Recently I read the book, Conspiracy of Kindness, by Steve Sjogren. This is a book about servant evangelism – doing acts of kindness to open doors to present the claims of Christ. It is not a theory book – but taken from the outreach of a church in Cincinnati.
Servant evangelism is defined as ‘demonstrating the kindness of God by offering to do some act of humble service with no strings attached.’
Servant Evangelism = deeds of love + words of love + adequate time.
If we don’t follow our actions with words, they will only know that we are nice people, not that God loves them. Servant evangelism is one method – not the only method nor necessarily the best one for every situation.
Why does servant evangelism work?
- Sharing the good news is not a one-shot deal. Sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with our neighbors is a process rather than a project.
- Anyone can do simple acts of kindness.
- Doing acts of kindness is ‘high grace.’ It is totally dependent on God’s working.
- Evangelism hits home when it begins with acceptance.
- Evangelism must overcome a credibility gap.
- An experience of love opens a person’s heart to a message of love. Believers must be willing to be the good news before they can speak the good news. The easiest entrance point into someone’s life is a simple deed done in kindness.
Christians often feel that a person’s coming to know Christ is a direct result of their efforts. We are prone to put pressure on the program – looking for the ultimate outreach plan. We can also put pressure on those hearing the gospel, usually in the form of fear. However, since we can’t control all factors of evangelism, we can keep on showing up and leave the results to God.
Servant evangelism is low risk in that it doesn’t require a lot of money, time, expertise or emotional energy to be effective. It is high grace because we carry out this ministry with simple honesty toward God.
As we touch people at their point of pain – whether need for food, healing or wisdom – they will open the door of their hearts and invite us into their lives.
Here is what Sjoren found:
- People listened when I treated them like friends.
- When I serve, hearts are touched.
- As I serve, I redefine the perception of a Christian.
- Doing the message precedes telling the message.
- Focus on planting, not harvesting.
The key to effective evangelism is to just get started. We learn in the process. So here are several examples of what can be done by individuals and groups…
- Umbrella escorts
- Windshield washing
- Coffee giveaways
- Gift wrapping at Christmas
- Water or soft drink giveaways
- Restroom cleaning at businesses
- Grocery cart return
- Car wash
- The options are limitless.
If every follower of Christ became a servant evangelist, we could change our world.
Do you have any ideas for servant evangelism?
You can read some of my other articles about evangelism: 3 Things I Learned about Evangelism from a Sales Pitch, Walk vs. Talk – Balance in Evangelism, The Gospel in your Hand, If not now, when?