What happened to door-to-door evangelism?

Being a child of God that received my effectual call through a brother in Christ that was willing to step out and fulfill the great commission by doing door-to-door evangelism has been a driving force for me in my evangelism efforts. That summer day on my porch will forever be seared in my memory.

I was a young man, married with two small children. I spent every minute of my life chasing the American dream. I wanted the biggest house, the nicest cars; I wanted to get to a place where I never had to tell my wife and children “no” when they asked for something. While I had success from a worldly view, the truth was I was empty inside. I felt like I had no real purpose in life. But one day while I was sitting on my front porch with my son on my knee, a man came walking down my street and up my driveway. He introduced himself and asked if he could sit and talk with me for awhile. I accepted the invitation and he proceeded to tell me about Jesus and explained the true Gospel to me. While I didn’t realize it at the time, the Holy Spirit had pierced my heart and convinced me that what this man was telling me was the truth. I surrendered my life to Jesus that day and my life has not been the same since.

It was this encounter that gave me a passion for reaching out to those who don’t know Jesus. If it were not for the Lord sending this man to me I would not be where I am today and there is nothing more fulfilling than leading someone to the foot of the cross and witnessing them surrender their life to the King of Kings.

In my door-to-door evangelism efforts, I have been amazed at how many people have told me that Christians no longer participate in door-to-door evangelism. They tell me that the Jehovah’s Witnesses are at their door all the time, but never Christians. I have been asking myself why Christians are no longer taking part in this form of evangelism and we will look at some of those reasons in this article.

Reason #1: Our society does not like uninvited visitors

Ok I will admit, I don’t like uninvited visitors either. Our lives as Americans are so busy, stopping to listen to an uninvited visitor can cause frustration. However, that should not keep us from interrupting someones normal way of doing things to tell them the single most important news they can ever hear in their life. Personally, when I have done door-to-door evangelism, I’ve only had a few doors slammed in my face. Probably 1 out of 100. This should not discourage us from continuing. Simply leave that house and begin praying that God will regenerate their heart and draw them into saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Reason #2: Everyone I talk to says they are already a Christian

Indeed this is something I run into a lot. However, we can never truly know someones heart. Sometimes people will tell you they are a Christian just to get you to leave, others think they are Christians when they are not. When someone tells you they are a Christian, we should believe them, but as scripture tells us, we are to test the spirits. You can ask simple questions like, “if you don’t mind me asking, how is your walk going with Jesus?” or “are you actively attending a church?”. You may be surprised to learn most people will not have positive answers to these questions and it will give you an opportunity to share the true Gospel. It’s also important to remember there are many professing Christians attending churches that do not actually preach the one true Gospel.

You will also come in contact with people who truly are a child of God, but may be struggling with their walk with Christ. This is one of the reasons I like to do my door-to-door visits on Wednesday nights. I can’t tell you how many Christians I have met that hung their head in shame because they are not in church or have “backslidden” into the world. This gives you an opportunity to encourage your brother or sister in Christ to turn back to Him. Even if you do not get the opportunity to share much with them, you are at least planting a seed. That visit may stick in their mind and heart which may be the push they need to refocus their life on what truly matters.

Reason #3: I am not qualified to lead someone to Christ.

You’re right! You aren’t qualified, and neither am I. The good news is, we aren’t the ones that convince people that the Gospel is true. Convincing people of the truth is completely the work of the Holy Spirit. Your only job is to seek His help when sharing the Gospel. However it is important that you understand the Gospel and I encourage everyone to be a student of God’s Word. But the bottom line is the Gospel is as simple as what is found in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, ² and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.³ For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,“. And of course John 3:16 “¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Reason #4: Fear of rejection

No one likes rejection. But in terms of evangelism, it’s important to remember that when we experience rejection, they are not actually rejecting us, they are rejecting the Gospel. We should never fear rejection, but press on telling anyone and everyone the Good News we have been entrusted with.

Reason #5: Personal Safety

In today’s America, personal safety is a concern. However, since we are children of the one true God, we should fear nothing. The scriptures tell us there are only two things we should fear: God and nothing. The enemy wants nothing more than to have fearful Christians. We must not allow our worries to keep us from fulfilling the Great Commission. Press on and trust that God is with you.

Additional tips for door-to-door evangelism

• Use your instincts, God gave them to you for a reason. I recommend not going inside someones home. Do what you can to keep the conversation outside the home if possible.
• Be presentable. Wear clothing that you would wear to church. Keep your hands out of our pockets and smile at all times.
• Take literature to leave with them after your visit. Gospel tracts, church brochure or invite cards are all great options to take with you on visits.
• If you are asked a question that you do not know the answer to, it’s ok to tell them you don’t know. But tell them you will find the answer and get back to them.
• Ask if they have any needs that you can pray for and ask if you can pray now, don’t wait and pray later.

Final thoughts

In my personal door-to-door evangelism efforts in America I do not see as much fruit as I would like. But I believe that each time I knock on a door, I am planting a seed. As scriptures tell us, some plant, others water and others harvest. It’s important not to get discouraged and remember you are doing what you were called to do.

I have spent a lot of time in Africa, and comparing my evangelism efforts there to here it’s completely different. I have seen thousands of people come into the saving Grace of Jesus Christ in just a few days in Africa. However in America it is a completely different story. It would be easy for me to say, I might as well give up on America and focus on working overseas but we were called to go and make disciples of all nations. Always remember, it’s not us that does the convincing of the truth. The Holy Spirit does the convincing, and we have been called to come along side Him in His work. I pray you will heed the call and step out in faith to share the greatest news ever told.

Soli Deo Gloria