Student Blog Written By: Webb McGregor, Fellows
Street evangelism is not naturally something I am good at, and was one of my least developed skills that they teach and refine at Impact 360. Street evangelism is the skill of being able to meet a stranger, whether in a coffee shop or on the street, and have a gospel conversation with them. I am much more comfortable building relationships, with both believers and non-believers, then using that friendship and trust to launch gospel conversations. The first thing Impact had to do was show me the need for both types of evangelism and teach me that just because street evangelism is not a skill God has made easy for me does not mean I should not work on it, practice it, and go out and do it.
On the Utah trip, which is focused on evangelizing to Church of Latter Day Saint members, both the need for street evangelism and my said skill deficiency were made abundantly clear to me. While this originally greatly discouraged me, my disipler Davis Hunnicutt used it to motivate me to work on it. This was the start of a long journey through all of Impact.
Our Spiritual Rhythms retreat is among the best growth periods of my life, let alone my time at Impact. I learned many things about myself and God on that trip, but the thing I learned relevant to this article is that evangelism skills like this, and really all skills in life, come from God. Yes, hard work is important, and other things I learned at Impact, like S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals, help—but giving those goals and hard work to the Lord is not only biblical but also helpful and productive. We can do nothing without him, and while he definitely doesn’t need us, he chooses to do amazing things through us.
One of Impact’s greatest strengths is not being afraid to make the Fellows uncomfortable. In Utah, Auburn, South Africa, DC, and more, we were put in street evangelism situations where we learned through one of the best teachers: trial and error. Failure is a fantastic teacher, and Impact uses it well to give fellows extensive experience, so that by Commissioning,, they are much better equipped for evangelism.
Throughout the year, we were given several tools to help with street evangelism. The Worldview survey is a great way to start a conversation that leads to gospel conversations by asking worldview questions. The gospel guide is a pamphlet that helps you walk through the gospel with someone using helpful pictures and visual references. Lastly, we were given a list of verses to memorize to help share the gospel using biblical evidence.
CSU was the final place where I did street evangelism as a fellow. I could really see growth in both biblical knowledge and spiritual maturity. While I have so much left to grow and learn, this final evangelism time was an answered prayer because I had so many fruitful conversations.
We believe that when a student is rooted in truth, they become a catalyst for the Kingdom wherever they go. Help us continue to forge disciples who possess the resolve to stay faithful and the tools to make disciples. Your investment in the Multiply Fund makes this transformation possible.