Are You An Awkward Evangelist?
When it comes to sharing our faith most of us tend to be awkward — either awkwardly silent or awkwardly zealous.
When you say the word evangelism it doesn’t tend to bring up positive connotations and when you think of a person who is an evangelist, you can’t think of many if any that you’d like to have over to your house.
Evangelism and evangelists are awkward.
For most of us the awkwardness leads to silence. But for a small few it leads to zeal.
Seemingly, we are either running from this kingdom call, or we are running people over with it.
TWEET: Seemingly, we are either running from this kingdom call, or we are running people over with it. #Evangelism #BeyondAwkwardBook
Finding that middle road is tough — the palatable way to be a bold witness for Jesus but winsome at the same time. Effective in helping people start relationships with Jesus but still liked afterwards as well.
But we have to find it!
Evangelism is a Kingdom call and to share our faith in Jesus Christ is paramount to being a disciple. We can’t escape it. But we don’t’ have to be awkward either. We can move beyond that.
Dave Ferguson, who forwarded my book, and framed the tensions so perfectly between “awkward silence and awkward zealot”, says this in the opening pages:
Beyond Awkward
Perhaps you find yourself feeling awkward in your attempts to share Jesus. Maybe like me, you have been awkwardly zealous and here seen it turn people away from Jesus and spiritual things. Or, maybe you can relate to the awkward silence because you know what it is like to live or work near people who have never heard you say one word about Jesus. If either of those are you, then you have picked up the right book!
Beau Crosetto is the perfect person to author Beyond Awkward. Beau is a passionate and gifted evangelist who loves introducing people to Jesus. What Beau loves even more is equipping people like us who often find ourselves either over zealous or too quiet in how to share our faith. Beyond Awkward is a great handbook, by a terrific evangelist, that equips the rest of us to evangelize more effectively.
Beau challenges us to enter into the awkwardness of spiritual encounters. He rightly suggests that all of us need to be prepared for those God moments and asks the poignant question, “Who is just waiting for you to tell them about Jesus?” In the pages to come you will discover your part and the Spirit of God’s part in every spiritual encounter.[1]
So if you long to see the people around you come to faith, but suspect you may be an awkward evangelist — either too silent or too zealous — then I suggest you pick up a copy of book on Amazon this week and watch my video “How to be Bold but not Pushy”
Next Steps
1. Watch My Evangelism Training Videos — Get all of my videos, a free ebook, and my spirutal conversations handout by subscribing to my blog here.
2. Buy “Beyond Awkward” — www.BeyondAwkward.com
[1] Crosetto, Beau. “Forward.” Beyond Awkward: When Talking about Jesus Is outside Your Comfort Zone. Downers Grove, IL: InterVaristy, 2014. 11. Print.
