An Effective Personal Evangelism Tool You Can Teach In One Night
Randy Mullinax and I saw this personal evangelism approach unveiled to a private group of State Directors of Evangelism just a few months before the SBC in 2014. We saw its effectiveness right away, especially for use in sharing the gospel in a post-Christian culture.
It’s often referred to as “The 3 Circles” and here’s what you need to know about it:
- It’s fluid. It fits easily into and as a conversation that begins before the gospel is brought up. It segues nicely into the gospel in an easy, natural way.
- It can hold any type of gospel presentation you’re used to sharing. In the part where you share the gospel itself, you can throw in Romans Road, EE, or whatever… and it still works.
- You can learn this approach in less than 10 minutes and can teach it in one session to your people. I showed it to my 15 year old daughter, she later saw it presented at an event, and she could then share it herself, impeccably. There’s also an app that’s free in Google Play Store and Apple Store for mobile devices that can be used to present but is even better for your folks to learn how to share it, complete with video and “cheat sheet” tabs.
- It costs nothing and can be drawn out on the back of a napkin, which is the approach I suggest. Why? The person you’re witnessing to can take the napkin with them.
Pastor Jimmy Scroggins of Family Church (FBC West Palm Beach, Florida) gives the entire thing, straight out in this video. Watch it and then continue reading…
I love this approach. I’ve used it and it’s now my approach of choice.
What I do differently
Unlike Jimmy, when I share this, I draw the gospel circle and share that BEFORE I write or share the words “repent and believe.” I share the gospel and THEN share how the gospel is applied or accessed. Jimmy’s approach is fine. This is just how I do it. But again, it’s a framework. It’s fluid. Do it how it suits you.
I sometimes BEGIN with the brokenness circle. Why? Because alot of conversations start there with the other person opening up. I then simply draw the first circle and ask “would you say you feel like this…?” BROKENNESS. And then I appeal to the nagging feeling inside them that it’s just not supposed to be that way, then explaining about “God’s Design.”
Great Resources For Teaching This
First, you should head over to the Life On Mission Conversation Guide page at the North American Mission Board’s web site. Scroll down and you’ll find teaching tools, including a PowerPoint presentation.
Then go over to NAMB’s store and order a box of the booklets to use when you teach. Good stuff.
We rarely endorse a particular witnessing tool outright, but this is a good one that allows you to “embed” the way you’ve presented the gospel already into a conversation that carries clarity and connection in a memorable way.