What does the Bible say about the role of evangelism/outreach pastor?
The role of the pastor who specializes in evangelism and/or outreach varies widely from church
to church. The person who engages in evangelism and outreach should first be gifted by the Holy
Spirit in these areas and that gifting should be clear to both the pastor and those he serves.
Ephesians 4:7-8 and 11-13 state, “But to each one of us grace was given according to the
measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: ‘When He ascended on high, He led captivity
captive,…And gave gifts to men.’ And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets,
some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of
ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” Whatever the role and duties of the
evangelism/outreach pastor, his primary goal should be to equip others for service within the
body of Christ.
A pastor who specializes in evangelism may go out into the community himself, perhaps in a
door-to-door ministry, sharing the gospel of Christ with all he meets and inviting them to church.
He may conduct regular evangelistic crusades or meetings in other areas for the goal of
spreading the gospel and calling others to Christ. The evangelism pastor uses the biblical method
of evangelism, sharing both the bad news of sin and judgment and the good news of salvation
from sin through the shed blood of Christ at Calvary.
Outreach is another function of the evangelism/outreach pastor that can have many facets. The
outreach pastor may be in charge of reaching out in a practical sense to those in the church with
special needs, such as widows who need help with home maintenance and repair, single mothers
who need childcare help, the unemployed, the homeless, etc. The outreach pastor may have a
staff of volunteers he can call upon to help identify and meet those needs. Outreach can also be
another word for discipleship. Some outreach pastors meet regularly with young people in the
church to help them grow to spiritual maturity. He may conduct formal Bible studies or simply
meet over a meal to come alongside and encourage them. Again, whatever the individual duties
of the evangelism/outreach pastor, his primary role is “to prepare God’s people for works of
service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the
knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness
of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12-13).
Bible Verses for Evangelism
There are more than 1.6 billion people in the world who have never heard about Jesus.
Evangelism is a crucial tool for introducing these people to the gospel of Jesus Christ and sharing
God's love with them. The following Bible verses for evangelism provide us with the motivation
and instructions we need to share the good news about Jesus Christ with others.
Evangelism is the practice of spreading the good news about the life, death, and resurrection of
Jesus Christ and helping others come to faith in him. Evangelism involves sharing stories and
scripture from the Bible, sharing our personal story of salvation, praying for those who don’t
have faith in Christ, and inviting them into a saving relationship with him. An evangelist is
someone who seeks out opportunities to spread the good news and equips others to do the same
(Ephesians 4:11-12).
Why Is Evangelism Important?
The Bible tells us that we are all sinful people in need of God's redemption (Romans 3:23). The
consequence of our sin is death and eternal damnation (Revelation 21:8). There is nothing we
can do apart from putting our faith in Jesus to save us from sin. We are dependent upon God’s
grace to save us (Ephesians 2:8-9).<When we share our faith with others it gives them an
opportunity to hear about God’s plan of salvation through his son, Jesus Christ (John 14:6).
When we engage in evangelism we serve as a witness to the power of God (John 6:33) and
introduce people to the one who can save us from our sin (John 3:16-17).
How Do I Share The Gospel Of Jesus Christ With Someone I Love?
Pray for guidance before you start speaking about your faith or inviting your loved one to
accompany you on this spiritual journey.<Pray that God will open their eyes to the knowledge of
Him, and soften their hearts to be receptive to His grace (Ephesians 1:17-18). You may want to
start off by simply sharing what you believe - telling personal stories or experiences which
illustrate how following God has positively impacted your life. This way it becomes easier for
people to see how much God loves us.<Most importantly, God speaks to us through his word.
God’s word can bring about conviction of sin, and convince us of our need for God’s grace.
Share scripture that helps people to understand that salvation comes from God, and that we
receive God’s grace by putting our faith in Jesus. Only faith in Jesus can save us from sin and the
destruction it causes in our lives.
Motivation and Instructions for Evangelism
Matthew 9:37-38
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray
earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Matthew 28:19-20
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And
behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Luke 24:45-47
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written,
that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the
forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”<
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who
believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 10:14-15
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in
him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And
how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those
who preach the good news!”<
2 Corinthians 5:20
We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We
implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
2 Timothy 4:5
As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your
ministry.
1 Peter 3:15-16
But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to
anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and
respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good
behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
Bible Verses for Sharing the Gospel
Proverbs 14:12
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
Isaiah 1:18
Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be
as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
Isaiah 53:5
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the
chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
Matthew 3:2
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
John 1:12-13
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children
of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of
God.
John 3:3
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the
kingdom of God.”
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not
perish but have eternal life.<
John 6:44
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the
last day.
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me.”
Acts 2:38
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for
the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 4:12
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men
by which we must be saved.
Romans 10:9-10
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God
raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and
with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in
accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in
accordance with the Scriptures.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new
has come.<
2 Corinthians 5:21
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God.
Ephesians 4:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of
God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Hebrews 9:27-28
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having
been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to
save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to
God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.
Romans Road Verses
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:8
But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 10:9
That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised
Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ.
A Biblical Model for Evangelism
Luke 10:1-12
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two,
into every town and place where he himself was about to go.<And he said to them, “The harvest
is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send
out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of
wolves.<Carry no money bag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever
house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will
rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you.<And remain in the same house, eating and
drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house.<
Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it
and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’<But whenever you enter a town
and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to
our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come
near.’<
