Learn effective approaches to sharing the faith drawn from early church practices. Discover how kingdom teachings can enhance rather than hinder genuine evangelistic efforts.

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Course Content

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Did Early Christians Proclaim the Gospel Focusing on Christ's Death and Repentance, or the Whole Gospel as Defined in the Bible We Have Today?
How Should I Approach Witnessing to an Inactive Jehovah’s Witness Compared to a Non-believer or Nominal Christian?
What is the Most Important Character Quality for Church Planters to Cultivate?
How Can Church Planting Show Unity and Maintain Integrity with Christ's Teachings?
Is a Sending Church Necessary for Church Planting?
Should Strict Rules About Modesty Be Made When the Bible Doesn't Specify and Modesty is Subjective?
How Can an Ethnic Church Broaden Its Membership and Spread the Gospel?
Does Kingdom Teaching Affect Evangelism, Making it a Stumbling Block or Easier for Potential Converts?
Free Course Guide

What This Free Course Covers

The Evangelism course brings together Q&A-style lessons on how Christians bear witness to Jesus in real conversations, church life, and new ministry settings. The opening lessons compare simple modern gospel summaries with examples from Scripture and early Christian apologetic writings, emphasizing that early witness included Christ’s death, forgiveness, repentance, and the teachings of Jesus.

Other lessons address relational witness, including how to approach an inactive Jehovah’s Witness with patience, kindness, and awareness of that person’s background. Several lessons focus on church planting: the character needed, the importance of unity, whether a sending church is necessary, and how small groups might begin wisely.

The course also includes practical ethical and cultural questions, such as church standards on modesty and the challenges ethnic churches face when trying to welcome people from outside their own background. One lesson sample addresses careful use of primary sources when evaluating claims about wine and grape juice.

Early Christian gospel witness Teachings of Jesus Relational evangelism Jehovah’s Witness background Church planting Christian unity Modesty and church standards Cultural barriers Primary sources

What You Will Study

  • How early Christians and the apostles presented the gospel in Scripture and early apologetic writings
  • Why Christian witness should include both the saving work of Christ and the teachings of Jesus
  • Relational approaches to witnessing to an inactive Jehovah’s Witness without treating every person the same
  • Character qualities for church planters, including humility, love for people, and a willingness to keep learning
  • How church planting can pursue unity rather than being driven by reaction against other churches
  • Whether a sending church is necessary, and how small groups might begin a church plant with wisdom and integrity
  • How churches can reason through modesty standards when Scripture gives principles rather than detailed rules
  • How ethnic churches can reduce cultural barriers when seeking to welcome people from outside their own background

Questions This Course Helps Answer

  • Did early Christians proclaim only Christ’s death and repentance, or a fuller gospel message?
  • Where in Scripture can students look for examples of apostolic gospel proclamation?
  • How should someone witness to an inactive Jehovah’s Witness who is curious about church?
  • Why can relationship, kindness, and patience matter when witnessing to former or inactive Jehovah’s Witnesses?
  • What character qualities are especially important for church planters to cultivate?
  • What initial number of people or families might be considered a bare minimum for a church plant?
  • How can church planting avoid becoming divisive or anti-other-church in spirit?
  • Is a sending church or the blessing of current church leaders necessary before starting a church plant?
  • What might be missing when a fellowship effort cannot gain traction?
  • How can churches draw lines on modesty without claiming the Bible gives every specific rule?
  • What general principles are offered for thinking about modest dress?
  • How can an ethnic church make space for outsiders and spread the gospel more broadly?

Lesson-by-Lesson Guide

Did Early Christians Proclaim the Gospel Focusing on Christ's Death and Repentance, or the Whole Gospel as Defined in the Bible We Have Today?

This lesson compares common modern gospel summaries with examples from Acts and early Christian apologetic writings. It emphasizes that early Christian witness included Christ’s death, forgiveness, repentance, and the teachings of Jesus, including attention to the Sermon on the Mount.

  • How did early Christians explain Christianity to pagans and Jews?
  • Did early gospel proclamation include more than Christ’s death and resurrection?
  • What biblical examples show Peter or Paul presenting the gospel?
  • Why are the teachings of Jesus central to Christian witness?

