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On a summer evening about fifteen years ago, my wife Rae Ann and I were hanging out in Harmony Park—a small but charming park in our town. Our friends, Ahmed and Dierdre (names changed) were relaxing with us, and we were enjoying good food and conversation.

Suddenly, we noticed a group of people off in a corner of the park. They were huddling together, and a leader was giving instructions. It looked like a pep-talk, complete with high fives. Ahmed approaches me and says, “Quick, we gotta get out of here, before those people come over and ambush us.” I said, “Huh? What are you talking about?”

My friend proceeded to tell me how this same group had approached him last week. He said they were kind of rude and in-your-face. Even after Ahmed said, “No, thank-you,” they kept pushing. Evidently this previous episode ruined my friends’ whole evening.

In the midst of Ahmed’s explanation, I recognized the group: They were an evangelism team from a local church.

Now, it is important to know that Ahmed is a secular Muslim. He and I had not yet had a gospel conversation, and so I said, “Oh come on Ahmed, let’s give ’em a chance.” I was hoping this might lead to something positive. But Ahmed was not interested.

So, I watched an older couple across the park, sitting on a bench, as these zealous evangelists approached them. I asked Ahmed to give me a few minutes to observe, and I went over and sat beside them on the bench. One of the evangelists came up and said, “Excuse me, sir, do you know where you’re going when you die? I am sure you’d agree it’s an important question?” The man said, “No, I’m fine. But thank you for your concern.” His wife leaned over to me and said, “They don’t know what they’re up against; my husband has their number.”

I walked back over to Ahmed, and as we started to leave the park, I looked over my shoulder. The whole park was clearing out. People were leaving in droves. It was a mass exodus fleeing the evangelists.

Hundreds of people cleared out of Harmony Park, as if the evangelists were a repellent. It is a picture I won’t ever forget.

This scenario symbolizes the cultural resistance to Christian evangelism methods of the past. I have great respect for the courage of those evangelists in the park, but they were missing the cultural realities at work that day.

What Is the Modern Context of Evangelism?

Today’s Christians fear reactions like those seen that evening in Harmony Park. We don’t want to be one of those presumptive rude evangelists. Maybe we’ve learned about colonialism in history class and want to be more careful not to impose upon our neighbor. There’s an impulse to keep religion private, and it runs deep in the secular culture waters in which we live. As a result, evangelism itself feels coercive.

We talk about “sin” and “going to hell” and people look at us like we’re speaking a foreign language, as if we’re religious fundamentalists, or part of a cult. It looks to the outside world like we’re answering questions that no one is asking. As a result, the majority of Christians today—even with functioning evangelism training programs in their churches—practice little to no evangelism in their ordinary lives.

But does evangelism have to be this way?

Reframing Sharing the Good News

In Luke 10, Jesus reframes the way we are to think about sharing good news and our faith. He sends his disciples out to the villages to proclaim the good news, and Jesus gives a masterclass in evangelism. He does not give them a prepared script or a set of questions with prepared answers. He teaches them how to be present first, and only then to proclaim the gospel.

Jesus starts by saying “the harvest is plentiful” (Luke 10:2). God has already done the initial work. So Jesus invites them to go and to be present doing his work. He gives surprising instructions like, “Do not take a purse or bag or sandals” (Luke 10:4). Don’t bring the money. Don’t go in power. Just bring yourself, and be present to people.

When entering a house, Jesus says to bring peace and to share peace (Luke 10:5), which is another way to say, “Be present to the lives of these people around you, bring blessings to them.” Jesus urges the disciples to look for a person of peace, the kind of person they can connect with and who receives them (10:6). This can happen only when we are present in a place. Then Jesus tells his disciples to eat with people—to eat “whatever is set before you,” which means being a good guest, and then, “Do not move around from house to house” but remain in one place (10:7–8). Listen to people; pray for people; love people—by your very presence. All of this is about giving up control, being with people, and being present to what God is doing among them now. Because it is by God’s presence that he works.

Presence Is the Way God Works

Presence is the way that God works. This theme runs throughout the entire story of Scripture.

Starting at the Garden of Eden (which was the sanctuary of God’s presence), to after the fall, when God called into being a people—Israel—with whom he would be present.

Moses pleads with God for God’s divine presence to remain after the golden calf incident (Exodus 33:12–17), to the construction tabernacle and temple—places of God’s manifest presence among his people.

And God sends his Son to be present: “Immanuel . . . God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on his disciples—an extension of his presence—and Jesus promises to be present wherever we might go (Matthew 28:20). On the final day, God shall restore his presence with all humanity (Revelation 21:3). It is all by God’s presence, in and through Jesus Christ, that God draws people to himself, heals people, saves people, renews lives. God works through his presence. (For a full treatment of these themes see my book, Faithful Presence, Chapters 1–2).

From Confrontation to Witness

And so, in Luke 10:8, Jesus finally gets to the instructions about proclaiming the gospel. These instructions come only after the disciples are present. He says, “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you’” (Luke 10:8–9).

Through our presence, through our being with people, eating with people, praying for and with people—through listening—new avenues open, and we see God at work. Maybe a person is healed. Maybe a person is moved to reconcile with a neighbor or a spouse. It could be any number of revelations. But once God’s work is revealed, we now become witnesses. Only after we heal does Jesus instruct us to announce, “the kingdom of God has come near.” Only after we recognize the work of God in and among people do we point to Jesus and give witness.

This is Jesus’ way of sharing about him and about his kingdom. Instead of speak first, and convince, we learn, listen first, and open space for Jesus to work. And when Jesus works, we then give witness to his work. Instead of arguing about the gospel, we offer the gospel to someone to help them see something happening that only the Holy Spirit could do. We go from a scripted gospel presentation to becoming a witnesses to Jesus and his power.

The Challenge

Jesus transforms our whole understanding of sharing our faith. It is no longer “something we do.” It is something God does and we join. And so, as we enter new places where people are living, working, and shopping; when we go be with people in hospitals, or at homeless shelters, or in TESL classrooms, we can pray that the Lord would be “present in this place.”

I urge you to pray, “Lord, help me to be present to each person.” And, “Lord, help me to be present to your presence.” And then, just relax.

Go, be present.

For a step-by-step training guide for sharing faith in this way, check out Presence Based Witness: Six Steps to a Powerful Witness.