I recall a little "gospel tract" that was very popular when I was a protestant. Maybe it still is? It was called "The Four Spiritual Laws", and it encompassed the very idea of evangelism that I have been saying is rooted in protestantism. It tried to bring together four basic ideas about spirituality in a summary form that could be read in a matter of a few minutes. It did the job well. It did not, however, touch on many of the essentials of the gospel. It merely focused on individual (and somewhat selfish) ideas for the person to consider.
There are, of course, some things that we must simplify for them to be understood by the common man. When something is too complicated, it is a good idea to help others to grasp it. There are also, however, some things that when simplified end up becoming too simplistic, and no longer of much use. The danger is when we do not just simplify, but also "dumb down" things. We live in an age of weak thought, and there are many things that are dumbed down (just look at what has happened to most public education over the past few decades); the gospel should never be "dumbed down".
No one likes the idea of giving a two hour explanation for evangelism, certainly. That is not what I am advocating. Yet, when we aim at a "quick" version to get more people "saved" then we are in danger of cutting out so much that we do not get a genuine conversion, but only a temporary change of heart. Consider the parable where Jesus says that a man was possessed with a demon, and when the demon was cast out, he ended up coming back with others and things were worse than before. No, I am not saying that all protestants are demon-possessed. I am saying, however, that it is possible for a conversion to be temporary. This is why quick and simplistic presentations of the gospel can often do more harm than good.
All people learn by example, and the example that they need most is of Catholics who love their faith. They need to see people holding to the truths of God, and remaining joyfully committed to the Catholic Church (especially during times of trial). Evangelism is not an "advertising campaign", but rather a display of the wonderful grace of Christ our King. It is easy to say "Jesus forgives", but we need to show what that means by being people who willingly go to confession. It is easy to say "Jesus will help you", but we need to show that we believe that by how we respond to difficult circumstances in our lives.
Our goal is more than to get a person to "sign on the dotted line" (or "throw a pine cone into the fire"--for those of you who grew up Baptist). A good example of this is from a movie called "Bella" (if you have not seen it, you should). It is about a woman who finds out that she is pregnant out of wedlock, and decides to have an abortion. A friend convinces her instead to have the child. He does not do this by arguing with her, or by showing her the grave evils of abortion. He does it, rather, by having her spend some time at his father's house. She sees family, and the joy of relationships, and as a result sees the need to allow the child to live. This is what Catholic evangelism is like.
St. Paul the Apostle many times says how he lived among his converts so that they could see his manner of life. This was him giving example so that they could see what the gospel really is like in personal experience, and how it impacts one's thoughts and actions. It is true that we want the lost souls to "trust in Jesus", but that statement is not enough when people do not really know Who Jesus is (and the majority of modern society has an incredibly small amount of knowledge about Christ). We need to be that example, and that is a central part of evangelism.
Our efforts in evangelism are intended to bring someone to become something new. To be a "new creature" as it says in the Scriptures. If we are aiming at bringing a new creature to life, then we must acknowledge that it takes time for something newly conceived to be ready to be born. Treat those you are seeking to convert like babes in the womb. They need to be nourished and cared for. The beautiful example of the grace of Christ in your life is the lifeblood that will enable the Spirit of God to work on their hearts. Above all, give it time and allow it to grow to fruition.
