Is Door-to-Door Evangelism Effective?

Over the next few weeks I want to look a several types of evangelism.  There are almost as many ways as there are types of people.  

The first approach to evangelism I want to talk about is door-to-door.  This is probably one of the least liked methods in all the church today.  Over the years it has slowly fallen out of favor and rarely is it even discussed anymore.  I
love this form of evangelism because I get to meet people in an environment
where they are most comfortable, and I’m able to speak with them one on one,
usually without interruption. 

Some of the
reasons I believe this type may not be so popular anymore is because:

1) Some
believe it is not effective

2) Too many
people are not home

3) Fear.
Afraid of scary people answering the door

4) Just
don’t want to do it

5) Hate it
when people think you’re a Mormon or Jehovah’s Witness

6) And some
people don’t consider it to be biblical

The Great
Commission is not an option, it’s a mandate. If only more Christians were as
prepared to share the gospel as the Jehovah’s Witnesses are to promote their
teachings!  But is door-to-door
evangelism the way?

Jesus
commissioned His followers to, “…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you …” (Matthew 28:19-20)  

As far as I
can tell, the Bible does not specifically state that the disciples went from
door to door, uninvited.  Yet, it is just
another form of one-on-one evangelism, which is seen many times in the
scriptures. (See Acts 8:26, John 4:1)

My
experience is that it can be effective, but is a bit more difficult than many other forms of evangelism.  I do tend to use it primarily to introduce myself (thus starting a relationship), and  advertise our church, yet, I never leave without at least getting a sense of where they are at spiritually.  I believe the real reason many Christians do not like to go door
knocking, and criticize this method, is because they do not like to do one-on-one
evangelism to strangers.  They have made
up their mind that talking to strangers is ineffective, in spite of hardly ever
doing it themselves.  Also, when you do
it with the attitude that it is ineffective (that God cannot do anything
through it), of course you are not going to accomplish much for God’s glory.

Probably the most effective method of evangelism is to speak personally to
friends, neighbors and co-workers.  This
is the type of evangelism is modeled by Philip in John 1:45-46.  When Christians befriend others and develop a
trusting relationship with them, they earn the right to be listened to.  Inviting others to come to church or attend
weekly Bible studies in the homes of other Christians is another good way to
share the gospel.  The way we live is
important, too.  A life of godliness
speaks volumes to non-believers about the transforming power of the love of
God.

A good
biblical example of evangelism is the young Jewish girl captured and taken to
Syria as a servant for Naaman’s wife.  The
little girl’s faith in the God of Elisha prompted her to spontaneously speak of
his miracles.  Her faith and her concern
for Naaman’s health resulted not only in Naaman being healed, but also coming
to faith in Yahweh (2 Kings 5:1-19).

All Christians
need to be equipped to share the good news with others (1 Peter 3:15).  We might not all be teachers and preachers,
but we should all be so grateful that we have been saved, that we want to tell
others, and explain what God has done for sinners such as us.  Whether we’re going door to door, leaving
tracts at a restaurant, or engaging in friendship evangelism, we should be
sharing the gospel. Jesus commands it, duty demands it and gratitude prompts
it.  

Here are 8 tips
in breaking the ice when going door-to-door:

1) Always
smile and act like you are privileged to have the opportunity to talk to the
person that opened their door for you

2) Pray as
you are approaching each door that God would give you the opportunity, and the
courage, to share the gospel.

3) Always
introduce yourself (and whoever may be with you)

4) Ask for
prayer requests.  This is a helpful way
to get names and contact information so you can follow up later, and it shows
which people are open to spiritual things

5) When you
go door-to-door in your neighborhood, don’t be afraid to invite the person over
for dinner. People are more open to this than you think.

6) If you
are only inviting people to church or to a special service, don’t leave without
attempting to share the gospel with them.  You more than likely will not see them at the
meeting.  Sharing the gospel with them
may make this more of a possibility.

7) Use tracts.
Tracts are always a helpful way to break the ice.   And
there are many videos on YouTube with ideas on how to witness to people.  

Remember
this fact in using any evangelism method: You Are Successful Only when You Do It!
Effectiveness is measured not by how many people come to Christ, but by how
much God is being glorified in you.  Using
some of these tips can make door-to-door evangelism much easier and a lot less
scary.

If you have
any other ideas that have been effective for you, please share them with us so
others may learn.  

Here are
some tracts that can ordered or downloaded online:

And here are some videos I found helpful in learning to witness:

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