Evangelism is one of InterVarsity’s core commitments. “We proclaim and live out the gospel with love and boldness, calling people to repentance, faith, and new life in Jesus Christ.”
How evangelism is expressed on each campus varies with its locale and personnel. Sometimes it’s an event, such as last year’s outreach at Western Michigan University. Often it’s the result of a relationship that’s been established between a Christian and a non-Christian. Trish McDonnell Baker, a campus staff member at Buffalo State College in New York, gives an example.
Last week I was leading a session on how to communicate the essence of the gospel in the Becoming a Contagious Christian course. While we were talking, a new guy came in, a friend of one of the group members. He listened while we discussed three different ways to summarize what it means to give your life to Jesus. Then I asked the students to pair up and practice sharing one of the examples with each other. As I packed up my things, I could hear the new guy and his partner talking.
“I’m not sure I should tell someone else how to become a Christian,” the visitor said, “because I’m not a Christian myself.”
“Would you like to be one? “ asked his partner.
“Well, actually, I would,” he said
“Would you like to pray right now to ask Jesus to be your savior and lord? “ asked his partner.
“Yes, I would,” he replied.
So his partner briefly explained what it meant to give your life to Jesus and ask him into your heart. Then they prayed. I encouraged him to come back, gave him some books and helped him think about where he could go to church. Responses like that definitely put some sparkle into evangelism training! Please pray that he grows and flourishes in his new faith. His partner, who had rededicated his life to Christ the night before, was greatly encouraged after this exchange.
Greg Jao, InterVarsity’s New York/New Jersey regional director, commented, “ I think this is the third or fourth student this year who has come to faith in the middle of an evangelism training program. There seems to be something powerful about sharing the gospel with students and asking them to come to faith. Go figure; God’s Word + the Holy Spirit + faithfully bold Christians = New Christians.”
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A recent article on campus evangelism in the Las Vegas Sun commented favorably on InterVarsity’s Evangelism Code of Ethics.
