Street evangelism is often criticized among many christian groups. I think its because many people think that relational evangelism works better, but I will tell you, and the bible tells us that the gospel is as potent when sharing it with an old friend as it is with a new one! (Rom 1:16, Phil 1:18)
This month we got trained in how to do street evangelism, and then we went out and did it! It is exciting but can make you very nervous all at the same time. The guy who trained us is Mark Marx, an amazing man of faith! He was certainly inspiring to us, and encouraging. He came up with a way to share the gospel that makes it simple and cuts out the small talk and beating around the bush. He calls it the Miracle Question. Now, I will tell you before I share the strategy, that I was very skeptical at first. To be frank, I didn’t like it. I’m really not sure why I didn’t like it, I guess my pride was telling me there was another, better way. But then I used it,and realized, it works! It shows people that you care about them and their problems, and it allows the gospel to be shared easily. All it takes is a little faith and courage.
“All you need is 20 seconds of insane courage, and I promise you, something great will come of it.” -Benjamin Mee, We Bought a Zoo
Okay, I can’t promise you something great will come of it, but something great could!! Someone could come to know Christ! There is nothing better than that. So here it goes,
You say: Excuse me, may I ask you a question?
They say: yes/sure/okay
(You should know, this is the first place that things can go wrong. They might say no, or something even more rude. You just have to brush it off, say a quick prayer for that person, and move on. Remember, they are not rejecting you, they are rejecting Christ in you! And at any point after this, they could say no, walk away, or reject you, so just be loving in any situation)
You say: If God could do one miracle for you today, what would it be?
They say: [for example] Well my mom has cancer. So I guess to heal her. (They will state some problem in their life. If they can’t think of anything, move on to the next question)
You say: Well do you mind if I pray for your mom right now? (Before asking this, feel free to ask questions about their circumstance and things. Then ask if you can pray for them, and then pray your best prayer. It doesn’t have to be long or fancy! Keep it simple but the point is to show your concern and share the Love of God. God cares about our problems, and he wants to redeem them for his glory.)
They say: sure/okay. (If they say no, just pray for them when they leave and move on to the next part.)
After praying, you say: So what do you think the greatest miracle God could ever do for you is?
(Here they might have different answers or be baffled. Either way, move on and stick with the plan. Don’t get into secondary doctrine or other conversations, the point is to share the gospel here.)
Well can I tell you what I think? I think it comes in the form of a gift, and that gift is eternal life with Jesus Christ. (From here you have the freedom to share the gospel!! Then if the spirit prompts, ask them if they would like to receive this gift. There is no better time like now to begin walking with Christ!)
From there, after sharing the gospel, they might have other questions or want to accept Jesus. These series of questions is great because it allows the person to experience God’s love through us, hear the gospel, and then believe it and confess it if they so choose (Rom 10:8-10). The next step is to direct them to a church where they can grow in their knowledge of Christ, be baptized, become a functioning part of a healthy body of believers, and be discipled further (Acts 2:41-42). That is the ideal. Does it always happen this way? No. BUT if seeds are being planted for Christ, then good is being done, and God is glorified in that! (1 Cor 3:6-9, Mark 4:8,20)
Let me know what you think of the miracle question, and if you like it, use it!! Use it everywhere, because that’s the beauty of it, it works everywhere. We used it in Romania with our waiter. You can use it at work, out to lunch, or shopping. People need to feel that others care about them, and know that God cares. They are longing to hear the truth of the gospel! This is just a tool to share it easily and efficiently. Go tell someone about Jesus today, and watch God do something truly amazing.
