Why Your Youth Ministry Should Serve the Poor
What does it look like to seek the welfare of our cities? How do you train your high school and junior high students to do this? Why is this important?
Articles on Evangelism / Missions
149 results found
Why Your Identity Is Not the Same as Your Role
It is the temptation to find your identity in your role.
Why We’re Giving Away the ESV Global Study Bible (to Everyone)
We want to equip the global church with theologically rich, gospel-centered content aimed at helping God's people better understand and apply the Bible.
Why We Need to Be More Than Nice
God's not calling you to be a nice person only—he's calling you to be a Gospel-proclaiming person.
Tracts are meant to be informal or conversational—easily comprehended and relational in style.
Why the Secularization Hypothesis Is Fundamentally Flawed
As the world became more modern, more scientific, and more educated, sociologists thought the world was also becoming less religious, but is it true?
Why the Apologist Must Also Play Offense
Apologetics does not just entail defense. It also involves offense, the positive task of constructing a case for Christianity.
Why It Matters That Jesus Is Better Than Everything
Introducing people to Jesus involves showing them how Jesus meets their needs better than anything else.
Why It Is Unloving to Preach #YouDoYou
If the ship is going down, it’s not arrogant to tell people the truth and point them to the lifeboat. It’s deeply unloving not to.
Many passages in Scripture speak to the missionary task, but at the foundation we need to remember that we do missions because Jesus commissioned his people to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Why Church Planting Can’t Be Church Franchising
I have seen empires come and go, but never have I seen anything so radical and pervasive as the gospel of the kingdom.
Why Christian Mission Must Focus on Evangelism
The gospel of Jesus Christ, by its very nature, refuses to be bottled up. It must be shared.
Why All Christians Can (and Should) Share the Gospel
Opportunities abound for sharing our faith. Things are happening all around us that cause people to ask religious questions.
Regardless of what you personally think about him, surely we can agree that Jesus is a towering figure in the history of the world.
When the Tyranny of the Urgent Invades Missions
We're living at a time in global missions today where the gospel and faithful ministry are threatened because we often sacrifice the important for the immediate, the best for the most pressing.
When Fear Prevents You from Being a Good Neighbor
One of the greatest detriments to being the neighbors Christ has called us to be is fear. And somehow, instead of identifying our fear as sinful we often call it by another name: wisdom.
When Christ Turns Persecutors into Persecuted (for His Glory)
Jesus is alive, is at work, and he’s bringing men and women to himself.
What Must Happen before Jesus Returns?
We do not know how much time must elapse before Jesus comes. We err to say otherwise. But we may err in the other direction as well—presuming to think that he must not be near.
What Muslims Misunderstand about Christianity
There are a lot of misconceptions about Christianity that are coming from the Islam side. Christians need to be prepared to engage the cultural and theological misunderstandings.
Since the word “gospel” means “good news,” when Christians talk about the gospel, they’re simply telling the good news about Jesus.
What Is Successful Evangelism?
Following Christ means loving those who don’t follow Jesus, and that love includes sharing the gospel.
What Is Needed to Be a Christian?
In order to make this commitment to Jesus, you need to know the essentials about who he is and what he has done for you. This is the Gospel (“good news”) of Jesus Christ.
A person is gospel fluent when the gospel becomes their "mother tongue."
What Does the Bible Say about Evangelism?
There is a gift of evangelism, and we should be grateful for those to have it, but all believers are called to be faithful in sharing their faith.
What Does Gospel Fluency Look Like in Action?
Listen and pay attention—the Lord will give you the right words to bring the gospel to a non-Believer in a way that meets their needs and fulfills their longings.
When someone asks me a question about the faith that I don’t have a good answer for, it will rattle me unless the Lord Jesus is taking up holy ground in my heart.
What Did Jesus Teach about Evangelism?
When we look at Jesus’s life and ministry we also see that he was the greatest evangelist. In his earthly ministry he was the light of the world, the one who always lived in a way that was pleasing to his Father.
What Churches Should Look for in a Missionary
Churches should carefully assess the character, fruitfulness, and Bible knowledge of the missionaries they hope to send.
Video: Leaders on the Need for Study Bibles in Africa & Asia
Rev. Dr. Paul R Gupta, Professor Ephraim Mudave, and Pastor Victor Anukem describe the encouraging growth of the church in Africa and Asia but also the great need for Bible study resources in these contexts.
If we’re after true and lasting change, we must pray that the Lord work out our sanctification by his Spirit
This Day in History: The Death of Hudson Taylor
Today marks the 113th anniversary of the death of Hudson Taylor, missionary to China. His legacy of faithfulness lives on.
