Whenever I preach on evangelism my congregation looks like deer caught in the headlights. We've tried training courses on sharing your faith. We've done servant evangelism, giving away free drinks on a busy street corner. That's great for awaking people's compassion, but it doesn't always lead to our neighbors being introduced to Jesus.

As one author says, it's less threatening to reach strangers, but what about reaching your friends and family.

Happily, the chief proponent of servant evangelism, Steve Sjogren, is now pointing out a few steps we've been missing.

Sjogren, author of the best-selling Conspiracy of Kindness, is launching pastor of Vineyard Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. He and co-authors Dave Ping, director of Equipping Ministries International, and Doug Pollock, evangelism director for Athletes in Action, have now written Irresistible Evangelism: The Natural Way to Open Others to Jesus (Group, 2003).

Sjogren's now famous church of 6,000 began with 37 people who were willing ...