Servanthood Evanelism


What is Servanthood Evangelism?

» Servanthood Evangelism Defined -


» Servanthood Evangelism Described -

Servanthood evangelism is a combination of simple acts of kindness and intentional personal evangelism. The concept is as old as the New Testament. Like so many profound truths, this one is so simple it is easily missed. Here's the concept: Get a group of believers, say for instance at a local church, and begin practicing simple acts of kindness with an intentional aim toward evangelism. In many cases, such acts of kindness open the door for the greatest act of kindness a Christian can give: the Gospel.

» Please understand what kindness means. It does not mean telling people what they want to hear so they will feel good about themselves.

» Servanthood evangelism is not merely acts of kindness. There are valuable ministries, such as taking a loaf of bread to newcomers, and others, which are helpful but they are not explicitly evangelistic. Servanthood evangelism is intentionally evangelistic, though by no means is it coercive in a negative sense. When doing an act of kindness, the witness says, "I am doing this to show the love of Jesus in a practical way."

» Then, as the Holy Spirit opens the door, usually through the individual responding "why are you doing this or that," the one performing the act of servanthood has a captive audience and proceeds to share their conversion testimony coupled with the Gospel presentation. If the other person is not open for discussion, the witness goes no further, except to offer a Gospel tract, literature, or prayer. However, what has been discovered is that Servanthood evangelism is made of two parts: service, i.e., acts of kindness, and evangelism.

» Think about it, wouldn't it be a cruel gesture to offer to wash someone's car and fail to tell them about the Water of life? To give a light bulb without telling of the Light of the world? To clean a toilet without telling about the only One who can cleanse a person's heart from sin?

» "Servanthood evangelism wonderfully intertwines the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. This approach provides "entry-level" evangelistic training for church members. Do you want to mobilize more laypersons for evangelism? Then begin a ministry of servanthood evangelism in your church." -Dr. Timothy K. Beougher, Associate Professor of Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Church Growth, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

The following is from 'Servanthood Evangelism'From SERVANTHOOD EVANGELISM by Alvin Reid and David Wheeler. Unpublished manuscript.


1. Free Car Wash (and yes, we do mean free, even if they insist)

2. Distribute free cups or bottles of water on a hot day.

3. Give out sticks of gum at a ball park.

4. Wash car windshields.

5. Beautify the community (a nice way of saying trash pick-up).

6. Partner with a local gas station to offer free oil or tire checks.

7. Pay for someones dryer at a laundramat.

8. Pay a toll for the person behind you.

9. Hand out free lights bulbs -- door to door or in a city park.

10. Offer to return shopping carts.

These are just 10 of hundreds of ideas you can do as servanthood evangelism projects. To add a special dimension to your projects select 2 or 3 people to prayer walk the surrounding area.