i am not an evangelist (and other things I've said)

by Siso Bungane

Sophia is the Greek word for Wisdom, and Propel Sophia seeks out the voices of truly wise women and asks them to share worked examples of how they express faith in daily life. Pull up a chair at Sophia’s table, won’t you? There’s plenty of space.

LEARN MORE HERE ▸

As a young Christian, I was excited about all the activities and events we had at church. Except for one thing which I loathed: evangelism.

We were given a target number of people to reach each week. Every Monday we had a meeting, and if we hadn’t met our target, it was added to the following week’ goal. Week after week the target number grew, and evangelism seemed like an impossible task. I hated it: both the requirement of converting people, and the tallying of results.

I felt the condemnation of being a Christian who wasn’t bearing fruit. I told myself that I was not gifted in evangelism and so didn’t have much responsibility here. But guilt was still compounding on guilt: I really wanted to please God and do what He called us to do in reconciling the lost to Him, but I felt unable and powerless.

Seeing the Lost Through a Mother’s Eyes

A change in heart came when I became a mom to three kids. I imagined one of my kids missing, and myself dependent on my friends and family to help my child get home. When I would call them to find out how it was going, I got excuses, like, “I will go tomorrow,” “I got busy,” “something came up,” or “I am scared to talk to them.”

Imagining this from a Mom’s perspective really hurt. How could those I loved not comprehend my pain in not having my son home? Every night I imagined myself going to bed with a broken, shattered heart, longing for my son. Yes, two of my kids were home, but I wanted all my kids safely home.

When I put myself in God’s shoes, seeing Him as a parent with a child who has wandered from home, my entire perspective on evangelism changed. Evangelism was no longer about keeping score. It became about realizing there is something I can do to reconcile a lost son with a Father who loves his child so dearly.

The Easiest Invitation: Come and See

In John 1:43-45, Jesus called Philip. In his excitement, Philip found his friend Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found The One Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets wrote– Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” In the next verse, Philip said to Nathanael, “Come and see.”

We can lead our world to Jesus as Philip did. We are more than able to extend an invitation to “come and see” what we’ve found in Jesus. It does not require any special training. My 10 year old was telling me that he joined the reading club in his school. When I asked him how he decided to join, he said that a friend of his who was in the club invited him. I told him that in exactly the same way, he could invite his friend to church. It’s that easy.

A Fresh Heart and a Fresh Start for Evangelism

God continues to give me new opportunities to share his invitation to “come and see.” As I was walking to work one day, I noticed a man walking in front of me who was limping. I could tell he was going to work and had already walked a long distance. He would likely have to walk the same long distance back home after work.

Seeing him with compassion, I went to him and asked him about his leg. He explained how he had been injured, and I asked if I could pray for him. He agreed, and we found a place to sit and prayed. I then asked him if he had ever given his life to Jesus, and he answered “no,” but he wanted to. I got to lead him into a prayer of salvation. As we parted ways, he said to me, “I thank you for bringing me closer to Jesus.”

I want to encourage us to just see people. When we truly see them, evangelising isn’t a burden or a chore. And—when we look back—we will be surprised at the number that we have led to Jesus, fulfilling the great commision (Matthew 28:19-20):

“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

SISO BUNGANE

Siso Bungane is a mother of three children. She has a YouTube channel where she creates Christian content as it applies to our everyday lives. Her first book titled “Lost, And Found" is available on Amazon. Siso lives in South Africa.