Leif Lastine Shares His Summer Job Experiences: Students Can Find Summer Employment as a Literature Evangelist

Believe it or not, spring is upon us, which means the hunt for the perfect summer job has begun! There are many options for college students looking for a rewarding occupation over the break. One option is Literature Evangelism (LE). To get an idea of what Literature Evangelism is and to see if it may be a good fit for you this summer, I asked Leif Lastine to share his experience working as an evangelist.

Q. What is LE?

A. LE is using books and tracts to start a conversation with another about Jesus and the gospel.  It typically involves door-to-door sales and/or distributing tracts but can also include ANY VARIETY of creative methods to share the gospel with literature.

Q. What is the job like?

A. It requires hard work and commitment, but honestly, it’s the easiest method of sharing your faith. That’s because if you don’t know what to say or you're kind of shy, then you can just talk about the books. In a Youth Rush program, you generally go door-to-door with a team of other people Sun – Thurs. 

Q. Pros and cons?

A. The cons are that it takes hard work and commitment, it will take up most of your summer and you will be challenged to grow personally. The best pro is that you will guaranteed come out of the experience with a much deeper faith and love for God, but you will also gain skills that you could use all your life. You will make AMAZING friends that you really bond with and your school will give you a scholarship towards tuition.

Q. What was your personal experience?

A. After I was baptized I wanted so badly to share the gospel. I went to Youth Rush in Minnesota in 2019 and had such a profound experience I came back home, quit my job on faith and started canvassing full-time. My experience doing this is what prompted me to come to Union and pursue being a pastor so I can teach other people how to do LE in their home church. Basically, LE’s ALWAYS have a FRESH testimony to tell!! And you will too.

Q. What should you expect going into LE?

A. Expect to give yourself wholly to the work and/or program. Talk to your girlfriend/boyfriend beforehand and agree to take it seriously. You will get out of it as much as you put into it and more.

Q. What should someone do if they want to become a LE?

A. You want to talk to [LE] leaders and get a feel for where might be best for you. Pray about it as well and you will sense God leading you. Or talk to Leif at campus ministries. Honestly, the cool part is that you learn skills that are valuable in any/every profession, not just witnessing and you will become a better leader too.

Hannah Olin is a sophomore

history education major from

Princeton, Ill.