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See underlined portions in Jed's story, below.
Take time to clean up a little, spend some time in preparation and prayer. Don't just jump in your car and take off with little thought or preparation time. Don't come out of the cow pasture and just take off. Appearance is part of your presentation. I don't get all prissied up but I, do, take time to look clean and professional. Sometimes, you must witness off the cuff when the opportunity presents, itself, but we are talking about planned witnessing trips, here.
Don't go door-to-door witnessing alone. Every word is established in the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses (Matt. 18:16). Two witnesses are ideal but three are acceptable (Eccl. 4:9-12). Going alone can set you up for accusations that can ruin your ministry and reputation. Going with a companion protects you from false accusations, gives you added support, added encouragement, and added protection. Perhaps a companion will pick up on words and things that you would miss. So, you need a companion for safety and security, protection from false accusations, for added encouragement, for better balance, for unity in prayer (Matt. 18:19), and for confirmation of the Word.
Don't sit outside their house and pray. They may well be peering out the window, wondering what that guy is doing outside their home. Is he preparing a tax audit? Is he scoping out their home? Is he looking for young kids? Is he serving a summons to court? Do your praying before you get to the person's home. You can pray before you set out for witnessing, while you're driving to your destination, or down the street.
Don't carry a large bible. It can look like a weapon (and is often used as one). Why intimidate them before you even open your mouth? I keep a pocket sized Bible in my back pocket for quick reference and a larger, more reference-oriented Bible in my car if I need to utilize it, later.
Don't disrespect their property. Many people are extremely picky about their lawn and property. Walk on their walkway, not through their yard. If it's easier to go from house to house by cutting across lawns (which it often is), don't do it. Walk all the way back out to the road or city sidewalk and enter the next property, properly. Don't be lazy. Why anger them right off the bat by disrespecting them?
Don't go into a lady's house alone. See point 1, above. Going into a lady's house alone is just plain stupid. She can accuse you of anything and it's your word against her's.
Don't brag on your church or criticize other churches. People are so used to Christians bragging about their church (even the bad churches). God is what they're seeking, not church. God is what they need. Brag on Him! They're not used to that and they will listen to you brag on Him.
Don't worry too much about giving Biblical references. You can do that, later, if need be. Just speak the truth. The truth is the truth. Quoting references can confuse the issue and make you look like you're trying to impress the person. If they want to pursue a point or you feel the need to back up what you say, you can, then, reference the place in the Bible where your statement can be supported. You may have, only, a few minutes with the person. Get to the point.
Don't worry about quoting the entire verse. Don't necessarily leave out a part that is crucial to the passage, but you can quote just the portion that is relevant to your conversation. Quoting entire verses can cause the conversation to stray and the main point to be lost.
Don't emphasize the negative. There are negative aspects in the Bible, and it is okay to point out the results of sin if needed. However, the gospel is "good news". Emphasize the good news, first.
Don't be argumentative (2 Tim. 2:14,24). Be gentle. You will hear many doctrinal errors out there. Some are critical to the salvation of the person (and I'm more apt to correct those, right away) but many are errors that have no effect on their salvation. You can go down rabbit trails all day long and completely miss the whole point of witnessing. Your immediate job is not to correct every error, but to present the gospel and represent God. Don't muddy the waters by getting side-tracked, chasing down unimportant errors in the person's beliefs.
Don't take rejection personally (1John 3:13, John 15:18). It ISN'T you that they are rejecting. It's their perception of religion or church or God or Christians, etc.. Many have accepted a caricature of God and don't know the true God. Try to correct their misperception of Him and give them time to digest what you have said. Their rejection of your God is NOT a rejection of you, personally (unless you have bad breath).
Don't expect immediate salvation. Respect the person enough to allow them to consider all that has been said. They have a mind of their own and, usually, need time to think things through. It is rare to run into someone that will just fall down and repent at your feet. Let the Holy Spirit do His job by working with them long after you've gone. He will bring back statements that you have made. You are a tool to be used of Him, not Him. Do your job and let God be God.
Don't attack the person. They may make you genuinely angry with some of the things they say but do not lash out. Be gentle, kind, patient, and long-suffering.
Don't overstay your visit. Don't tug on green fruit. Don't wear them out. When the conversation dies down or you feel you've said enough, make a courteous exit. If they begin looking around (or at their watch), excuse yourself. You can always make a return visit at a later date.
Don't get hung-up on the person's misunderstanding of scripture. (See point above.)
Don't exit on bad terms. You don't want to leave a sour taste in their mouths about their experience with you. Remember, you are representing God. Leave them feeling uplifted, encouraged, and impressed by your visit. They will be more apt to favorably consider what has been said after you've left.
Don't be surprised to hear shock statements. I had a person tell me that I really made an impression on him because he couldn't scare me by trying to shock me with outlandish statements. The first thing he exclaimed to me to my face when I told him what I was doing was, "Church sucks!". I pointed out that I wasn't representing church. I was representing God and God didn't suck. He, then, smiled and listened to what I had to say. Just stay on subject - God, God, God. God is good. He hasn't cheated anyone or lied to anyone.
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