Evangelism in the everyday life of mission

Across our churches, the Everyone, Everywhere initiative is discovering a renewed desire to recover confidence in sharing faith and forming new Christian communities. Yet for many ordinaryBaptists, the word evangelism can feel loaded, evoking pressure, uncertainty, or memories of approaches that didn't quite feel like us.

On 7 February 2026, Chrissy Remsberg, pastor of Beacon Church in Stafford, gave the keynote talk at an Everyone, Everywhere conference in the Central Baptist Association, and asked the question: What if evangelism was never meant to be a specialist activity, but rather the natural overflow of disciples learning to walk with Jesus? What follows is the essence of what she shared....

 

Through looking at Scriptures we see that mission is not an optional extra or a heroic undertaking. Instead, it emerges from ordinary obedience, lived experience of God’s presence, and participation in God’s ongoing work of redemption. This way of seeing mission normalises evangelism. It restores confidence to everyday Christians. And it reframes church planting as the fruit of discipleship, not the domain of experts.

Mission begins in the ordinary

Luke 5:1-11 offers one of the clearest pictures of how mission starts. Simon – who is not yet Peter – is exhausted, frustrated, and ready to call it a day. When Jesus asks him to let down the nets again, Simon’s response is not exactly full of faith: 

He is tired, reluctant and rather faithless. He doesn’t believe it will work. But, he obeys. “But because you say so, I will…” says Peter (5:5). It’s an act of obedience rather than confidence that it will work. That small, somewhat reluctant “yes” becomes the turning point of his life.

Mission often begins like this: Not with boldness, but with responsiveness. Not with confidence, but with simple, sometimes even reluctant, obedience. We sometimes imagine evangelism requires polished answers or extroverted personalities. Instead, Scripture shows that the beginnings of mission are found in the small, unseen acts of discipleship – what Eugene Peterson called “a long obedience in the same direction.” Ordinary obedience prepares the ground for extraordinary encounters. 

 

Evangelism flows from relationship, not technique

When Simon witnesses the miraculous catch of fish, he is overwhelmed. His instinct is not to celebrate but to fall to his knees in awe, recognising both his own unworthiness and the power of the one who stands before him. Before Simon ever speaks a word about Jesus, he meets Jesus. This is crucial. Evangelism is not primarily something we do; it is something that grows out of who we are becoming. It is the natural expression of a life being shaped by grace.

 

Some struggle with sharing faith not because they lack courage, but because they are longing for encounter – longing to experience God’s power again, longing for their discipleship to be renewed from the inside. The ability to obey, to speak, to step out, is always connected to our experience of God’s presence. Mission is not a strategy we carry; it is a relationship we extend.

God’s redemptive story shapes our mission today

Scripture repeatedly shows God saying, in essence, “This is what redemption looks like.” We see it in the commissioning of Joshua in Deuteronomy 31, and again in the commissioning of the disciples in Matthew 28.

In Deuteronomy:

Moses prepares Israel for the next stage of their journey.
Joshua is strengthened with the repeated command: “Be strong and courageous.”
The journey ahead is hard, but God goes before them and walks with them.

In Matthew:

Jesus declares that all authority is his.
Followers are sent to make disciples of all nations.
And again, God promises: “I am with you always.”

The connection is striking

What began with one leader and one nation becomes a calling for all disciples and all nations. Mission is not a new idea invented by the church – it is the ongoing unfolding of the redemptive story God has always been telling. When we step into evangelism, we step into something much larger than ourselves.

Evangelism and mission are inseparable

From these passages, a simple but profound truth emerges:

• We cannot separate evangelism from mission.
• To follow Jesus is to be drawn into his redemptive work.
• To love God is to learn to love people.
• To receive the good news is to naturally share it.

Every disciple is called to participate in God’s mission in the world, and this includes evangelism, which involves:

1. Journey – There isn’t a detailed map, only the direction of obedience.
2. Courage – The path includes fear and discouragement, but we can draw strength from knowing…
3. Trust – The Lord goes ahead of us, preparing the way.
4. Presence – We are never sent alone; Christ is with us always.

This is integrated mission: sharing faith not as a task, but as part of a life that embodies the love of God. When our lives demonstrate grace, our words become believable. When our churches embody Christ’s presence, our communities become curious. When we love well, we witness well.
 

A simple invitation

If evangelism feels heavy or complicated, these passages invite us back to simplicity. Where might you be called to practise simple obedience? Where might Jesus be inviting you into deeper encounter?

Normalising evangelism begins here – with small steps, open hands, and a willingness to follow Jesus into the ordinary places where he is already at work. Mission then ceases to be a specialised activity. It becomes the natural life of a community shaped by God’s love. And that is something every Baptist Christian, and every Baptist church, can share in.

It’s the ordinary story of Ronan and Jake. Ronan had known Jesus himself only about a year when his new work colleague Jake began to ask questions about his own spirituality. Ronan and Jake shared a bus ride to work each morning and so Ronan would share something from the Bible for them to discuss for the 20 minute journey. They’d pause at lunch time and began to pray a simple pray of thanks together. Ronan invited Jake along to a church.

This was late last year. In March Jake gets baptised. It’s a story of simply being who you are, sharing Jesus with those around you. A story of a small act of ‘But because you say so, I will…’ obedience to share Jesus.


It’s the ordinary story of Bentley Baptist Church in Doncaster who – seeing a part of their community in need – brought an old betting shop, opened a café and community provision and placed at the heart of it a simple and authentic church expression. Some worship, a Word, lots of relationship and Jesus did the rest as a new church in just the place and just the way it was needed emerged, now called Stepping Stones. It’s the small act of ‘But because you say so, I will…’ obedience in an ordinary local church.
 

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