apologetic wisdom!
Even though I am sure Jesus divinely knew who he would encounter, he wasn’t on a direct quest to find them, except for the disciples. They came to him. He encountered the woman at the well when he was thirsty, and he encountered the bleeding woman as he was going to heal another’s child. Think about the healing of the demon possessed man when the evil spirits were cast into the pigs. This man was in Jesus’s path as he arrived from crossing the sea. Think about the leper needing healing. He was also in Jesus’s path. Finally, the criminal on the cross at the crucifixion.
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:42-43).
Now, I am not saying Jesus wasn’t a preacher evangelist. We absolutely see Jesus speaking to great crowds and in the synagogue, but it happened organically.
Evangelism at work can happen organically throughout the course of your day. It can be in a breakroom, or after a meeting. It could be grabbing a cup of coffee with a colleague you want to know better.
If we pay attention to the example of Jesus, we also see he is intentional in how he engages each one of the people in his path. He engages individuals! Each one had a need, even before they knew they needed Jesus. Whether it was healing, food, or even a friend, Jesus met people where they were at. Being intentionally engaging with others was the next part of the definition I mentioned earlier.
The Word is clear in Matthew 18:12.
What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off (Matthew 18:12)?
How can you intentionally engage with others? How can you help with the search for the one? Before you share the gospel with someone, have you ever considered what you know about them? Jesus had a clear advantage in being all knowing, so we will need to be good listeners and good at asking questions!
In James 1:19, the word tells us to be quick to listen and slow to speak.
Listen to colleagues when they talk about what they did over the weekend or even after work. Listen when they talk about family, favorite hobbies, or holiday plans!
Next, discern if you can come alongside them in any way. Again, thinking of Jesus. How are you serving those around you?
…not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others (Philippians 2:4).
How can you extend intentional kindness to someone? Is it an encouraging word or an expression of gratitude? Is it bringing someone a cup of coffee, or lunch? Perhaps it is simply the act of listening itself.
These organic and intentional engagements can build trust and a connection to start naturally sharing about your faith when it fits into the conversation, of course making sure it isn’t making the other person feel uncomfortable. Has someone expressed a feeling like sadness, anger, concern, or fear? Maybe you can relate and mention how your faith has helped you in a similar situation.
Ultimately, you will need to be prepared to make a defense if anyone asks you for a reason for the hope you have. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to do this with gentleness and respect. I would encourage you to make a list of ways God has helped you. This way, examples will be top of mind if this ever comes up!
As you are deploying this organic and intentional evangelism, be encouraged! You are not expected to evangelize alone. Jesus has given to us the power of the Holy Spirit to help guide every situation.
The early church was filled with evangelists just like you and me! Acts 1:8 promised they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them. And they would be Jesus’s witnesses in Jerusalem and in all of Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.
Do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say (Luke 12: 11-12).
It is less about the perfect words and more about the ability to be a witness of Jesus through your life. How are people seeing the incarnational and relational Jesus through you?
Paul reminds us of this.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20).
Allow Christ to work through you!
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden (Matthew 5:14).
And remember you are not solely responsible for saving anyone!
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day (John 6:44).
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
You are merely the ambassador representative, a laborer in the harvest. While you may be a very important part of God’s plan for someone’s salvation, you simply are just that—one part. Paul beautifully states this.
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:10-11).
Jesus is the foundation of everything. Every interaction, every way you “build” into an individual’s faith journey. Remember the statistic I spoke about as we stated our time today? 90% of adults making a decision for Christ are doing so because of interactions outside of the Church!
Back to evangelizing at work. As you intentionally engage with others through the help of the Holy Spirt, take time to discern where God is working. Does someone show extra interest in your conversations about reading the Bible or joining a Bible study you are part of? Are they asking questions about why you are different when things seem to all be chaos around at work? These can be the promptings of the Holy Spirit drawing someone closer to Jesus!
At your job, help people keep taking steps closer to God. Thinking of a builder placing one piece of a house at a time, place something simple each day and return. Perhaps you will be able to celebrate with someone that turns to a new life in Christ!
Consider yourself and evangelist today! Pray about who will come organically into your path, intentionally engage them and lean in to how the Holy Spirit can move through you!
[1] evangelism, n. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary. (2023). Oed.com. https://doi.org/10.1093//OED//6381426726
[2] Definition of EVANGELISM. (n.d.). Www.merriam-Webster.com. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evangelism
[3] Work, T. of. (2018). Evangelism – Sharing the Gospel at Work (Overview). Theology of Work. https://www.theologyofwork.org/key-topics/evangelism-sharing-the-gospel-at-work-overview