Evangelism: Spiritual Gifts Definitions, Scriptures, and Ways to Serve

[If you have not already done so, please take a moment now to take this free spiritual gifts assessment. Once you have your results, come back to this and the corresponding 22 blog posts for a detailed description of each of the gifts, focusing on your own as well as becoming familiar with all of them so you can spot and call them out in others.]

Evangelism

Those with the spiritual gift of Evangelism are people who seem to be always seeking to build meaningful relationships with non-believers and are often able to steer their conversations with these “neighbors” to spiritual things. They are enabled, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to communicate the good news of Jesus to unbelievers in such a way that they see people believe and commit to following Christ. These people just can’t not share their faith.

Scriptures that reference Evangelism or show someone exhibiting this gift:

Ephesians 4; John 1; John 12, Acts 8; Acts 21 (Philip); 2 Timothy 4 (Paul, Timothy)

Questions on the assessment that pertain to Evangelism:

• When I talk to non-Christians about Jesus, they are often interested in what I have to say.

• Sharing the Gospel comes easily to me.

• I actively develop relationships with and reach out to those outside the church community.

Some words that describe people with this gift:

• Conviction

• Forthright

• Influential

• Confident

• Bold

• Heart for the lost

Potential negatives to this gift:

• Can begin to trust that people’s coming to faith in Jesus is reliant on the skill of the evangelist more than the power of the Holy Spirit.

• Can try to use this gift first in all situations when some situations might call for helps or mercy first and evangelism second.

• Can force answers to questions hearers aren’t yet asking.

Some possible ways to serve using this gift:

• Community volunteer/sports coach

• Friend to an International Student

• Bible Study leader

• Drama team

• Evangelistic team

• Short or long-term missionary/missions committee

• Visitor calling team

• Prison ministry

• Vacation Bible School director/helper/Sunday School teacher/helper

• Youth leader/assistant

Shirley Giles Davis, author of the God. Gifts. You. Your Unique Calling and Design workbook, Your Unique Design Class Guide, Your Unique Design Facilitator Guide, and Gifts-Calling-Purpose blog, is a consultant, coach, facilitator who has worked with hundreds of faith-based organizations, nonprofit agencies, and executive leaders in a diversity of fields for four decades. She currently serves as Catalyst for Equipping and overseer of Local Missions at her church.

Photo © Shirley Giles Davis.

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