Evangelizing Through Writing

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"But how can they call to him for help if they have not believed? And how can they believe if they have not heard the message? And how can they hear if the message is not proclaimed? And how can the message be proclaimed if the messengers are not sent out? As the scripture says, 'How wonderful is the coming of messengers who bring good news!' But not all have accepted the Good News. Isaiah himself said, 'Lord, who believed our message?' So then, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ.” Romans 10:14-17

 “So, how did you come to know Jesus?” Karen Beilharz, Christian writer, asked in conversation with an older gentleman who had a very interesting life story that spanned three continents.

 “I read this book,” he said.

“Really? What book was it?” Possible titles flashed through Karen’s head—A Fresh Start ... Mere Christianity ... Simply Christianity ... More Than a Carpenter. But it wasn’t any of those.

“A biography—well, an autobiography—of a monk.”

That got Karen to thinking about the advantages of evangelizing through writing, “You can evangelize someone on the other side of the world twenty years in the future. Writing allows you to take your time in crafting a phrase or fashioning an argument. Writing gives the reader the opportunity to read and re-read at his or her leisure.”

For books and articles outside the specific Christian publishing realm, try these suggestions:

Non-Fiction Writers:

• Offer faith-based opinion pieces on local hot topics and submit it to the editorial page or religious section of your newspaper.
• Reference the Bible if a quote is needed for a piece you are writing. (Chicken Soup for the Soul often requests a quote for stories that are submitted.)
• In letters or emails, again without preaching, share how faith has made a difference—carrying you through a tough time, offering hope in a hopeless situation, providing guidance in a specific circumstance, etc.
• On your blog, post a meditation based on a Scripture that God has brought to life for you. You could also email it to one of the publishers of devotional booklets.

Fiction Writers:

• Portray characters upholding Christian principles—refusing to cheat or lie, showing love, remaining faithful in marriage
• Allow characters to exhibit Christian behavior in response to conflict—serving others above self, praying for enemies, seeking guidance from clergy, etc.
• Place scenes in Christian settings—a church, a fellowship group, a praise team practice, etc.
• Discuss faith-based issues in dialogues between characters.

When evangelizing, Mike Bechtle, in his book, Evangelism for the Rest of Us, recommends we keep these strategies in mind:

• If we know Christ, we are qualified to evangelize, for we have firsthand experience.
• Be faithful in delivering God's message when called to do so, but trust God with the results.
• We don't have to convince people to come to Christ. God does that.
• Evangelism is a team effort. We may not see results from our writing alone.

Karen Beilharz reminds us that “no matter how brilliantly [we] might argue or how eloquently [we] might wax, it is God who changes (or does not change) the hearts of men and women, not us. The pen might be mightier than the sword but nothing is mightier than the Lord of all.”

Blessings as you write for Him!

Pam

©2011 Pamela D. Williams