The Toughest Place to Talk Faith
Your family and friends can be the toughest people in the world to approach on matters of faith, especially those that want nothing to do with God.
The Role of Prayer and Missions in Salvation
Prayer and evangelism are both part of the plan—the all-embracing, all-pervasive, unstoppable providence of God is the only hope for making our efforts effective.
The Reformation’s Evangelistic Impact
The most lasting impact of the Reformation is gospel-centered mission. The Reformation unleashed a movement that continues today as Christians everywhere take the good news to the entire world.
The Power of God's Word in India
Sometimes, in God’s plan and providence, this ministry takes us to the farthest corners of the world.
The Passionate Plea of Preaching
Alistair Begg, Sinclair B. Ferguson
There is a vast difference between simply conveying information to people, which can be cold and ineffectual, and true preaching and witness.
The paradox of evangelism is that when we remember that evangelism is impossible, we are more likely to evangelize.
The One and Only Way to Enjoy Evangelizing
If we fear that God’s love for us is reluctant or that his approval rests on our performance, we won’t feel any real affection for him, our service will be grudging, and the world will likely see through us.
The Necessity and Danger of Mercy Ministry
Deeds of mercy can show the power of the gospel to change us. When we help our neighbor, we give evidence that our message is true.
The Life of St. Patrick: An Inspiration for Missions
St. Patrick had a deep certainty of the will of God for his life: to live out his days in Ireland so that the Irish might come to know God as he had.
The Importance of the Global Church
The church is the single most important institution on earth, the organism through which God advances his kingdom.
The Holy Spirit Is at Work in Our Ordinariness
Our lives are building slowly toward a great climax of redemption when we will finally see God face to face. And there are smaller victories along the way.
One of the most prominent burdens felt by society and church in the early 20th Century was the plight of orphans.
The Great (American) Commission - Part 3
This is the third post (part 1, part 2) in a 3-part series by Tim Keesee on the role of American missionaries in the 21st century.
The Great (American) Commission - Part 2
This is the second post (part 1, part 3) in a 3-part series by Tim Keesee on the role of American missionaries in the 21st century.
The Great (American) Commission - Part 1
This is the first post ([part 2]http://www.crossway.org/blog/?p=35254), part 3) in a 3-part series by Tim Keesee on the role of American missionaries in the 21st century.
The Gospel and Moving Toward the Lost and Broken
In their book Faithmapping, Daniel Montgomery and Mike Cosper challenge us as we witness to our communities
The ESV Study Bible now available in Korean
Crossway announces the publication of the ESV Study Bible into Korean, the first complete translation of the ESV Study Bible into another language.
The Difference between Gospel-ish and Gospel Fluency
To become truly gospel fluent is to be able to listen to somebody well enough to hear the real longing or hurts that they're dealing with.
The Collapse of the Secularization Hypothesis
It has long been assumed that the rise of modernity will be accompanied by the decline of religion, but the scholarly consensus today rejects the secularization hypothesis.
The Church’s Most Powerful Witness to the World
God is using the power of the church’s shared witness in remarkable ways all over the world.
Should We Seek to Burn Out for Jesus?
It is wise to pace yourself, even in ministry. Establish healthy limits for yourself and trust God to make your work fruitful.
Should All Believers Take Part in Evangelism?
Simply by being a member of the church of Jesus Christ each Christian has a responsibility to be involved in the missionary call of the whole church.
Share the Good News This Easter
This season represents the hope of the gospel—new life to those who believe in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Remembering Ann Judson 190 Years Later
With her husband Adoniram Judson (1788–1850), Ann was the first of a long line of American evangelical missionaries.
Podcast: Why Apologetics Is Easier Than You Think (Neil Shenvi)
Neil Shenvi talks about how every Christian can do apologetics and why we must not stop advocating for the truthfulness of Christianity—even in our post-truth age.
Podcast: What Your Muslim Neighbor Misunderstands about Christianity (A. S. Ibrahim)
A. S. Ibrahim talks about misconceptions that Muslims may have about Christianity and misconceptions that Christians may have about Islam which could even lead to ineffective evangelism.
Podcast: The Problem with Modern Missions (Matt Rhodes)
Matt Rhodes considers what it should look like to pursue cross-cultural missions with a focus on long-term success and why the American church should be asking itself that very question today.
Podcast: The Gospel’s Global Advance (Tim Keesee)
Tim Keesee shares from his own experiences as a missions journalist about the reality of persecution and the best way to approach a short-term mission trip.
