Fishing requires intentionality. You must leave the house, take the right equipment, go to the water, find the right spot, cast the line or net, and wait expectantly for the catch. Jesus calls His disciples to the same intentionality in our calling as fishers of men (Matt. 4:19 ESV).

As seen in the Gospels, Jesus used a variety of methods and approaches in evangelism. Yet, in all the variation, there is a common theme: Like fishermen, He was going and finding the lost. Even when people approached Jesus, it was often when He was out and about doing ministry. Matthew 9:35 captures Jesus’s intentionality in evangelism: “And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction” (my emphasis). Dennis Prutow comments on this verse, “Jesus did not just sit in one place in each city and village expecting the people to flock to Him. No. He made the rounds in each and every city or village” (You Cannot Escape from God: A Primer on Evangelism, p. 105).

Jesus approached the Samaritan woman beside a well to share the good news (John 4:4–26). He visited homes to minister (Matt. 8:14). He entered the synagogues and the temple to teach the Scriptures (Matt. 21:23; Luke 6:6). Jesus passed by the beach to call disciples (Mark 1:16). He journeyed to the business district, calling people at the tax booth to follow Him (Matt. 9:9). He ministered to people while walking the streets (Matt. 9:19–22). He went to a feast and preached publicly (John 7:37). We can see that Jesus sought out all kinds of people in all kinds of places in order to share the good news. Also note that He engaged in both relational and cold-contact ministry—there was no competition between the two methods.

The early disciples followed their Master’s lead. Acts 5:42 summarizes their intentional work of evangelism: “Every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus” (Acts 5:42). When the disciples—excluding the apostles—were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria because of persecution, they “went about preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). The Greek word behind “preaching” is euaggelizō, literally “evangelizing,” which is different from the official teaching ministry reserved for teaching elders. Thus, without the apostles, laypeople went and announced the gospel throughout the region. The Lord even used them to start a church plant in Antioch (Acts 11:19–22).

If you are in Christ, you are His witness, and He sends you out with His Spirit as a fisher of men. He grants you a high privilege! You bear truly good news that is meant to be shared. Let us follow our Lord by intentionally going to all kinds of places to share the gospel with all kinds of people.

Just as the disciples went two by two, I encourage you to go with another believer. If you are new to intentional evangelism, go with someone more experienced so that you can observe and pray in silence the first few times. Over time, you will see the Lord give you strength to speak and eventually to lead others in outreach.

Here are ideas on places to go and how to engage people, based on my experience at seminary and with local churches:

Do door-to-door visits (especially near your church and home).

▶ Let residents know who you are and where you are from.

▶ Use a spiritual-interest questionnaire or directly tell them that you would like to share the good news of Jesus and how they can have new life in Him (people like to know why you are there).

▶ Inquire if they are interested in doing an investigative Bible study (see below).

▶ Distribute Bibles, tracts, and church information. Keep detailed records for prayer and follow-up.

Go to public gathering spots: shopping areas, festivals, conferences, sporting events, parades, etc.

▶ Go with at least one other Christian to do open-air evangelism, pass out tracts, and strike up direct gospel conversations.

▶ Helpful questions: Hi, we are talking to people about spiritual things. Do you have a few minutes?; Where are you at spiritually?; If you were to die tonight, where will you go?; If God asked you why He should not send you to hell, what would you say?

▶ As you share the gospel, gather contact information from interested people for follow-up.

Talk to people as you go and have gospel tracts ready to share.

▶ We interact with many unbelievers each week while shopping, getting coffee, standing in line, and visiting the dentist.

▶ As you talk to people, ask them, “Can I ask you an important question?” Follow that question with, “Do you think that there is life after death?”

▶ Sometimes you will want to share more than the situation allows, so have ready truth-filled literature with your contact information to give away.

▶ A simple question for sharing gospel tracts with cashiers, servers, receptionists, etc., is, “Can I share good news with you?”

Love your neighbors.

▶ Don’t forget your physical neighbors when you seek to love your neighbor as yourself. This love is expressed through being kind and welcoming, helping them with practical needs, inviting them into your life, and sharing with them the best news about the greatest Person in all the world.

