* Love and accept others. Recognize that God’s love is the greatest force in the universe, and that you must let His love flow through you to other people to successfully evangelize them. Understand that you cannot reach lost people if you don’t love them. Realize that they don’t care what you know until they know that you care. Look to Jesus as your role model of how to interact with people, and remember that He was willing to spend time with people and demonstrate love for them, no matter what. Ask God to help you avoid the temptation to use fear and fire-and-brimstone tactics to evangelize people. Ask Him to help you meet people right where they are – sins and all – and accept them as people unconditionally. Stand by them no matter what they’re going through. Think the best of them instead of the worst. Don’t judge them. Make them feel safe in your presence. Never demean or insult others when talking to them. Speak with humility. Don’t be easily offended by lost people; keep in mind that they have been wounded. Be willing to invest significant amounts of time into building relationships with people. Be flexible and patient with them. Remember that people aren’t just numbers to add to your evangelism achievement goals; they’re God’s children, whom He loves and wants you to love.

* Know your message well. When presenting the Gospel message, be sure to include these essential truths: Tell the story of what Jesus did on the cross to reconcile people to God. Explain why sin separates people from God, why they can’t reach Him on their own, and why they need His help. Lead them to repent (turning away from selfish thinking and sin and turning their hearts toward God). Encourage them to believe in Jesus and what He has done, and to trust every part of their lives to Him. Let them know how to become baptized, filled with the Holy Spirit, and committed to a local church. When talking with people, take the initiative, show genuine interest in them, arouse their curiosity, ask them questions that motivate them to think about their spirituality, introduce them to Jesus, invite them to begin a relationship with Jesus, and help them become incorporated into God’s family. Ask God to give you the confidence you need to share the Gospel boldly and joyfully.