In the Book of Acts, we find two forms of evangelism. We see mass evangelism at work, and we also see examples of personal evangelism.
A prime example of mass evangelism is when we find Peter preaching to a large crowd in Jerusalem. His boldness that day led to thousands being added to the church—“about 3,000 in all” (Acts 2:41). Then, in Acts 8, we see personal evangelism with Philip, who spoke with an Ethiopian eunuch and “told him the Good News about Jesus” (verse 35).
When it comes to crusades, we have found that some 85 percent of the people who make a decision for Christ were brought by a friend. So, essentially, one-on-one evangelism—that is, personal evangelism—is coupled with large-scale evangelism.
Evangelistic Events Are Neutral Ground for Nonbelievers
An outreach event can be a catalyst for a believer to utilize in his or her evangelistic efforts. Many nonbelievers won’t go to church even when invited because they feel out of place in a typical church setting.
The apostle Paul was a master communicator who said he became all things to all men so that he might bring some to Christ (1 Corinthians 9:22). Paul wanted to find common ground with his listeners, to arrest their attention.
In the same way, I also wish to build bridges with listeners rather than burn them.
See, Paul was willing to go into another’s world, check out their views, philosophies, and false ideas. He made an effort to understand others so he could bring an appropriate message to those who desperately needed it. The goal was always to spread the Good News.
Crusades, like our Harvest events, similarly bridge the gap by allowing a nonbeliever to attend church without feeling entirely out of their world. They’re more likely to come and hear the gospel when invited to a stadium, an arena, or a local theater—a “neutral ground.”
Yes, it’s vital that we share our faith one-on-one with people. But it’s also important that we throw out the seeds of the gospel to as many people as we can.
By the way, those who attend a crusade are not missing out on personal connection. It’s likely they’ve been brought by a friend who has prayed for them. And when the invitation is given, and that person goes forward on the field, there are counselors there to talk with them, answer questions, and walk them through the basics. So there is a lot of personal connection, both before and after the event.
How a Stadium Event Becomes Personal
With mass evangelism, we are bringing people together.
Think about the Ethiopian official in Acts chapter 8, who was sitting in his chariot reading a scroll that had the words of Isaiah written on it. He could have just as well been watching a livestream on his iPad, if you bring it into today’s language. All the answers were there, but he didn’t quite get it. He had questions. He needed a personal touch. And that’s why God sent Philip. God loves to use people to reach other people.
With events, like the upcoming Harvest Crusade, people are trained ahead of time to be the Philips, if you will, for these people—to pray for those they are inviting, to bring them personally to the event in their community, to guide them through the basics of what it means to be a Christian, and to follow up and disciple them afterwards. That’s why I find these mass evangelistic events to be significant, but that’s not to say personal evangelism is not as important.
God can use both large-scale evangelism and personal evangelism to get the gospel out. Both serve a purpose.
