Gospel appointments
A gospel appointment is a planned time to get to know someone and share the good news of Jesus. It is as simple as asking a friend to grab coffee, and the whole time is given to listening well and making the gospel clear.
Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Colossians 4:5–6
Where it comes from
Gospel appointments were developed by Paul Worcester, who with his wife, Christy, led Christian Challenge at California State University, Chico.
Worcester was looking for a way to share Jesus that joined the best of relational evangelism with the best of initiative evangelism. He calls the gospel appointment intentional relational evangelism: intentional because the whole meeting is given to the good news, and relational because it builds a real friendship. His ministry made gospel appointments central to its mission in 2009 and has seen more than 200 students come to Christ through them.
Agape Hood uses Worcester’s method with gratitude, and we adapt it for life on a military installation. The method, its structure, and much of its language are his. We encourage you to read his own explanation of it in the resources below.
Why it works
How it works
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01
Pray
Our part is to share. God’s part is to save. Pray for the people in your life by name, and ask others to pray before and during the meeting.
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02
Ask
Start a normal conversation and get to know the person. Mention your faith simply, ask one spiritual question, and then ask plainly: “Would you want to grab coffee sometime and talk about it?” Then wait for the answer. If they say yes, set a time right then or offer to text later.
Be honest about the purpose of the meeting. A gospel appointment is never a bait and switch.
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03
Share three stories
- Their story. Ask about their background with God and listen without judgment. Most people have something to share.
- Your story. Tell how you came to follow Jesus in about one minute: before, how, and since.
- God’s story. Ask permission to walk through the gospel together. Sit side by side, read it together, and let Scripture speak.
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04
Invite
Give a clear invitation to repent and believe in Jesus, and make it just as clear that the person is free to say yes, not yet, or no. If they say yes, pray together and celebrate. If they say not yet, ask what holds them back, keep the friendship, and offer to read the Gospel of John together.
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05
Follow up
Set the next meeting before you leave. Invite the person to Sunday, to a missional community, or to a cup of Agape Coffee. For someone who trusts Christ, the next steps are growing as a disciple and baptism.
How we share
We share with gentleness and respect, as 1 Peter 3:15–16 teaches.
- We listen more than we talk, and we welcome hard questions. It is fine to say, “I do not know, but I will find out.”
- We never use rank, duty position, or duty time to arrange a gospel appointment, and we do not ask anyone we supervise, rate, or command.
- We trust God with the results. Many people take time to come to faith, and a “not yet” is often the beginning of a longer conversation.
Coffee is on us
If you have questions about God, the Bible, or what it means to follow Jesus, we would love to sit down with you.
No pressure and no strings. Bring your questions and your story. We will bring the coffee, because He loves you.
Credit and resources
The gospel appointment method is the work of Paul Worcester. These are his own explanations of it.
- Why Gospel Appointments Are So Effective, Part 1, Outreach Magazine
- How to Set Up a Gospel Appointment, Part 2, Outreach Magazine
- How to Prepare for a Gospel Appointment, Part 3, Outreach Magazine
- How to Share Jesus Using Gospel Appointments, Paul Worcester for Via Nations (PDF)
Gospel appointments were developed by Paul Worcester. Agape Hood has adapted the method for training on Fort Hood.