The Course

God’s Word calls us to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15, NIV) — especially in these days of uncertainty. The training will prepare you to share the gospel with confidence and clarity with friends, family, coworkers, and kids. We believe that one of the most important things we can do as Christians is to respond in obedience to Christ’s command to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). We are called and commissioned by Christ to be witnesses to the good news of the gospel and this course is designed to encourage you to boldly embrace that mission for the advancement of God’s kingdom.

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” —1 Peter 3:15, NIV

Course Overview

Evangelism can be defined as the verbal and visible declaration of the death and resurrection of Christ with the intent of leading people to salvation. In Acts 1:8 Jesus called his early band of disciples to be “my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all of Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Jesus envisioned a spreading, gospel-centered mission for his disciples who would carry the good news of His death and resurrection throughout the world. And, as the book of Acts records, these early disciples as they were empowered by the Spirit took up this mission with the result that the early church experienced explosive growth and expansion as they evangelized throughout the Roman empire.

This evangelistic vision of being a witness for Christ and sharing the gospel remains the core calling for every Christian. It is true that the majority of Christians (61%) struggle with sharing their faith. If we still have the same calling to be a witness for Christ and the same empowerment by His Spirit as the early disciples, then why is evangelism such a struggle for Christians today? Why do we feel uncomfortable with sharing our faith in our neighborhoods and workplaces? Perhaps it is because so many Christians lack a clear understanding of why evangelism is so critically important, as well as a clear method of how to share the gospel with others. We hope that after this course, the student will go out with the confidence to share their faith wherever and with whomever Christ sends them as witnesses for His kingdom.

Course Objectives

• To develop a Biblical theology of evangelism that clarifies what the gospel is and why it is important for all Christians to share the gospel.
• To equip course participants with a clear method for sharing the gospel.