Podcast: On Apologetics: The Best of The Crossway Podcast
We are pleased to offer a selection of some of the best moments related to apologetics from the podcast over the past four years.
Podcast: How to Radically Pursue Justice While Living in the Suburbs (Amy DiMarcangelo)
Amy DiMarcangelo discusses how our lives can often look relatively comfortable, and she shares her own story of learning what it means to live sacrificially for God in the midst of everyday life.
Podcast: How to Become Fluent in the Gospel (Jeff Vanderstelt)
What does it mean to be fluent in the gospel, and why is it an essential part of living as a disciple of Jesus?
Podcast: Help! I’m Afraid to Share My Faith (Isaac Adams)
Isaac Adams discusses the nature of evangelism and why we so often feel intimidated, unequipped, or unsure of how to even speak about the gospel to others in our lives.
Paul Was a Missionary Consumed by God’s Approval
If receiving God’s affirmation is of critical concern for our mission, then isn’t the antithetical desire for others’ approval to be a potential snare for Christian ministers?
Our Plan to Distribute 100,000 Study Bibles Around the World
through the donations of hundreds of God’s people around the world—the Lord has provided the money to fund phase two of our Global Study Bible project.
Opening Doors to Faith at Work
Happy Khambule, Kathleen Nielson
God places us in particular professions and callings so as to be his witnesses, spread like salt and light in the world.
One of the Church’s Greatest Needs
People outside the four walls of the church will eagerly embrace the faith of believers who model the honesty and integrity for which they long.
Pastor Jeff Vanderstelt explains why it's important to realize that God has called the church to be in community and on mission.
Missionaries Come from People Like You
God is closing in on some of you. He is like the “Hound of Heaven” who means to make you far happier in some dangerous and dirty work. Missionaries and ministers of mercy don’t come from nowhere.
Learning Evangelism from Jesus
Sharing the Gospel can be intimidating for many reasons, but we have a flawless evangelistic example from which to learn: Jesus himself.
Learning Evangelism from G. K. Chesterton and C. S. Lewis
Though we will likely never establish the sort of platform of Chesterton or Lewis, through their examples we may find the kind of confidence that compels us to cross our yard and begin a friendship with that neighbor who has made it clear that they don’t believe in God
Read about this remarkable man and his commitment to see the gospel of Christ proclaimed in all the earth.
It Takes Time to Become an Effective Missionary
God works in mysterious ways, and we should never set limits on him. All the same, depending on God to work in unlikely ways just because he can do so is unwise.
We have a strong foundation by which we know that Christ is building his church all over the world.
Interview with Tim Chester: Eating with a Mission
Crossway interviews Tim Chester on his newest book, A Meal with Jesus.
If the Good News Is So Good, Why Aren’t People Flocking to It?
Perhaps the most perplexing response we encounter in evangelism is not so much anger but apathy. This reaction may frustrate the evangelist, but it should provoke our compassion.
How You Can Support the Global Church through Monthly Giving
Crossway’s Global Ministry Fund is a way for you to give directly to support carefully chosen ministry projects aimed at equipping the church around the world for ministry.
How We’re Equipping Leaders with God’s Word around the World
Pastors and church leaders, serving in some of the most challenging places on earth, have been equipped with God’s Word—many for the first time.
How to Pray for International Missions
When we pray for the work of missions, we are joining an essential work as co-laborers with the missionary. But what should we pray?
How to Overcome Fear in Sharing the Gospel
God is the one who does the work of saving people, not us.
How to Mobilize Your Small Group for Mission
Jeff Vanderstelt offers some practical ideas for mobilizing your small group to be on mission for Jesus.
How to Love God and Your Neighbor through Your Work
Four New Testament passages provide a cross section of the New Testament’s teaching on how to love God through our work.
How to Get the Strength You Need to Be a Mom
Mothering is a calling for all women. Every Christian woman is called to the spiritual motherhood of making disciples of all nations. Our nurturing is, by nature, missional.
How to Be Fluent in the Gospel
We live in a day and age where people are asking questions, but often we don’t have the answers.
How the Great Commission Gets Done
John Piper reflects on the Great Commission.
How Should Christians Share the Gospel with Practicing Homosexuals?
You preach the same gospel that you would preach to someone who is not in the homosexual lifestyle.
How Sharing a Meal Can Show Grace
Tim Chester shares how sharing a meal can show grace.
How ought we to pray? Jerram Barrs gives a handful of specific suggestions.
