3 Ways to Use Online Videos to Evangelize

As a marketing expert turned evangelism enthusiast, I’ve launched many online-driven video outreaches with Anchored North that have reached millions with the gospel. I love thinking of creative ways to reach the lost and training others to do the same. 

Unfortunately, many Christians are uninterested and uneducated in utilizing video to reach their friends and family with the gospel. This is a tragedy given all of the unbelievers who are using social media to plunge this generation into darkness. On the other side of the spectrum, there is another error that is easy to fall into it. Social media is designed to create an addiction to attention, so Christians must be on guard not to use social media for their own glory. If you are thinking about engaging on social media to reach thousands with the gospel, you must begin with your motive, message, and method. 

Motive

At Anchored North, our motive is devotion to Christ, which leads to the declaration of Christ. We create not to glorify man but to glorify God. Does your love for Christ lead you to want to share Christ with the resources you’ve been given? It is our praise that must lead to proclamation. 

Message

Out of a love for God and a love for others, our message is the biblical gospel. Sadly, many Christians do not know how to articulate the gospel faithfully. Many modern-day Christians have reduced the gospel to be vague and unclear “Hallmark” messages. We must proclaim the true gospel because it is only the true gospel that has the power to save. 

For the Apostle Paul, knowing the gospel and delivering the gospel was a matter of first importance. He said, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). 

Are these matters of first importance in your own heart? They must be. Because a false gospel is a damning gospel. But the true gospel is a delivering gospel.

Method 

Contrary to strong opinions, there is no one right way to share the gospel. Now hear me out. There is one message—the everlasting gospel—that we cannot change. The message of the gospel never changes, but there are many methods to share that message. Methods change, but the message never does. 

Wise evangelists try every means possible to share the unchanging message of the gospel. They do not give up! They try again and again and again! For the sake of the gospel, we must be persistent and creative in trying all means to deliver the unchanging, everlasting gospel.

At Anchored North, our method is to create captivating, honest, and shareable videos that explore humanity’s greatest need: redemption through Jesus. This is accomplished primarily through (1) Christ-centered testimony films and (2) Honest Discourse, a video series that features loving and truthful conversations between Christians and individuals with opposing viewpoints. God has blessed our creative efforts for His glory, and I do not exaggerate when I say that the Lord continues to reach millions through our ministry. 

At this point you might be asking, “How in the world am I supposed to share the gospel through video and social media? I do not have a marketing background, nor do I have a production team. In fact, I’m lucky if I can remember my password to Facebook!”

With the right motives and message, the good news is that there are ways that anyone can share the gospel through online video, no matter your social media skill level. 

Here are three online video methods that you can use to share the gospel in your own way. 

1. Gather Your Arsenal of Evangelistic Videos (Beginner)

This method involves curating videos rather than creating videos. There are many ministries that God is using to produce videos that proclaim the gospel to many worldviews. 

• Need a video to reach someone who is captivated by LGBTQ+ ideology? Bookmark testimony videos from Anchored North on YouTube of individuals who walked that road and who are now born-again.

• Need a video to reach someone who is immersed in abortion-minded ideology? Bookmark videos from Living Waters on YouTube that challenge people to see the importance of human life and life in Christ.

• Need a video that just straightforwardly declares the gospel? Bookmark videos on For The Gospel’s YouTube channel that boldly proclaim the truth of salvation in Jesus Christ alone.

By beginning a collection of gospel-centered videos, you will be equipped to proclaim Christ to people from all walks of life. These are valuable videos that you can share on your public social media page, in the comments section of other posts and threads, in Facebook groups, and to individuals through direct messages. 

2. Video Your Testimony (Intermediate)

Personally, I think it is a tragedy that many Christians do not have their testimony recorded or even written on paper. So much of the Bible’s call for discipleship is for parents to recount the wonderful deeds of God to future generations. 

Is your story of the true and living God bringing you from death to life by the power of the Holy Spirit a significant event in your life? Then I urge you to pull out a smartphone (get help from someone in your church if needed) and record your testimony. 

In this video: 

• Begin the video with an attention-grabbing sentence, for example, “I used to hate everything about the idea of God.”

• Share how Jesus saved you, stirring you to repent of your sins and to trust in Him.

• Present the gospel clearly and use Scripture.

• Be intentional to magnify Jesus, not yourself.

• Stress your present need for Christ. After you become a Christian, you are not perfect. You need Jesus every minute of every day.

• End with your desire for other people to be saved through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

You can record this on a smartphone or on a modern video camera. If you do have access to a videographer that can do all the work in helping you create something more formal, I think it is well worth exploring the costs of that investment. We invest money in wedding videos and yearly family photoshoots. Why not invest in creating a video that documents the most important event of our lives? 

Create a YouTube account and upload the video there. This will become a personalized evangelistic resource that you can regularly post on social media. Moreover, it will become something precious that your children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren can have to remember you by long after you are gone. 

3. Do Response Videos on YouTube or TikTok (Advanced)

Is there a video going viral that promotes something that is ungodly or unbiblical? This is an amazing opportunity for the gospel. 

Have you ever wondered why there are so many reaction videos on YouTube and TikTok? This is because when one video gets traction, other video creators know they can hitch their wagons to that traction by creating a response video.

These types of videos are so powerful because you can both (1) help other Christians think about how to think biblically and respond to secular worldviews using God’s Word and (2) reach thousands of non-Christians by piggybacking on the traction of a viral video. 

Time Is Short

The reality for each one of us is that time is fleeting. Once it is spent, our time cannot be regained. We are all accountable to God for the way we spend our time. 

Given the brevity of life and the ability to reach thousands online with the gospel through modern resources, I wholeheartedly believe that using online video to share the gospel is a worthy endeavor. 

May we be challenged to consider the days we are in and go all-out in sharing the gospel with the creative and far-reaching tools that God has given us.