Evangelism Cafe: Principles, Practices, and Possibilities

NATURAL MODE EVANGELISM

Principles

• Students are interested and open to talking about spiritual matters in relationally safe environments.
• Helping students overcome their fear of initiating spiritual conversations with friends is essential to seeing the gospel spread broadly on campus.
• The best evangelism skills to develop are asking good questions and listening well.

Practices

• Implement the SomeTime strategy as part of your small groups.
• Use the Explorer role of CoJourners to teach students to ask good questions, exploring the background, experience, and spiritual interest of others.
• Help your students develop plans to engage relationally with others, getting out of their “Christian bubble.”
• Encourage and equip Christian faculty to utilize their expertise and influence to impact students and the world.

Possibilities

• Ask the Lord to give you an exciting vision for natural mode evangelism on your campus.
• How can you equip and motivate students to develop friendships, overcome fear, pray for opportunities, and initiate spiritual conversations with their friends?
• What areas of campus (that are strategic or in great need of the gospel) can you encourage students to be become relationally involved in?

BODY MODE EVANGELISM

Principles

• Non-believers often experience belonging to a Christian community before believing .
• When you foster authenticity, love, and service in the movement, you provide outsiders an environment for healthy spiritual processing.
• When students see the love of the gospel, it helps them understand the message of the gospel.

Practices

• Train students in the practical skills of inviting, welcoming, and including outsiders.
• Involve non-Cru students and faculty in Gospel in Action initiatives that address social injustice.
• Track “involved unbelievers” in the movement.
• Sponsor intramural athletic teams with a mission to demonstrate Christ-like sportsmanship.

Possibilities

• Ask the Lord to give you an exciting vision for body mode evangelism on your campus.
• How can you give Cru students practical training to help new students feel welcomed and loved: to feel like they belong, even though they don’t yet believe?
• What human justice cause has God put on the hearts of the students on your campus and in your movement?

MINISTRY MODE EVANGELISM

Principles

• Strategically reaching out to a target audience (especially freshmen) often produces better results than random campus evangelism.
• Listening to and learning people’s worldviews and experiences allows us to identify and more effectively address barriers to faith.
• Using large group events and campus-wide campaigns creates significant evangelistic momentum.

Practices

• Capture the momentum of retreats and conferences with a Perspective Week Campaign, Justice Week , or 30 Days on Mission .
• Use Soularium , Perspective Cards , or a GIA emphasis to create spiritual conversations in high traffic areas of campus.
• Take advantage of national (or regional) grants to help finance ministry outreaches, like the Speakers Forum or FSKs.

Possibilities

• Ask the Lord to give you an exciting vision for successful ministry mode evangelism on your campus.
• How could you use everystudent.com or social media to help students on your campus hear about Jesus?
• How can you make Jesus and worldview a main topic of discussion and interest on your campus?
• How can your movement initiate 1000 thoughtful and respectful spiritual conversations in one week?