42841 Friendship Evan-Cover 3/28/07 10:06 AM Page 1

Friendship
Evangelism

Reaching others
for Christ through
Operation Andrew
1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28201-0001
42841

www.billygraham.org 1-877-2GRAHAM (1-877-247-2426)

B I L LY G R A H A M E VA N G E L I S T I C A S S O C I AT I O N
42841 Friendship Ev-Inside 3/28/07 10:07 AM Page 1

Friendship
Evangelism
Reaching others for
Christ through
Operation Andrew
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Dr. Joseph C. Aldrich, Th.D., is a past president of

Multnomah School of the Bible, in Portland, Oregon. Eight steps to an
He and his wife, Ruthe, are the parents of two
children. Dr. Aldrich is author of Life-Style Evangelism. effective personal
Dr. Sterling W. Huston, D.D., serves as Director witness
of Special Ministries and Senior Team for the
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. He and
his wife, Esther, are the parents of two children.
Dr. Huston is the author of Crusade Evangelism and
the Local Church. step one
Visualize the Readiness of Others to
Receive Christ

step two
Make an Initial Acquaintance

step three
Establish a Growing Relationship

step four
Extend an Invitation to Your Home

From the book Life-Style Evangelism by Joseph C. Aldrich,

©1981 by Multnomah Press. Published by Multnomah Press,
Portland, Oregon 97266. Used by permission.
step five
Cultivate Common Interests

Material on pp. 11–12 is adapted from Crusade Evangelism and the

Local Church by Sterling W. Huston, ©1984, 1996 Billy Graham
Evangelistic Association. Used by permission. step six
Be Available for the Hurting
©1988 (revised 1998, 2005) Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28201-0001

Printed in U.S.A. step seven

Become a Giver
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the
King James Version of the Bible. Scripture quotations marked NIV
are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright
©1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission
of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Scripture quotations marked TLB
step eight
Find an Appropriate Harvest Vehicle
are taken from The Living Bible. Copyright ©1971 by Tyndale
House Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois 60187. All rights reserved.

