Is Evangelism Worth Doing Badly?

I am perusing Brad J. Kallenberg's Live to Tell: Evangelism for a Postmodern Age (2002). While the insights of the book are many, I was struck in the end with this:

For anything worth doing is worth doing badly--until one can do it better. And one can become a skillful evangelist only be beginning poorly, but beginning nonetheless. Only one who begins, albeit poorly, has the hope of improving. (Page 124)

The insight caught me, transporting me back four decades ago, to when I was doing evangelism poorly. (I trust I have improved some, though there are times I doubt I have as much as might be assumed.) Nevertheless, I remember walking down a resident hall, sticking my head in the door of a class friend to say hi. The Christian worker I happened to be with at the time asked my friend if I had ever shown him "The Four Spiritual Laws". Gulp. I wasn't prepared for that question to be asked. When my friend said no, the staff member suggested I do so--now. Me? Ummm... Did I get that right?

I stumbled and stammered as I read through the booklet, asking the questions that were already printed there, feeling awkward and embarrassed. And then we got to the prayer. My friend said, yes, he wanted to receive Christ. And I led him in prayer.

To be honest, I don't know what really happened. Did he understand? Did he truly believe? Did Jesus Christ enter his life and forgive his sin? Did the Holy Spirit birth him into new life and the body of Christ? I don't know.

What I do know is that "I did evangelism poorly." But I did it as best I could then and I continue to do the best I can now. I am still learning. I am still growing. And I am still having conversations. Maybe still poorly, but not as poorly as I did before.