Evangelism Bible Study Lessons

Early in our three months in this troubled country, Mark Choate, one of the students who accompanied us, suggested a simple plan for evangelistic outreach. He called it the campaign of “Five Friends.” Each believer in the church was challenged to join in the Campaña de Cinco Amigos, the “Campaign of Five Friends.” To join, a person had to commit to pray systematically throughout the year for five friends who were unbelievers.

“Faith-promise” cards were printed for the campaign. These were faith-promise cards for souls rather than money. The larger portion of the card indicated the commitment to pray for the salvation of five unsaved friends in the coming year and had five blanks in which the participant wrote the names of his or her five friends. The smaller portion of the card simply indicated the commitment, a signature line, and the date of the commitment. The card was perforated so the two parts could be detached.

We launched the campaign in each of the three morning services. I preached on the need for evangelism and multiplication and then left ample time for response to the Five Friends faith-promise appeal. Those who were led of the Lord to respond were asked to fill in the names of five friends, sign and date the commitment card, and bring the signed portion of the card to be placed on the platform as a sign before the Lord and the church of their commitment. Hundreds responded.

I explained, “Even if you cannot think of five friends who do not know the Lord, you can still respond. Covenant with God that before the year is up, you will have five names on the card, five friends for whom you can ask that God might bring them to Himself.” We also made it clear that one of the ways in which we might pray was that God would give us the opportunity to share the gospel with at least one of the five in the coming year and that this one would come to Christ.

It was amazing to note how quickly the Lord worked. In the midweek service just a few days after the Five Friends commitments had been made, two of the men gave vibrant testimonies of how God had opened the door. One man said, “The ink was hardly dry on my card when my neighbor dropped by to talk. He was obviously sent to me by God to lead him to Christ.”

We have initiated this simple Five Friends faith-promise plan throughout the areas in which CAM missionaries serve. In an evangelism consultation with missionary representatives from each country, plans for this grass-roots campaign were refined, and the campaign has spread throughout Central America, Mexico, and Spain.

If every member of your church could be challenged to participate in this simple form of evangelism that builds on already established friendships, and if God would respond to prayers that at least one might come to Christ within the year, your church could double in size through conversion growth! That is 100 percent growth—not transfer “sheep-stealing” growth, but true “new-lambs” growth in the body of Christ and in your local church.

Try this faith-promise plan personally first. See what God will do. If you feel it is something that could capture the vision of the people of your fellowship, join with some of your leadership team, lay out the plans, and launch one of the most effective means of evangelism I know. By the grace of God each one can win one. This is the road to explosive growth. This is God-ordained multiplication.

Ronald Blue, Evangelism and Missions (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2013).