Evangelism is not just one of the ministries of the church. It’s the central reason why the church exists. As long as each of us is here on earth, our job is to share the good news of God’s reconciling work with the world. This also means that it’s not just the church’s job to share the Gospel, but the responsibility of every person who considers themselves a follower of Jesus.

The word “evangelism” can make it sound more intimidating and more complicated than it really is. Evangelism is as simple as building a friendship. The first step is just starting a conversation—any kind of conversation—and becoming friends with someone who doesn’t know Jesus. Through conversations and time spent together, a trusting friendship can be built and that’s a vital foundation for sharing your faith and introducing someone to the Gospel.

We can’t expect that people are going to come to us to build a relationship and learn the good news we have to offer. So, we must go to them. Again, this doesn’t mean you have to stand on a street corner or make frequent flights so you have a captive audience to share with. You may not even need to change your day-to-day behaviors except to make them more intentional.

Consider some of these small changes to activities you already do so that you can begin building relationships with those outside of the church:

Become a “regular” somewhere.

Whether it’s at a coffee shop or a grocery store, frequent the same one and get to know the people who work there. If it’s a coffee shop, learn the names of the baristas behind the counter. If it’s a restaurant, ask to sit in the same waiter’s section when you visit. Go to the grocery store at the same time and seek out the same checkout aisle worker. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you can build a relationship through consistent presence and genuine concern for people who are often overlooked.

Join a community class or group.

Do you love reading? Most local libraries host book clubs you could join. Do you love sports? Get a couple of friends together and join a community kickball league. There’s opportunity all over the Denver-metro area for you to get together with people who share a common hobby—whether it’s bike riding, sewing, chess playing, scrapbooking, or mountain climbing. Since you already share this common interest, building a friendship will be even more natural.

Ask someone to lunch.

Do you have a new coworker in your office? Treat them to lunch and get to know their story. Did you meet someone new at your kid’s school or at the gym? Ask them to join you after whatever meeting you attended together and get lunch. One-on-one interactions—like lunch or coffee—enable for more personal conversation and intentional questions. You don’t need to dig deeply into someone’s personal life, but by showing genuine interest in them and their story, they’ll leave your interaction feeling cared for and known.

It’s unlikely that the opportunity to talk about your faith and share the Gospel will happen immediately. It will take time and trust to build a foundation for those deeper conversations. In the meantime, your actions—of authentic care, generosity, and joy—will speak for you. As we invest in people—not projects—we’ll find that God will create opportunities for us to share our faith in both word and deed and you must only seek to see them.