Conversational Evangelization Basics

(Learn more in our online school!)

A 2 minute conversation about Jesus with someone you have never met can change their life (and yours) forever.

A participant at our evangelization workshop this weekend wrote a note mentioning how he “was very moved by your witnesses and faith. I thought that street ministry was very Fundamentalist Protestant but you have me strongly re-evaluating that.”

Direct evangelization leads to new relationships, which in turn leads to conversion. Our basic method for a conversation that leads to conversion is to:

1. Introduce yourself and break the ice.

Most of our evangelists use a sacramental or other giveaway to break the ice. “Hey, I have a gift for you, this is a miraculous medal. Have you heard of it before?”

Then you can share a little about yourself and the miraculous medal, ending with. “I go to Resurrection Catholic Church. Do you go to church?”

2. Listen to their story.

The second step in conversational evangelization is to listen to the other persons story. A question like “Do you go to church?” is non-confrontational and usually leads to more sharing. They might respond that they don’t believe in God, that they were hurt by Christians and don’t attend anymore, that they go to a Catholic or non-Catholic Church, or that they believe in a different religion. It is important that we show sincere interest and be ready to minister to and befriend everyone we have these conversations with.

3. Share the Gospel.

The third step to conversational evangelization is to share the Gospel, often through our own testimony. “Can I share one reason that I chose to give my heart to Jesus?” Most people are open to hearing one reason, and everyone loves a good story. By listening to their story first, you can be prudent in sharing what they need to hear.

4. Invite a response to the Gospel.

The last step is to ask the person if you can pray for them. “As I Christian I love to pray for people. Is there anything on your heart that I can pray for you about?” Then offer to pray for them out loud right then and there. You can tell them that they don’t have to pray, they can just receive from God whatever He wants to tell them or do for them while you are praying. As you are praying you can ask them if they feel the presence of God. You might even ask if they want to give their heart to Jesus. It’s a great first step on the way to RCIA and receiving the Sacraments. As Benedict XVI said “Your great task in evangelization is therefore to propose a personal relationship with Christ as the key to complete fulfillment.”

Finally, swap contact information and stay in touch. Grab coffee together, invite people into your life and the life of your parish community. Our evangelists are seeing great fruit on the streets and in their everyday life. Join us!