We Are God’s Plan A

Evangelism is a word that made me feel guilty. In the church I grew up in, “outreach” was always a big priority and was done through big fall festivals and Easter egg hunts. But simply sharing your faith with your neighbor or cousin or classmate? We never talked about that. In college, my campus ministry placed a lot of emphasis on seeking out students around campus and engaging them in spiritual conversation through a game, list of questions, or booklet. Through the experiences of my friends and classmates, I saw that this method could be a really effective means of getting people talking about what they thought about God and Christianity, but it was pretty terrifying for a shy, introverted person like me.

And so, over the past few years, I’ve felt stuck. Since coming to Summit, I’ve heard such a clear message of how God has chosen us—small and big, introverted and extroverted—to share His message of hope with the people around us. We are His Plan A.

I saw that vision. And I wanted to be a part of it. I felt guilty, frustrated that I couldn’t figure out how to make evangelism work in my life and my relationships.

Recognizing this gap in our lives, my husband and I signed up for Summit University’s new Reconstructing Evangelism class last fall.

Jeff Kern’s teaching throughout the course was passionate and approachable, and my husband and I were so grateful for the stories he shared about how he’s searching for “redemptive relationships” in his own life. In addition to that, the approach to evangelism taught in the course materials from Bill Hybels (Just Walk Across the Room) was refreshing and inspiring.

Since taking the class, my husband and I have had so many good conversations about the people in our lives who don’t yet know that Jesus loves them. We have made more space in our lives and our home for those people, and we are excited about what God could do through these relationships.

To be honest, I was nervous about this class. I was afraid that I would just come away feeling more guilty about all the spiritual conversations I’ve failed to have.

Instead, over the course of seven weeks, I found freedom. Freedom to be my shy, introverted self and not feel like a bad Christian because of it. Freedom to talk to someone about Christ without fear of their reaction. Freedom to express the story God is telling with my life with both confidence and humility.

I came away from Reconstructing Evangelism with a clearer sense of what Jesus may have had in mind when He gave us this task, and I came away eager to watch it play out in my own life. I’m humbled and so, so excited to be a part of Plan A.

Find more information here.

Guest Blogger Lindsey Cornett loves to read children’s books, along with scrapbooking and playing board games. She’s also a big fan of Atlanta Braves baseball and the Florida Gators.