Are they waiting?

Oh, how confused we Christians are sometimes about evangelism! Do it this way, don't do it at all, follow these steps, follow the Holy Spirit, use these Scriptures, leave it to the professionals... 

Hope
Some conversations lately have renewed my hope that people out there are looking for Jesus. One girl testified that she had given her life to the Lord and had really been waiting for some Christians to come and talk to her....and then they showed up at her dormitory.

How many people are waiting for someone to knock on their door or look into their eyes and tell them about Jesus? Maybe a lot, maybe a few. But isn't it worth being rejected a few times to reach those few? Knocking on the wrong door a few times before we are actually invited inside?

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Futility
At the other side of the argument, it does often seem that people are completely uninterested and unreachable. To be more "efficient," we divide them into "open" and "closed" and don't go after the "closed" ones. The "closed" ones don't want to listen, and the "open" ones are also open to Islam, Buddhism, and everything else. Doesn't it seem that way sometimes?

Confusing teachings
We are in the end times, so decreasing numbers of people will be saved. We are in the end times, so there will be a great revival. Do either of these statements hold validity and/or application in our lives? Sometimes blanket statements made by fellow Christians confuse the way we formulate our goals and priorities.

Telling it like it is
It is discouraging when the very terms we use to define ourselves as Christians turn other people away. Church, Jesus, Sin, Born-again... Oh, you're one of those. And yet, we have to be clear and simple in identifying ourselves, for the sake of those who are searching. Would you like to visit my church? We might get tired of saying it, but for that one person, it will resonate. There is no need to invent a new term, which may lead to a false portrayal.

Making conversation
So how do you know what to do, what to talk about? If you aren't sure what someone is thinking or feeling, why not ask? It never hurts, and is far more friendly than giving someone a lecture or blabbing on about one's own faith.