How Not to Share the Gospel at Christmas
Christmas is a wonderful opportunity to share the hope of Christ with people in your life—both in word and deed.
How John Piper Mobilized Thousands for Radical Missionary Service
John Piper energized thousands of young people to live lives of radical devotion to Christ, primarily (and simply) by preaching sound doctrine from the Bible.
How Hudson Taylor Shocked People out of Indifference about Missions
Hudson Taylor was committed to proclaim the gospel to people who were passing into eternity without hope and without God.
How Can I Be Ready to Defend the Hope I Have?
If one is to be adequately prepared to give an answer for one’s Christian faith, the lordship of Christ must be a solid and unwavering commitment of one’s heart.
How a Familiar Truth Forever Changed Hudson Taylor
We have all had experiences where the same truth we have read a hundred times explodes with new power in our lives. That happened for Hudson Taylor on September 4, 1869.
Help! My Faith Is Being Opposed in the Classrom
Conflict can be an opportunity to be salt and light, particularly in academic settings.
Help! I Don’t Like Evangelizing
Why do others seem to feel so much more natural at evangelism than you? You need to know that you’re not alone in feeling that way.
Gospel-Centered Partnership: The Rafiki Foundation
Through a recent partnership with Crossway, The Rafiki Foundation is now working to equip thousands of Christian leaders in Africa with study Bibles and other ministry resources.
Gospel-Centered Partnership: Faith Comes By Hearing
Faith Comes By Hearing has the mission to “get God’s word to every person and cover the world with the word” by creating and distributing Bible recordings and programs in the languages of people worldwide.
Gospel-Centered Partnership: Distributing Books and Bibles in Africa
Jacob Lee lives in Uganda and works with a church and missions organization to equip pastors and distribute books and Bibles to help further the gospel of Christ in Africa.
By trusting in Christ’s sacrifice on your behalf, you’ll never be held accountable for the guilt of your sin.
Since its launch in 2001, the ESV has become one of the fastest growing English translations of the Bible in the world.
God’s Faithfulness: 2019 Ministry Highlights
As another year comes to a close, we thank God for the work he has done in and through Crossway and the generosity of those who have partnered with us in our ministry efforts around the globe.
God Is at Work Worldwide—Even Here
God is not just working across the world. He's still working in the hearts of his people among us.
It is God’s intent that every person who comes into a relationship with him through Jesus Christ eventually will grow up into maturity. And maturity looks like Jesus.
Foreign Missions in Your Own Hometown
Engaging with your local community can provide numerous opportunities to practice international missions close to home.
Fighting Fear When It Comes to Sharing Your Faith
It's time to confront our fears about sharing the gospel.
Do You Get Excited About Evangelism?
We need to find ways preach the good news in ways that inspire amazement.
Do We Secretly Resent Evangelism?
Every Christian knows we’re meant to share the gospel and look for opportunities to witness to Christ, yet almost all of us find it a genuine struggle, if not a gloomy discouragement.
Does Definite Atonement Undermine Our Zeal for Evangelism?
Christ made a definite atoning sacrifice for those whom the Father had given to him; and we are commanded to proclaim Christ indiscriminately to all people.
Delight in God Must Be the Fuel for Mission
The foundation of all our mission is our knowledge and enjoyment of God. Our delight in God is the main fuel for mission.
Fortunately for those of us who are Gentiles, Peter obeyed God, crossing cultural and ethnic barriers with the good news.
Creative Ways to Use Tracts This Christmas
Short gospel tracts are a great way to succinctly present the true story of Christmas to a world longing for deep and enduring peace.
Listening is one of the most important aspects of evangelism. Speak Jesus into the needs of everyone you share the gospel with.
Christ Is a Light for the Lost
This gospel meditation by Paul David Tripp expresses a burden to share the light of Christ with those who may be unaware of his presence.
Celebrating 85 Years of Crossway’s Tracts Ministry
2023 marks the 85th anniversary of the birth of Good News Publishers, and Crossway is casting a vision for its tracts ministry for the future.
Calvinism, Hyper-Calvinism, and World Missions
A man’s inability to believe removes his responsibility to believe (and our duty to command people to believe).
Behind the Book: "Learning Evangelism from Jesus"
Crossway asks Jerram Barrs about the heart behind his book, Learning Evangelism from Jesus.
A Passion to Share the Advance of the Global Church
It's amazing to witness the power of God and how Christ is building His church all over the world.
An Open Letter to the Timid Evangelist
Only the Spirit can give life. But recognizing the Spirit’s role should thrill our hearts with hope.