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Reaching Others for Christ
Through Operation Andrew
Eight Steps to an Effective Personal Witness
How do you reach others for Jesus Christ? Let’s
assume you really want to be a friend to someone.
You desire the “capacity to draw near.” Presented
here are eight suggested steps to be taken in the
development of relationships—eight steps which
will lead to an effective personal witness for
Christ in your daily life. What is the first step?
step one
Visualize the readiness of
others to receive Christ
Believe that the Spirit of God is hovering over
your neighborhood, workplace, or school. Some
are defeated in their witnessing efforts before they
start because they are not convinced people near
them are interested, seeking, or already prepared
by God. Our Lord has told us that the fields “are
white already to harvest” (John 4:35). Believe me,
there are Spirit-prepared people near you who are
seeking answers. God will lead you to these
people. Ask Him and see!
I am a jogger and as I run through my
neighborhood, I see more than just homes,
garages, and automobiles. Those homes have
people with names and faces living in them.
Those I know by name I remember by name. As
I regularly visualize the Spirit of God hovering
over my neighborhood, I am encouraged to be
about the King’s business. It is true, “where there
is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18).
Obviously, not everyone near to us is ready or
responsive.
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Remember the pattern, however. Witness
begins with presence, moves to proclamation, and
then to persuasion. For some, the extent of their
evangelistic mission may be to simply expose
friends to a healthy presence—the music of the
Gospel. Hopefully, God will use you to bring
some of your acquaintances to the point of a
verbal explanation of the Good News (the words
of the Gospel).
When you have cultivated a friendship and
become aware of some of your friends’ needs,
your Gospel presentation becomes much more
powerful, because it carries a potential solution
to both real and felt needs. When a friendship
has been established, it is much easier to sense
the appropriate time for moving from presence
to proclamation to persuasion. Often our
attempts to “persuade” are premature, because
we really do not know whether the individual is
in a “sowing, watering, or harvesting” condition.
step two
Make an initial acquaintance
God knows the responsive hearts in your
sphere of influence. How do you locate them?
Build relationships with persons near you. As you
do so, you will become aware of those who are
ready to respond to the Gospel.
I have seen this principle affirmed over and
over again. One day I spent 45 minutes with a
neighbor discussing the essence of the Gospel. He
initiated the conversation, and as we sat on the
Oregon coast watching the surf, I shared some
foundational principles of the Gospel. The
conversation was both casual and deeply
significant. This moment came after months of
friendship. Both families spent the morning
together playing on the beach. We consider them
to be good friends. We enjoy their company.
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After talking about spiritual things, we shifted
the conversation to the possibility of some fishing
trips in the fall.
A model from the world of real estate becomes
instructive at this point. A firm in Salem,
Oregon, assigns 500 families to each agent.
Agents are expected to contact each assigned
family once per month for a year. The contact
may be personal, a telephone call, or a letter.
Research indicates that it takes at least six
contacts for people to remember who the agent is
and the firm represented. During this time of
“building relationships,” agents are encouraged
not to go in the house (good psychology—
everyone else is trying to get their foot in the
door). Furthermore, they are encouraged not to
ask for a listing during this “get acquainted” time.
Obviously, there would be exceptions to these
restrictions, but they do illustrate an
understanding of what it takes to create a
favorable climate for selling real estate.
After the initial year of regular contacts, the
agent continues to communicate with the
assigned families on a scheduled, systematic basis.
Research reveals that if this pattern is followed
consistently for a year and a half, the agent will
secure 80 percent of the listings.
What does the real estate firm know that we
either do not know or overlook? First, people do
not like to be confronted by strangers seeking
entrance into their homes. In fact, in many
communities this is socially unacceptable. The
salesperson or any other unknown professional
who arrives at the door is automatically confronted
with a high sales resistance. If the door is opened,
it is done with a determination not to be “taken
in” by sales talk. The salesperson professionally
represents the product, but the sales pitch is
discounted at least 50 percent. However, if a friend
comes over and shares a glowing personal
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testimony concerning the value of the agent’s
product, the reaction is apt to be markedly
different. A satisfied customer makes the most
effective salesperson.
Second, people are more inclined to do
business with acquaintances than strangers.
Third, it takes time and effort to build a healthy
decision-making climate. Fourth, there is no
substitute for time. Often it is necessary to “make
haste slowly.”
Your goal is to build a climate for effective
decision making. We have lived at our present
location for over two years and are just beginning
to see people respond. With great anticipation we
wait for the harvest.
We are surrounded by people who are
spiritually hungry. So are you. True, you cannot
adopt 500 families, but how about extending your
friendship to four or five individuals in your
“work-a-day world?” You will discover two or
three of these to be responsive.
step three
Establish a growing
relationship
First, ask God to give you help in how to get
to know others. Get to know names. Be certain
you pronounce them correctly. Second, smile! Be
the kind of person those about you would want to
know. If you desire to build redemptive
friendships, be friendly! Third, be a good listener.
Discover and discuss the interests of others rather
than your own. I find that many Christians
become tongue-tied when it comes to
conversation with persons having little
knowledge of spiritual things.
Sometimes it is helpful if you have some
subject categories in mind, for example:
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Profession or career When your friends who you believe need to

Hobbies know Christ are over for dinner, don’t feel
Sports and recreation compelled to “say” something spiritual. Many
Family activities and interests seem to think that if they have not shared their
Vacations “witness” before the evening is over, they have
Children’s activities and failed. Not so. One couple we saw trust Christ
accomplishments took three years of cultivation. For most of that
Current news items period, spiritual things were off limits. It soon
Personal properties: boats, cars, pets, became obvious that when we were together we
gardens, etc. were not free to discuss religious matters. We
Religious background probably ate together at least thirty times! I
Current projects and home wish you could see this couple today! Patience
improvements does pay off.
Current books, films, etc. I would suggest you say grace at the meal. It is
Fourth, take the initiative to be of help when your home, and it is natural for you to do this. Do
it is appropriate. If your friend is painting the not preach or share a quick “witness” during
house, grab a brush! Offer to mow your friend’s prayer. Rather, be brief and thank the Lord for
lawn and look after the house and pets while the your friends by name.
family is on vacation.