How Should I Approach Witnessing to an Inactive Jehovah’s Witness Compared to a Non-believer or Nominal Christian?

This lesson urges a relational and non-threatening approach when witnessing to an inactive Jehovah’s Witness. It notes that each person’s background, Bible knowledge, and experience with the group may differ, so Christians should listen carefully and avoid treating everyone as though they know nothing about Jesus.

  • How should I approach an inactive Jehovah’s Witness who is curious about church?
  • Why might kindness and relationship be more effective than arguments alone?
  • Why is it unhelpful to treat every Jehovah’s Witness as a non-believer or nominal Christian?
  • How can I learn where someone is spiritually without making them feel pressured?

What is the Most Important Character Quality for Church Planters to Cultivate?

This lesson identifies humility, deep love for people, and a love of learning and truth as essential qualities for church planters. It also frames church planting as an overflow of disciple-making rather than a grand project detached from evangelism and care for people.

  • What character quality should church planters cultivate first?
  • Why is humility necessary in the difficulties of church planting?
  • How does love for people keep church planting connected to evangelism and discipleship?
  • What initial number of people or families might be needed for a viable church plant?

How Can Church Planting Show Unity and Maintain Integrity with Christ's Teachings?

This lesson reflects on Jesus’ prayer for oneness and warns against church planting that is driven by resentment toward other groups. It calls church planters to be pro-Jesus, grieved by unnecessary division, and careful about the spirit in which they speak of others.

  • How can church planting show Christian unity rather than division?
  • Why is it dangerous to build a group around what people are against?
  • How can former church experiences become a source of bitterness?
  • What kind of attitude should guide church planting and discipleship?

Is a Sending Church Necessary for Church Planting?

This lesson considers whether church planting must be formally sent by another church or denomination. It points to Antioch as an example of a church that began through evangelism, while also urging wisdom, humility, good testimony, and, where possible, blessing from existing leaders.

  • Is it possible to start a church plant without a formal sending church?
  • What does the example of Antioch suggest about informal beginnings?
  • When should church planters seek the blessing of current church leaders?
  • What might be missing when a fellowship effort struggles to gain traction?

Should Strict Rules About Modesty Be Made When the Bible Doesn't Specify and Modesty is Subjective?

This lesson answers the claim that churches should not draw modesty lines because Scripture does not give detailed clothing rules. It uses the “fallacy of the beard” to argue that unclear boundary points do not erase real distinctions, then offers general principles such as covering the body, avoiding sensuality, and avoiding showy luxury.

  • Does the lack of detailed biblical rules mean churches cannot set modesty standards?
  • What is the “fallacy of the beard,” and how does it apply to modesty?
  • How can churches draw practical lines without claiming every detail is directly specified in Scripture?
  • What broad principles are suggested for modest clothing?

How Can an Ethnic Church Broaden Its Membership and Spread the Gospel?

This lesson discusses the difficulty ethnic churches can face when trying to welcome people from outside their own culture. It recommends seeing the experience through an outsider’s eyes and reducing barriers related to language, family networks, food, and insider customs.

  • Why do many ethnic churches struggle to broaden their membership?
  • What cultural barriers can make outsiders feel they do not belong?
  • How might an ethnic church create a more welcoming environment for evangelism?
  • What does it mean to give up familiar comforts for the sake of others?

Does Kingdom Teaching Affect Evangelism, Making it a Stumbling Block or Easier for Potential Converts?

The supplied transcript sample for this lesson addresses a question about whether Jesus turned water into alcoholic wine or a grape-juice-like drink. The answer emphasizes asking for primary sources, considering historical preservation of grape juice, and noting the early Christian practice of regular communion.

  • How should Christians evaluate claims about biblical wine and grape juice?
  • Why does the lesson ask for primary sources from the time of Jesus or the early Christians?
  • What historical issue is raised about preserving grape juice without fermentation?
  • How does regular early Christian communion factor into the discussion?

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Evangelism

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Course Includes

  • 8 Lessons
  • 0 Quizzes
  • Course Certificate