Discovering Your Evangelism Type
Wherever you find yourself in your Christian journey, God’s forgiveness and grace in Jesus are a sure and steady hope for you! Isn’t that amazing news?! What Jesus has done for us in forgiving us of our sins is truly the greatest miracle and gift we will ever receive!
God’s call to us as His faithful followers is to be involved and intentional in what He is doing to save others, too! As we rely on God’s mercy towards us day by day, we are also called to be agents of grace in the world. This is the joy of evangelism!
But, how might you go about evangelizing? Sometimes we don’t even know where to start! One of the most important ways you can grow is to establish a deeper understanding of who you are, your personality type and style, your natural orientation towards other people and life, and perhaps your personal preferences. Understanding yourself more deeply will empower you to share the Gospel of Jesus with others in a way that comes more naturally to you.
This article goes into more depth about the results to our quiz. Haven’t taken it yet? Take the quiz now! Then come back here to better understand your evangelism type and become more aware of how to better share the Gospel with others in a way that comes more naturally to them.
Find out more about each type now!
The Intellectual Evangelist
Intellectual evangelists make a case for Jesus by helping people see the uniqueness of the Gospel message. They employ logic to appeal to people’s wills through their minds. Theology, philosophy, and apologetics often make their way into the conversations of the Intellectual Evangelist, often pointing people to additional relevant resources.
Paul in Acts 17
- Jesus in Matthew 22
Areas of strength
Validate and protect the truth of the Gospel
- Take down intellectual barriers that keep people from Jesus
- Tend to be teachable and good learners
- Tend to be more adept at answering complex theological questions
Areas of potential Caution/Awareness:
- Be careful to focus on the Gospel without getting sidetracked on academic points
- Be careful to express the Gospel as an incarnational reality, not only an intellectual idea
- Remember the role of the Holy Spirit in bringing people to faith
- Be careful not to overwhelm or humiliate people in the process of explaining Christianity and the Gospel
The Proclamation Evangelist
Proclamation evangelists seek opportunities to seize the moment and communicate a clear Gospel outline and the need to respond. Whether in public or private interactions, speaking to a crowd or one-on-one, these people take initiative and employ a straightforward approach to Gospel conversations. They have a sense of urgency that people need to hear the Good News, usually relying on an often-used outline or presentation that they have developed.
Biblical examples:
- Peter in Acts 2
- Philip in Acts 8
- Jesus in Luke 4
Areas of Strength:
- Provide a clear, compelling presentation of the Gospel
- Always prepared to share the Gospel verbally
- Tend to create opportunities instead of passively waiting for them
- Often feel the urgency of salvation for others
Areas of Caution/Awareness:
- Prioritize relational “connection” in the process of proclamation, as you may come across as impersonal, overly intense, or demanding
- Be mindful of the unique issues and circumstances of those being spoken to, as opposed to relying on a rigid outline
- When in smaller groups, ask questions and listen, avoiding a one-way communication dump
- Remember God’s wisdom and timing in bringing people to Himself
- Avoid being both pushy in demanding a Gospel response as well as disappointed if it does not happen immediately
The Storyteller Evangelist
Storyteller Evangelists prefer to communicate the Gospel through analogies, parables, or stories. Their narration connects felt needs and contemporary realities to the Gospel with creativity and personal impact. Whether they are sharing their own personal testimony or weaving illustrations and stories into conversations, Storyteller evangelists naturally find themselves having conversations with people which effortlessly flow into Gospel conversations.
Biblical Examples
- Jesus’ interactions in the Gospels: Matthew 12, Matthew 13, and Luke 15
Areas of strength:
- Communicate the Gospel in a captivating and memorable style
- Resonate with people’s felt needs and experiences through stories
- Show Christianity to be a lived reality, not an impersonal concept
Areas of Caution/Awareness:
- Be careful to link stories to Jesus, not getting caught up in the stories themselves
- While Storyteller’s conversation often lead to a light and fun atmosphere, be careful to also bring in a serious tone of Gospel response
- Be aware of the limited nature of stories and analogies in communicating complicated theological truths
The Good Works Evangelist
Good Works evangelists have a burden to be Christ’s hands and feet in the world. As they care for the real, practical needs of people they make it their duty to serve people in love. Often sympathetic, they place a high value on action and bringing relief to others through practical service. They are adept at noticing the needs of people better than others and feel compelled to express the Good News through service and relief.
Biblical examples:
- The paralytic’s friends in Mark 2
- The disciples in Acts 6
- Jesus in John 13
- Mark 8
Areas of strength:
- Meet the practical needs of people as an expression of God’s love
- Express care and concern for people’s wellbeing, demonstrating kindness and mercy
- Express God’s compassion, helping combat negative stereotypes of Jesus and Christianity
- Help to incline people to really hear the Gospel
Areas of Caution/Awareness:
- Aim to eventually communicate the Good News in conversation with people
- Think through how you might verbally express the Gospel message
- Remember the reason and purpose of service!
The Innovator Evangelist
Innovator evangelists are those gifted to see new and unique ways of reaching people with the Gospel. They are often thinking about maximizing impact to reach groups of people, demographics, or interest-groups with God’s grace. They naturally desire to formulate new strategies to increase Gospel witness, embracing unique opportunities and change. In essence, they are often thinking of new innovative ways to spread the Good News of the Gospel, whatever that might look like in context.
Biblical Examples:
- Jesus in Luke 5
- Paul’s strategic decisions to travel to new areas to preach the Gospel, e.g. Acts 18
- Acts 15:36-41
Areas of Strength:
- Bring Gospel impact through innovative evangelism methods and strategies
- Create evangelism momentum
- Inspire others with the urgency of evangelism
- Are often able to inspire people to get involved
Areas of Caution/Awareness:
- Will need to remember the purpose of events and strategies, and avoid becoming too distracted with operational matters
- May need to be more intentional with longer-term strategies, rather than too many short-lived initiatives
- Grow personal evangelism as well as creative strategic formulation
The Friendship Evangelist
Friendship evangelists love to build relational bridges with people. They are deeply loyal to those closest to them and often enjoy journeying with people through the hills and valleys of life. While not necessarily an extrovert, people rely on them for friendship and know that they will be there for them no matter what. They enjoy connecting with people and trust that over time they will be able to share the love of Jesus.
Biblical Examples:
- Mark 2:13-17
- John 4
Areas of Strength:
- Express the loyalty of Jesus
- Care for people relationally and emotionally, being an incarnational presence to them
- Respect and understand the unique journeys people are on in their belief in Jesus
Areas of Caution/Awareness:
- While loving people, remember that they need Jesus more than anything else
- Be bold and courageous, aiming to eventually share the Gospel in conversation
- As you grow in Christian community, remember to continue to be intentional in your friendship with unbelievers
The Counsellor Evangelist
Counsellor evangelists believe in the power of God to transform people through counselling and care. They are naturally concerned with the inner health of people and aim to provide comfort and relief. They are great listeners who ask helpful questions and provide guidance and support to those in need. Drawn to those in need, they will offer help and encouragement with the hope of imparting God’s love and grace.
Biblical Examples:
- John 4
- John 8
Areas of Strength:
- Demonstrate the care and compassion of Jesus to broken people
- Used as an instrument of inner healing through the Holy Spirit
- Help people recognize the power of the Gospel to change lives
Areas of Caution/Awareness:
- Be careful not to create a dependency on yourself, but point people to the Gospel
- Remember to avoid moralism, pointing to the true power to transform in Jesus by the Holy Spirit
- Remember the priority of forgiveness for sins in your endeavor to comfort hurting people
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