Evangelism for Introverts: the “Blurt It Out” Approach

No two people in the Lord’s kingdom are exactly the same, yet all have the potential of great usefulness in his service. God does some of his best work when we are uncomfortable, clumsy, and deficient. Paul, recognizing his own weaknesses and fears, attributed any successes of his evangelistic work entirely to the power and providence of God (1 Cor. 2:1-5; 2 Cor. 12:9-11).¹ Timothy, despite his comparative youth and timid disposition (1 Cor. 16:10-11; 1 Tim. 4:12; 2 Tim. 1:7-8), consistently stepped out in faith, confronted his fears and inadequacies, and did what he was commissioned to do.²

The “Blurt it Out” Approach

As a shy kid, I grew up to be an introverted adult. But early on in my Christian walk, I realized that I can’t be faithful to the Lord by hiding in my reclusive shell and isolating myself from the rest of the world. I have had to claw my way out of my comfort zone, especially in fulfilling my God-given ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:17-21).³

Over the years I have read a lot of books on evangelistic methods and strategies, taken multiple personal evangelism courses, and experimented with several different evangelistic tools. I’ve tried to learn basic principles of having religious conversations, developing interest, asking open-ended questions, setting up and conducting Bible studies, et al. Most of my learning has come through trial and error.

Somewhere along the line I have come to realize that many of the techniques and “sales pitches” I have learned from others just don’t fit my personality. I’m a socially awkward person. Having meaningful conversations does not come naturally for me. Through the years, in my feeble attempts to evangelize, I have almost always felt nervous, uneasy, and inadequate. I routinely find myself thinking more about what I’m “supposed” to say than listening and interactively conversing. Whenever I don’t say the right thing in the right way, or mistakenly ask a closed-ended question, or can’t think of what to say next, the pressure builds and intensifies an already unpleasant experience. I wonder how many opportunities I have missed by over-thinking, waiting for the perfect moment in the conversation to offer a Bible study and yet the perfect moment never comes.

One day I had the novel idea to just be myself. Instead of mimicking someone else’s evangelistic methodology, or running the risk of botching or missing an opportunity, I decided to just offer a Bible study whenever there was a brief pause in the conversation, whether it was the “perfect” moment or not.

Inaugurating the “Blurt it Out” Approach

After placing an advertisement in the local newspaper, I later arranged to meet with Gordon (who worked for the paper) for coffee. He no doubt wanted to sell another newspaper ad, while I was more interested in sharing the gospel. As we got to know each other and I learned about his religious history, out of blue I just blurted out, “Gordon, I’d really like to study the Bible with you.” I could tell he was caught off guard, understandably so. A moment of awkward silence was followed by him stammering to come up with an excuse. But then he stopped and said, “Okay, I think I’d like that. Can my wife join us?” For the next few months we had weekly Bible studies and developed an even closer friendship. I’m sad to say that Gordon and his wife did not choose to obey the gospel, but at least they had the opportunity, which they probably would not have had if I had remained stuck in my old way of doing things.

From that time onward I have been using this “blurt it out” approach, so much so that it is embedded in my psyche. Whenever I meet someone and discover he or she is not a member of the Lord’s church, without even thinking the words instinctively shoot out of my mouth: “I’d really like to study the Bible with you.”

Advantages of the “Blurt It Out” Approach

1. It doesn’t give me time to over-think, procrastinate, make excuses, or miss an opportunity.

2. Once the offer is thrown out into the open, it has to be dealt with. It can’t be taken back or ignored. We can only move forward in a more direct and practical spiritual conversation.

3. It gives someone the chance to learn the gospel that he or she may not have otherwise.

Disadvantages of the “Blurt It Out” Approach

1. It catches people off guard. This, in itself, is not necessarily a bad thing. But if I sense they are uncomfortable or apprehensive, I’ll say something like, “Well, think about it and let me know.” This immediately relieves the tension. Then I change the subject, continue the conversation, and make sure they have my contact information. I have actually had people contact me later (sometimes days or even weeks later) for Bible study. If not, every time I see them again, I remind them of the offer and keep asking until they say either “yes” or “no.” Sometimes persistence pays off. When I sense that I’m being downright annoying, I’ll eventually stop asking, but not until sufficient opportunities have been afforded.

2. It’s not a smooth or persuasive technique. Granted. But it’s not for everyone, especially for evangelizers who are unreserved, articulate, and socially adept. It is simply a way for those of us who are socially challenged to reach people that we might not reach any other way.

3. It doesn’t work all the time. In fact, most of the people I’ve asked to study the Bible have declined. But enough souls have been reached through this method to justify its continued use. When it doesn’t work, and if there are further interactions with any of these people, I just try a different approach. If not, particularly the ones I never see again, at least they have been given a chance that would have otherwise been missed.

Conclusion

Everyone is different, and nobody in the Lord’s church should be expected to be someone he or she is not. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach for sharing the gospel,⁴ no Christian has a legitimate excuse for doing nothing. Seeing that God, through his word, ultimately saves souls, our immediate goal in evangelism ought to be getting people into the word of God.⁵ But this won’t happen unless we ask.

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ See “Paul the Myth Vs. the Real Paul,” Moore Perspective (26 July 2014), <Link>.

     ² See “Instructive Comparison of Timothy and Titus,” Moore Perspective (30 August 2017), <Link>.

     ³ See “Evangelism: What, Where, Whom, How?,” Moore Perspective (30 Dec. 2025), <Link>.

     ⁴ See “Evangelistic Approaches for Everyone,” Moore Perspective (6 Jan. 2026), <Link>.

     ⁵ See “Evangelistic Models, Methods, and Tools,” Moore Perspective (13 Jan. 2026), <Link>.

Related Posts: Timothy: Of Value to God (Part 3), Strategic Flexibility

Related Presentations: Marty Johnson, Overcoming Fear of Rejection, Break Free From Fear 

 

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