step four step five

Cultivate common interests
Extend an invitation
Your goal is to build a reservoir of common
to your home shared experience with persons near you whom
you desire to introduce to Christ. Sometimes it is
Your goal is to advance your daily contacts good to think through a list of possible common
with those near you toward a more significant ground “contact points.” Put a check by those
friendship. Meals are a great way to do it. As a which would be options for you as you seek to do
general rule, it is good to have a definite reason things together.
for inviting people. It may be simply to enjoy
your new barbecue recipe or share some
Tennis Golf Fishing Sewing
homemade ice cream. The persons you invite
Hiking Concerts Bowling Boating
might enjoy seeing slides of your vacation trip
Racquetball Movies Ice skating Lunch
(notice I said they “might”). Rafting Jogging Hunting Skiing
If you entertain friends for dinner, do not be Sports events Cycling Scouting PTA
too elaborate. A formal dinner with crystal, china, Gardening Eating Knitting Guns
and sterling silver is not necessary. They would Woodworking Coffee Flying
probably feel more relaxed and “at home” with a
tasty barbecued hamburger and a soft drink.

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Certainly, there are items in the list presented
which both you and your friends enjoy. It is
important to discover these contact points and use
them as friendship building blocks. My wife enjoys
going with a friend through some model homes.
They both share an interest in interior design.
step six
Be available for
the hurting
In other words, watch for the wounded about
you and offer them your understanding and help.
Life is tough. Sickness, death of a loved one,
marital problems, financial difficulties, and other
pressures provide opportunities for the Christian
to express Christ’s love through caring, sharing,
and serving. Remember, people do not care
how much (or what) you know until they
know how much you care. The hurts of others
are your opportunities to become good news to
them. I believe these opportunities are often
arranged by God Himself. A helping hand and
sympathetic listening give your beliefs validity
and impact. Mowing lawns, preparing meals,
babysitting, and providing needed transportation
are some ways to help people in need.
One caution: Do not forget . . . you have
needs. How about letting others meet some of
them? Maybe the greatest gift you can share is
the gift of your need. When conversations
focus on some of the normal marriage and family
problems, remember that you have some, too.
In friendship evangelism, availability is
often the greatest ability. Be a listening,
sensitive, giving, caring Christian friend, and
look out . . . it is contagious.
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step seven
Become a giver
Give your friends something to read or listen
to. Be casual about it. If entertaining, put some
good Christian literature on your coffee table.
Be sure the reading material offered is top
quality. Stick with books that are need-centered
and have good graphics. Have some on hand
which you can give to your friends at the
appropriate time.
There are some challenging tape series which
are effective in evangelism. Be sure, however,
that you listen to the tape first! It should be
positive in tone and attitude, need-centered,
and biblically sound.
Christian magazines should not be
overlooked. Parents struggling with teenagers
might be delighted to learn about Campus Life
magazine. Decision, Christianity Today, and
Virtue are some of the fine magazines available.
Be creative in your use of Christian resources.
Purchase a supply of quality items and keep
them readily available. Remember, it was God
who said, “He that winneth souls is wise”
(Proverbs 11:30). In all of these activities, your
goal is to become a servant to that spiritually
needy friend near you.
step eight
Find an appropriate
harvest vehicle
Once while fishing in Mexican waters for
yellowtail, we hit a school of them and boated a
good catch in a little over an hour. We were
using squid, but that wasn’t all that kept the fish
coming back. As soon as we hooked up, the
42841 Friendship Ev-Inside 3/28/07 10:07 AM Page 10
deckhands started chumming the water with
chopped minnows. In a very real sense, we
“chum” the spiritual waters as we function as
salt and light. In a practical sense, we do this by
spending time with friends who we believe need
Christ, discovering their interests, sharing their
fellowship, and bearing their concerns. But a
time comes when it is appropriate to pray about
involving them in some type of ministry vehicle.
A sensitivity to their preferences and personal
views is important. For a non-athletic
vegetarian, an invitation to hear an all-pro