▶ Ideas: Invite them over for a meal, game night, community barbecue, or to the local park; offer to get their mail or watch their dog when they are away; notify them about important community news.

Attend or start a club or hobby group.

▶ These could range from a knitting gathering to a philosophy discussion group.

▶ Find groups and people through smartphone apps like Meet Up and Next Door.

▶ Get to know people, ask good questions, be an attentive listener, be unashamed of your identity as a Christian, and be alert for opportunities to share.

Sponsor a church booth at a community fair.

▶ Suggested banners: Are You A Good Person?; Test Your Bible Knowledge: Free Bible Quiz; Prayer Booth.

▶ Offer activities for kids like making a bracelet with different colors representative of the story of redemption.

▶ Use Ray Comfort’s “Way of the Master” or D. James Kennedy’s “Evangelism Explosion” evangelistic methods as a tool.

▶ Gather names, contacts, and prayer requests for followup.

Visit a local synagogue, mosque, ward, kingdom hall, etc.

▶ When the Apostle Paul started his ministry with Jews, he went directly where he knew to find them: the local synagogue.

▶ There’s a way to visit a local place of worship in a sincere, non-threatening manner. Be friendly and be filled with love for the people. Ask to meet with the leader and tell him that you are a spiritually minded person. Ask a lot of questions and be a good listener. Eventually explain that you want to share good news with him.

▶ Remember that you come with Jesus’s authority and a message of true freedom and hope.

Contact new residents moving into the community.

▶ Research new moves through real estate companies (e.g., Zillow).

▶ Visit new residents with welcome gifts (food, magazine of local interests, etc.) and an invitation to the church or community Bible study.

Conduct an investigative Bible study.

▶ Go through one of the Gospel accounts with a clear timeline (e.g., five-week study).

▶ Do this in a seeker’s home (so they can invite their neighbors and friends), at your workplace, at a community gathering place, at your home with an invitation to neighbors, or even via video call with a friend.

▶ Simply ask, “Would you like to do a five-week investigative Bible study with me?” You might be surprised who is interested just from asking.

Make an appointment to share the gospel.

▶ Sometimes we over-complicate things. Ask a friend, coworker, or family member, “Can I share the main message of the Bible with you?” or, “Sometime I would like to hear about your spiritual journey and share mine—would you be up for that?”

▶ Presentation tools: Bridge Diagram; Ken Smith’s Overview of the Bible; read through a gospel tract together.

Sidewalk counsel at an abortion center.

▶ In their moment of crisis outside an abortion center, mothers and fathers can be offered life-affirming resources, loving counsel, and the good news of Christ. You can also share the gospel with any abortion escorts.

▶ Gift bags with pro-life resources, handwritten notes, snacks, baby clothes, and gospel tracts can be effective.

Speak to your city council.

▶ Jesus is King over all, and He has the right to be declared in all spheres of society.

▶ Most city councils have a public comment time, welcoming concerns and comments from constituents. Remind the civil magistrates of their duty to uphold the moral law of God, e.g., call them to resist laws that advocate the murder of children.

▶ Be explicit in your identity as a Christian, and, in speaking of their accountability before God, offer them the gospel.

Host a class or special talk on the Bible, church history, Christian doctrine, or cultural issue from a biblical worldview.

▶ This could be done at the church but is probably best to hold at a local community center or college.

▶ Have people from the congregation attend that can connect with other attendees.

Send a sermon link, gospel message, personal testimony, and/or Scripture passage to a friend.

▶ Send a quick comment explaining its helpfulness and impact on you.

The list could go on, and it will vary with your context. Whatever tools and methodologies you choose, the example and call of Jesus bids us to intentionally seek out the lost. In his article “Autopsy of a Deceased Church,” Thomas Rainer states the issue bluntly: “We aren’t reaching people because, well, we aren’t trying to reach people.” Within the bounds of Scripture, be creative, be bold, be loving, be grace filled, and expect to see God at work as you go out. The harvest indeed is plentiful, and Jesus has His people out there who will hear His voice and respond to the gospel—even from your witness!

Name withheld for security purposes. The author has taught evangelism classes at multiple churches and regularly leads intentional outreaches, including door-to-door evangelism, open-air preaching, and pro-life sidewalk counseling.