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Why evangelism1?

I have been thinking. Do we Christians really have to do evangelism. By evangelism I mean 'tell another the good news'. I mean it in terms of the original Greek notion of euangelion or euangelizomai i.e. verbally communicate to unbelievers the Christian message. Can't we just resort to showing them the message with our Christian lives full of grace, love, mercy and good works? Do we have to tell them the good news? And if we have to tell them the good news, what is the good news? What is it that we have to tell them?

I have decided to devote my blog to this question for a while for several reasons. Firstly, I am really interested in the question myself. Secondly, I think many Christians today are asking the question. They are almost embarressed by feeling that they have to share the gospel. Thirdly, I spent 9 years of my life writing a doctorate in evangelism and in the first 6 years of my life worked almost exclusively as an evangelist. Fourthly, at church today a young zealot Christian got up and invited people to join an evangelism team to go out and share the faith in a whole range of ways and I thought I would throw myself into the question.

So I am going to get into the whole evangelism thing for a week or six. So I hope you enjoy it.
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