by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

When the issue of evangelism comes up at our church, typically it relates to the setting of a university campus, and the participants involved are typically both students: usually a believer and an unbeliever. The interest often arises from either a discouraging incident when that young believer gets flooded with questions by the unbeliever, or when there seems to be a disinterest in the things of God when conversing with that non-Christian. Many stories can be told by Christian collegians about the time they sought to reach out to another student with the Gospel, only to be shut down by simple assertions of superiority, or a sudden high (and often arbitrary) standard of proof. This may come up when students devote specific time on the campus walking around and engaging other students concerning truth and spiritual issues. Other times may include an informal Bible study reading through one of the Gospels, or discussing a book about the fundamental truths of Christianity.

College is filled with opportunities for students of Christ, who for a brief period of time are university students, to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord to those who are perishing. There are stories that can be told where a Christian, who knows their Bible, boldly sets forth the claims of Christ and draw people to see the glory of God in their witness of how He can change a wicked heart.

We have a fairly clear picture of how evangelism looks in the college setting, but what does it look like post-college? Once a Christian student graduates with his or her degree, what happens now? How does one remain faithful after they move out of the university setting, and no longer have as many opportunities as seemed easier to see? Can there still be a fervor for evangelism when one joins the workforce, or is it a new period in life where sharing Christ with others becomes one of deeds more than words?

The singles ministry at our church is not a monolithic group. There are those who have continued to study for a graduate program, or for a specific career. There are also some who have begun work, whether related to their field of study or unrelated; and then, there are those who are in the process of finding work, in transition. Unlike college, not everyone is on the same four-year track, differentiated only by how far they have progressed. The age range is considerably more than four years between oldest and youngest in this group. This is a reminder for me to not be simplistic in how I want to address this issue.

However, how one evangelizes may look slightly different when it comes to the collegian and the post-collegian (or the non-collegian as the case may be). No matter the case, there are some considerations that would be helpful for us as singles to consider in proclaiming Christ. Of course, there is overlap; many principles relating to evangelism transcend the stage in life you are in. However, your affinity group does not determine the importance of evangelism nor should the message be altered to relate to whom you are sharing Christ with.

Hopefully, we can flesh some of these ideas out in the months to come. My goal is to look to the Scriptures to gain a better understanding of what it looks like to be a faithful witness when you have finished college and are still called to be an ambassador of Christ in this postmodern and ‘tolerant’ nation. I pray we all have that mindset in whatever circle we have been providentially placed in by God.