athlete at a steak fry probably is not appropriate
or in good taste. If there must be an offense, let
it be the offense of the Gospel, not the manner
in which the Gospel is presented. There are
numerous “harvest vehicles.” Here are some
examples:
Evangelistic dinners
Home Bible studies
Business breakfasts
Christian movies
Conferences or retreats
Fishing/hunting trips
Church sports programs
Christian music concerts
Church-sponsored events
Obviously, the list is limited only by one’s
creativity. Skim the list and note how many of the
activities are suitable for blending persons who
know Christ with persons who need to know Him.
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Consider a special evangelistic
event and the ministry of
Operation Andrew as a
“harvest vehicle” . . .
Effective evangelism is built on relationships.
The earliest New Testament example of this is
Andrew, who found his brother Simon and
brought him to Jesus (John 1:40–42). This is a
basic pattern for all evangelism. One person who
has found new life, meaning, and forgiveness
through an encounter with Jesus Christ is
motivated by love to bring another to experience
that same relationship with the Savior. This is
what must happen in all evangelism methods,
whether person-to-person or through small group
Bible studies, Sunday school programs, worship
services, visitation, single church meetings, or
special services.
All Christians have webs of relationships in
their lives: family, friends, neighbors, fellow
employees, students, casual acquaintances, and
others. Church growth specialists have pointed
out that the greatest outreach occurs through
these relationships. Surveys reveal that at least
80 percent of the unchurched who respond to an
evangelistic invitation to receive Jesus Christ as
Lord and Savior were brought personally by
someone else. Most Christians can point to a
caring person who prayed for them before they
came to know Christ.
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Indeed, God has placed each Christian in the
center of a web of relationships with persons to
whom they can tell the Good News:
In recognition of this principle, a practical
program called Operation Andrew has been
developed for Christians desiring to use special
evangelistic events as “harvest vehicles.” You are
invited to follow the simple Operation Andrew
plan using the Operation Andrew card on the
next page.
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OPERATION ANDREW
Operation Andrew is a simple plan. It helps us
pray for, befriend, invite, and bring to the special
evangelistic event people we know who need Ope
A
Jesus Christ. Join with other Christians in your
community who are trusting God to work through
them to reach their neighbors, friends, and
family with the Good News of new life in Christ.
My Operation Andrew List
I commit myself to pray regularly for the
following people:
1. ______________________________________
2. ______________________________________
3. ______________________________________
4. ______________________________________
5. ______________________________________
6. ______________________________________
7. ______________________________________
Use this card as a daily prayer reminder.
“Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who
heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The
first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell
him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). And
he brought him to Jesus.”
John 1:40–42, NIV
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Operation Andrew
is five simple steps

1. Look AROUND —Your mission field is right

where you live, work, or go to school. List
names of individuals you know who need Jesus
Christ. Pray for them regularly.

2. Look UP—God changes people through

prayer. Pray each day for the people on your
list, asking God to give you opportunities to
talk about His love with them.

3. Look OUT—Find ways to cultivate

friendships with the people on your list.
Spend time with them. Friendships open the
way to talk about Christ.

4. Look FORWARD —Talk with each person on

your list about attending a special evangelistic
event with you. Choose a specific date and
invite them.

5. Look AFTER —Those who respond to Christ

or show interest in the Gospel need your
encouragement. Continue to pray for those who
respond to the Gospel and those who do not.

“Make the most of your chances to tell others the Good News.
Be wise in all your contacts with them. Let your conversation
be gracious as well as sensible, for then you will have the right
answer for everyone.”
Colossians 4:5–6, TLB

Building Friendships
Yes, I intend to develop a friendship in the
months ahead with the person listed below:

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