Evangelism Is Good Messaging

“Evangelism” is a tricky word in mainline Christianity. For many, it carries the baggage of tracts on park benches, awkward door-knocking encounters, or heavy-handed televangelism from the 700 Club. The Rev. Dr. Katie Hays, Lead Evangelist at Galileo Church, offers a phrase that resonates and indicts many of us—“vampire evangelism”—a dynamic where churches look for “fresh blood,” often from younger generations. That critique hits close to home.
 
If we peel back the problematic associations, we rediscover the heart of the word: evangelism means good message. That’s it. Good news. Gospel. And friends, we’ve got good news to share.

There is good messaging happening all around Washington Avenue Christian Church. Take, for example, our lawn banner: “GLORIA DEI: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Embraced Here.” That’s not just a slogan—it’s a plain declaration. It announces what we believe about the sacredness of every person and the wideness of God’s welcome.
 
This past Sunday, Nicole Schmidt, Senior Regional Organizer for Bread for the World, shared a powerful presentation after worship. Later that evening, I saw that Nicole had followed us on Instagram and posted a picture of our church sign. Her caption read: “Thankful for this faithful group of believers @WACCELYRIA ❤️ Sharing about how we can care for our vulnerable neighbors through advocacy.” Nicole came to minister to us—and we ministered to her. That mutual encouragement is part of evangelism. That’s good messaging. That’s the gospel, lived.

During her presentation, Nicole shared a bit of her family story—four children, two biological and two adopted. Two of her children are black; two are white. Before leaving, Nicole paused to take in Megan Rowe’s artwork throughout the building. She snapped photos and shared them on Instagram, too. One piece, in particular, may have spoken directly to her family’s experience. I would wager she’s never been in a church where original art on the wall reflected her family’s life so clearly. That, too, is evangelism. That is good news, made visible.
 
And then there was the unexpected email I received this morning from a staff member at a Disciples church in Mason, Ohio: “One of our members brought me a postcard from you guys—the one with your church’s outline and the LGBT flag superimposed onto it. We love it and want to do something similar. Could you share where it was designed?” Somehow, a postcard from Lorain County Pride traveled across the state—no doubt carried on the wind of the Holy Spirit—and sparked something new. Evangelism is not just individual to individual; it’s church to church. Good messaging begets more good messaging. Our witness inspires other congregations to lean into the fullness of who God is calling them to be and become.
 
Yes, we live in challenging times for the institutional church—declining attendance, shrinking influence, fewer resources. But don’t miss this: our evangelism is vibrant, authentic, and alive! We are making plain declarations and public demonstrations of the very best, most beautiful, gospel-good news of Jesus Christ through our art, a banner on our lawn, in the lives we touch, and even through a postcard. Good messaging abounds!
 
Thank you, dear church! I am humbly proud of the way we witness—boldly, beautifully, and without apology. Let’s keep going. Let’s keep sharing the good message. We are embodying the good message and practicing evangelism in the truest and most faithful sense of the word.
 
With gratitude for your compassion and courage,