Knocking on doors in hopes of sharing the gospel has been part of my life for 35 years of ministry leadership. I learned to share the gospel at age 25 and have been involved in door-to-door evangelism since age 26.
Front door evangelism is not the only way to share the gospel, but it remains one way to access many people with the hope of Christ. There are plenty of places where this approach to evangelism is not effective, but most pastors, elders and ministry leaders would be surprised at the number of contexts within reach of each church where front door evangelism can be a very effective tool.
There are only two ways to do local church evangelism – come and see or go and tell. Every church has a “come and see” strategy as it gathers on Sunday morning, posts its service times and welcomes guests to come and hear the gospel. For churches thinking about a “go and tell” strategy, here are five reasons to consider utilizing front door evangelism – especially as we enter the summer months.
1. Front door evangelism provides evangelistic opportunities: There are 120 counties in Kentucky. I have knocked on doors in 76 of those counties and have never failed to have gospel conversations. Imagine a person standing on their front porch, having a friendly conversation with a guest at their door, and that conversation gently moves to one that is focused on Jesus, His gospel and their response. If you knock on 10 doors on any weekday afternoon, you will likely have at least two solid gospel conversations. If you do the same on Sunday afternoon, you will likely have five witnessing opportunities. Where else can you share the gospel with lost people with that same frequency?
2. Front door evangelism provides opportunities for disciple making: Jesus made disciples, not by enrolling them in a theological classroom but by taking them out to do hands-on ministry. Jesus carried out His ministry, and the disciples watched him do it. He then trained and empowered them to do ministry and gave them feedback. One of the best laboratories for discipling a new believer is knocking on doors and sharing the gospel. The budding disciple of Christ will experience Christian fellowship, learn the gospel message, engage in biblical apologetics, be challenged on the fear of man and experience personal dependence on the Holy Spirit. You will be hard pressed to find a better atmosphere for making disciples than sharing Jesus door-to-door in the city streets or country roads near your church building.
3. Front door evangelism promotes a greater concern for lost people: Every time I go out for an hour or so of front door evangelism with a local church pastor, I sense a greater concern for people who are separated from God. We consider these people to be “lost,” which means we do not expect them to find their way to Christ on their own. Instead, we must go and tell them about Jesus. Lost people live the way they do because they are, indeed, lost. If we were lost, we might live the same way. Going to homes in the west end of Louisville, the river cities of northern Kentucky, the country roads in west Kentucky or the hollers of Appalachia only serves to reinforce that Kentuckians’ greatest problem is lostness, and that we have the solution to their problem – Christ and His lifechanging gospel message.
4. Front door evangelism honors the heart of Christ: Jesus gave the Great Commission to His people. In Mark 13:10, in the context of Jesus discussing the signs of the end of the age, Jesus said, “And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations.” It is our responsibility and great joy to take the good news of Christ to all people. That global mission requires that every church has an evangelism strategy for its neighborhood and for the world. One element of that strategy can be to go to every home in close proximity to your church every year. It honors Christ when we develop a plan to get the gospel to the people in the shadows of the steeple of our churches.
5. Front door evangelism can be a catalyst for revival for individual believers: In 35 years of knocking on doors and sharing the gospel, I have never left a session of front door evangelism discouraged or defeated. In every endeavor I have seen God provide witnessing opportunities and fellowship with other believers. My advice to every Kentucky Baptist pastor is that if you are feeling down or discouraged in ministry, then pick a street, grab a friend and a handful of gospel booklets and go knock on doors for the glory of God and the good of your neighbors. You will be refreshed and encouraged, and you may see God save a lost soul.
Dr. Todd Gray 