What do Lay Evangelists Do?

Lay evangelists look for opportunities to help the church connect with the non-Christian world around them. They are always on the lookout for new ways their congregations can serve their neighbours in Jesus’ name. They are comfortable on the edges of church life, building bridges for the gospel into the community at large. They are learning to keep in step with the Holy Spirit so that they can relax and enjoy the work of evangelism without feeling that all the responsibility for leading people to faith is on their shoulders.

Evangelists are part of the ministry team of their parish, and their specific roles may include any of the following:

• Relational evangelism (learning to share the gospel in the context of genuine loving relationships, and mentoring others to do the same).
• Helping people take those first (perhaps faltering) steps of faith in Jesus.
• Helping new disciples grow in basic Christian practices.
• Helping inquirers find answers to common questions about Christianity.
• Taking a leadership role in helping their parishes think missionally, and welcome and integrate new members.
• Leading inquirers’ courses such as Alpha, Christian Basics, Pilgrim, Emmaus, etc.
• Finding creative ways to engage the people in their neighbourhoods.
• Taking a leadership role in Christian service projects in their communities to build bridges between the church and the world around them.