Sermon Illustrations
Keeping Evangelists with the Lost
In his book Leadership That Works, pastor Leith Anderson writes about the evangelistic strategy of a woman named Kathy:
She was a successful stockbroker in Minneapolis who easily made friends and had the gift of evangelism. She used to go to the pool at her apartment complex, settle on a chaise lounge, read a book, and eventually strike up a conversation with whoever sat next to her. Soon the two would become friends, and Kathy would begin talking very comfortably about her Christian faith.
Bringing newcomers to church was her regular practice. She was so good at this that she was invited to serve on the church evangelism board. When Kathy asked me what I thought about the idea, I said, "It seems ridiculous. Why would we put someone who is so good at evangelism in a room for hours with people who are already Christians? Let someone else serve on the evangelism board while you sit out by the pool."