by Lt. Breanna James
This summer at the National Seminar on Evangelism we learned the styles of how we naturally evangelize from Contagious Faith by Mark Mittelberg. His teaching was delightful, current and encouraging, pushing us to move forward in spreading the gospel.We explored Matthew 28:18-20 when Jesus gave the Great Commission, saying to go into all the world to make disciples.
“God wanted us to intentionally go into our circles of influence and beyond, telling anyone who would listen about his love and truth. And in doing so, God will use us to infectiously spread our faith to a few other people who will, in turn, carry it to others, who will then relay it to still more,” Mark writes in the book. “In this way, what Jesus unleashed through his handful of disciples on the hillside two millennia ago will be transmitted through us, and through those we reach, until it ultimately expands to the ends of the earth. In Captain Chrissie Coreano and Lt. Breanna James fact, Jesus promised that before he returns, ‘the gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations (Matthew 24:14).’
” The variety of officers who shared their different perspectives and testimonies helped us better understand the different styles and drove it home for me. The five styles include friendship-building (i.e. Billy Graham), selfless-serving (William Booth), story-sharing (Max Lucado), reason-giving (the Apostle Paul) and truth-telling (Pricilla Shirer). Each style was linked to our personalities.
We discovered our contagious faith style by answering 30 questions. I learned my top style is selfless-serving while friendship-building and story-sharing were close seconds. Selfless-serving entails helping people in tangible ways that over time can open doors to talk about faith. I have been practicing this style since my childhood, which made my heart happy knowing Jesus gave me this gift and I can use it—and have—to save souls.
In the end, we learned we all have a gift from God to evangelize no matter the style. We should partner with others, stretch beyond our comfort zone, and ultimately, rely on the Holy Spirit. We were encouraged to take risks and step out to practice all five styles so we will be ready to share the Good News with whomever we encounter. We just might be God’s voice that becomes audible to someone else. Evangelism is God’s work; He just uses us. I encourage everyone to read this book. It’s absolutely contagious!
