We don’t have to wait until people come to our events to engage them with the gospel. Through First-Contact Evangelism we can create a space where we 'host' people before they ever come to an event. So many students feel disconnected and isolated, and a deeper conversation with someone who actually wants to listen to them is, in itself, a hugely powerful encounter. Meeting people in this way also means that they are much more likely to come to the events than if they had just seen the publicity displayed somewhere.
See here for some tips on Mobilising your CU for First-Contact Evangelism
Top Tips
- Be somewhere central — Be on or near to campus in a place where people will be passing by. If you can’t get permission to be on university property you may be able to get permission to be on a public street instead.
In Serbia they were unable to get permission from the University to be on the campus but they were able to get permission from the police to be on the street nearby! They were able to set up a question board and drinks stand.
- Do it together — Christian students are more likely to get involved if they can do it with others — it’s less daunting than being sent off on their own, or in pairs. It also means that people can encounter a group of Christians rather than just individuals. This expression of Christian community can be very attractive and inviting.
- Have stuff to give away — Hot drinks / snacks give people a reason to come over and give Christian students the opportunity to start conversations. See these examples:
The CU in Oslo, Norway, put up a gazebo and baked fresh waffles to give away. The smell of the waffles wafting across campus attracted a continual queue of students. The CU members were able to engage them in conversation and invite them to the events while they waited for the waffles!
Another CU got a hot chocolate machine and gave out free hot drinks. The hot chocolate was of such good quality that word spread far and wide, making it very popular, fast.
- Be bold — in a busy public space make sure you stand out by having the biggest banner / board possible.
- Get people thinking — Set up a question board, or something similar, that can be a catalyst for opening up conversations, starting relationships and getting to know where people are coming from.
The CU in Bath, England, erected a large freestanding question board. Chalk pens hung from the sides allowing people to engage with the different questions that were posted each day. People needed little encouragement to come over and interact with it and this made it really easy for CU members to start conversations with those that did.
- Be creative and fun — Can you do something that will get people’s attention?! See this excellent example from a CU in Lithuania:
As well as having a drinks stand and a question board, the CU in Kaunas, Lithuania, had a creative way of getting people to engage with the topic of the day. On the day that the talk was about love, students were invited to write a postcard to send to a friend or family member that the team would post, for free. The postcard itself had been attractively produced by LKSB, and contained a quote about love from a Christian book, and the web address of the organisation. On the final day when the talk was about anxiety and stress, students were invited to do a number of things. They had a question board asking people how stressed they felt and how well they were coping? They had table with two bowls. Into one they were invited to write down what they were stressed about. Out of the second one they were able to pull out a Bible verse. Finally they were invited to put their hand inside the ‘Black box of fear’ and try to guess what objects were inside! The ideas were a lot of fun and generated interest, as well as precipitating conversations about the talks. See a video of the set up below:
The CU in Warwick, England came up with some creative ways to get people thinking about the question of the day. Passing students were given a peg and asked to use it to indicate their response to the question.
- Connect with the talks — Think about how what you do for First-Contact Evangelism can connect with the theme of the week and the talk titles. See more on Connecting your First-Contact Evangelism with you Theme. Also check out these great examples of engaging street evangelism from our friends in Steiger Europe.
Things To Do
- Practicals. Decide your location; get permission if you need it; order any refreshments that you might want to offer people.
- Ideas. With others, think about the kinds of questions you could engage your campus with. Think about how they might connect with your theme and talk titles.
- Train. Think of ways you could help CU members make the most of First-Contact Evangelism. Take a look at ‘Preparing your CU for Events Week’ for more ideas.