Door-to-door evangelism

Door-to-door evangelism is a tried and true method of meeting people. I have never gone out for an hour or more without having at least one conversation that made it all worthwhile.

There are many varieties of this method, adapted to different situations. The essential is to be "aggressive" not in the sense of pushy or rude or loud or insensitive, but in the etymological sense of going up to meet with people.

Bring a smile in your soul, not a doctrine in your mind. Be prepared to be misunderstood, and to have a good time.

It's best to go out in pairs, but not absolutely necessary. Women are particularly advised not to accept invitations inside.

Overcoming the fear of such interaction and learning to have positive interactions with "strangers" boosts the power of your faith.

Let me start the topic rolling with a few ideas, which I'll present as a list of pointers.

1. Acquire the feeling that you b e l o n g on the neighbor's doorstep. If you feel that you are bringing good to the other, your offer is far more likely to be accepted.

2. Realize that some of the time you will be talking to and ministering to other Christians who have no need for what you are specifically offering, but who do need your love and support. Be sure to allocate some time for this sort of work. There are people who are just lonely, or in some sort of crisis, and you can help.

3. Your primary gift and witness is probably the presence you bring to the doorstep. The best "evangelism" of this sort I ever received was when a pastor came to my door and said something to the effect that if you wanted some place to worship, here was a place to come. The genuine calm and soft-sell approach made a lasting, positive impression.

4. Be flexible. I once knocked on a door behind which rock music was reverberating. No answer. I began to tap on the door in the rhythm of the beat—and got a nice conversation.

5. Not everyone has to bear the same message in the same words, although the same truth is being communicated. I would say, "I'm your neighbor encouraging you in the faith that you are a daughter/son of God." Then I'd wait for a response and take it from there.

6. You do not have to distribute literature; if you do, not everyone in your group has to distribute the same thing.