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Reflection Paper 1

Name of Student

Institutional Affiliation
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Reflection Paper 1

Evangelism Styles

In “Got Style? Personality-based Evangelism”, Jefferey Johnson (2009) describes six

evangelism style in which individuals may have weak or strong propensities. He explains three

word-based styles; storytelling, analytical, assertive styles, whereby the gifted speaks to the

audience through works. Moreover, he describes the work-based evangelism styles;

incarnational, relational and invitational.

According to Jefferey Johnson (2009), the storytelling style is that of the individual who

likes dialog; who wants to tell you about Jesus through his or her experiences and while they

tend to be about themselves, they can reach those who love a good story. Many congregations

are held in rapt attention because of good storytellers. Storytellers add points to the sermon that

keeps the audience looking at their watch and worrying about lunch. The analytical minds think

things through and are curious. These individuals can access other analytical minds easier than

those who are not. The consequences of a systematic approach are things like resistance, being

stubborn and disbelief. The assertive style, with three sub-styles (public-assertive, personal-

assertive and phenomena-assertive) reflects those who are eager to share in a direct manner, are

competitive and quite bold. However, these tendencies can be quite positive, but there are also

negative consequences that can scare off those with whom an attempt to reach is made.

Jefferey Johnson (2009) describes the incarnational style using the doers of fellowship

and witnessing, meaning that these people choose to show others their faith and Christ through

that faith. The advantages of this style are that sympathy, compassion, and empathy are often

found. The downside is that these people may tend to focus more on doing than on speaking or

sharing Christ through words as well as being more susceptible to burnout. The relational styles
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focus on creating a relationship with someone is based on being connected, transparent, and trust

among other qualities. The exciting part of this is that he points that the highest percentage of

those reached for the kingdom is through a relational connection – those we know and have a

relationship with. According to Jefferey Johnson (2009), invitational style is inviting others to

an event (church, function, party, concert, etc.) and also reach a good percentage of people. We

all want to be included, we want to share with others (generally), and we want to be a part of

something. He also points out that more women than men use the invitational style. Johnson

(2009) covers how we can strengthen our weaknesses within our style and those styles in which

we are not as strong. He asserts later in the book that people can work on their weak tendencies

to strengthen them but that not everyone is an evangelist but instead hold a gift of evangelism or

are evangelizers, but only a small percentage are evangelists.

My Style of Communication

Based on my analysis of chapters 8 and 9 of “Got Style? Personality-based Evangelism”,

the Incarnational communication style best describes my approach to communication, i.e., I

scored high in incarnational style. This means that I communicate better by “doing” things for

others; helping others with activities, projects, problems, activities and through that, should be

able to talk to them freely about Christ and the gift He is freely offering everyone (Johnson,

2009). Being good in incarnational communication style, according to Johnson, does not exempt

me from not utilizing the other types of communication styles. I scored an average across the

styles (assertive, analytical, storytelling, relational, and invitational). From the outcome, it is

clear that I am strong in the “works” side and less so in the “words” side (Johnson, 2009), this

makes perfect sense to me. Moreover, I am not comfortable just walking up to someone and

going beyond the friendly greeting and small talk. It takes me a bit to warm up and get up the
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nerve to ask personal information. Johnson (2009) points out a valid point; our spiritual life is as

about as personal as we can get.

An additional aspect of incarnational style is that I am more motivated to demonstrate to

others my faith by how I respond to life, act and live my life moment-by-moment. I want others

to see that I do try to follow the laws of God, but at the same time, I am human and fail. My

perfection shroud has not been delivered, and until then, I am commissioned to show His love,

compassion, and grace through my own life and the way I live it.

Strengths and Weaknesses

My strengths are that I love to assist and help others if I can. I was taught that “everyone

is an evangelist” in some ways. My personality is wired a special way, and God wants me to

reach others differently. This has lifted a load off of my shoulders, and I now feel as if I can go

out and do what God has called me to do, without guilt, fear, trepidation or anxiety. If I don't

know what to do, how to do something or have the resources, I will call those who do. Moreover,

I want people to be happy, and I want them to know Jesus and be passionate about that love. I

care deeply about others and want them to succeed. If I can reach just one by "doing" something,

then I will.

However, my weaknesses greatly outnumber my strengths. First, I tend becoming

frustrated with those showing interest in evangelism for evil reasons. Also, I am not a debater; I

dislike challenging others or being challenged by others in a war of words and beliefs. It takes

things personal and rejection, as Johnson (2009) touches on, impacts me profoundly, although it

shouldn't. This is something I need to work on as well. The most problematic weakness is that I

do fall in my walk and others DO see that. I loved the quote that Johnson (2009) used when
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describing the witness of Dorcas (Acts 9). "Others are watching you live your life; you need to

watch the life you live."

Goals

My level of satisfaction with my approach to communication is average. After reading

this book, “Got Style? Personality-based Evangelism”, I felt better about my communication

style or approach to fellowship and witnessing, but I also realized that I had failed miserably in

what I could have been doing for God. My witness, while not perfect, is reflective of a love for

God but also a willingness to love the sinner regardless of the sin (Kwan, 2016). Perhaps this

sounds a bit flippant or even cliché' but it is the truth. I have also realized my lackadaisical

attitude toward sharing through words, what Jesus has to offer. I have, in a huge way, become

reliant on ‘showing' others rather than ‘telling' others and that realization makes me very sad and

disappointed in myself.

To rectify this situation, my goals are two-fold; repent of my laziness and get out there

and tell others about Jesus while I am helping them do what needs doing. My living situation

affords me plenty of opportunities to do just this. I must step out of my comfort zone and know

that where God wants me to go, He has already made the way (Kwan, 2016). I may not know

those I come into contact with, but it doesn't take much to get to know them and meet them

where they are, just as Jesus does for us (Luke 24:15).

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References

Johnson, J. A. (2009). Got Style? Personality-Based Evangelism. [Kindle Fire].

Kwan, A. T. Y. (2016). HOW DO PARTICIPANTS IN AN EVANGELISM TRAINING PROGRAM

ASSESS ITS IMPACT ON THEIR ABILITY AND CONFIDENCE IN SHARING THEIR

PERSONAL FAITH? (Doctoral dissertation, TRINITY WESTERN UNIVERSITY).