An Open Letter to the Pastor in a Post-Christian World
Though we are in post-Christian times, when the culture is becoming increasingly secularized, Christianity is far from “over.”
An Interview with Jeff Vanderstelt
This is an interview with Jeff Vanderstelt, lead teaching pastor at Doxa Church in Bellevue, Washington. He is the author of Saturate: Being Disciples of Jesus in the Everyday Stuff of Life.
An Indirect Approach to Evangelism
Jerram Barrs offers additional insight on the challenge of sharing the gospel during the holiday season that may be helpful as you interact with close friends and family.
Andrew Fuller: A Mind for Modern Missions
It is totally possible that Andrew Fuller’s impact on history, by the time Jesus returns, will be far greater and different than it is now.
7 Tips for Sharing the Gospel with Teens
Before teens can actually explain the gospel, they must first know it themselves. Then they must know how to articulate it.
To be converted as a Christian is to have changed your thinking and your believing about Jesus Christ, and to be changed into a person who is no longer an enemy of God but a beloved child of God.
6,000 Bibles Donated to Liberian Pastors at T4G
Crossway celebrates the shipment of nearly 6,000 Global Study Bibles to Liberia.
5 Steps for Maximizing Time with Unbelievers
We interact with family in a host of mundane activities that seem disconnected from eternity—but they are most certainly not.
5 Pitfalls to Avoid When Sharing the Gospel with a Muslim
We should be prepared to avoid particular pitfalls in dialogue with our Muslim neighbors. We need to be focused and avoid distractions. Our goal is to reflect and proclaim Christ, not to defeat competitors.
Many unmarried people have strengthened their hands with the truth that no one has left anything for the sake of the kingdom, says the Lord Jesus, who will not receive back far more.
Each myth of missions, if left uncorrected, will likely tend toward a weakening of biblical missionary labor and a reliance on our own wisdom and methods.
Here are five myths about evangelism that may lead us to neglect an important facet of the Christian life.
5 Inspiring Stories about Evangelism
Hear stories from 5 women God is using right now to take the good news to those who need to meet the Savior.
Adapted from Expository Apologetics: Answering Objections with the Power of the Word by Voddie Baucham.
Jesus says to tell all nations the good news, but we haven’t. Jesus calls people to be fishers of men, but we prefer to watch. Peter says to always be ready to give a reason for the hope that we have, but we are not.
4 Ways to Think about the Persecuted Church
The persecuted church often display joy that can be a powerful example to us that Christ is with his people.
4 Things That Might Hinder You from Embracing Definite Atonement
The doctrine of definite atonement is a misunderstood doctrine, one that we must seek to understand more accurately and embrace more deeply.
3 Ways We Prevent the Gospel from Making Our Churches Attractive
The gospel brings people with nothing in common to love each other even more deeply than family.
3 Practical Ways to Cultivate Gospel Fluency
It's important to speak the gospel in a community who can speak it back or reflect on what they're hearing.
3 Practical Applications of Definite Atonement
Definite atonement has practical applications for life and mission
3 Misconceptions That Many Muslims Have about Christianity
Muslims love to talk about religion, and I write this to encourage you to talk with your Muslim neighbors about meaningful spiritual matters that concern salvation and eternity.
22 Million Messages of Good News
In 2015, Good News Tracts distributed more than 22 million gospel tracts.
21 Key Christian Figures You Should Know
We stand on the shoulders of the saints who have gone before, exemplifying how to live and love God faithfully.
12 Practical Ways to Be on Mission This Halloweeen
Halloween offers opportunity to engage in new relationships or to revisit old ones with missional intentionality.
11 Notable Quotes from Gospel Fluency
To become fluent in a new language, you must immerse yourself in it until you actually start to think about life through it.
10 Tips for Your Next Short-Term Missions Trip
Short-term missions trips can be a significant aid to long-term gospel work, as well as a blessing to the individuals who go.
10 Things You Should Know about the African Church
It is said that the number of Christians in Africa at the beginning of the twentieth century was about 9 million and that by the end of the twentieth century it was about 380 million.
10 Things You Should Know about Missions and the Local Church
World missions and the work of the local church are integrally related, both ultimately existing to bring honor to Christ among the nations.
10 Things You Should Know about Evangelism
10 foundational truths to consider about the biblical call to share the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
10 Things You Should Know about Apologetics
Apologetics is a means to an end: a means of helping people to live for Jesus.
10 Key Bible Verses on Evangelism
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.