Evangelicalism in the United States refers to a type of Christianity that is characterized by a focus on personal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and the Bible as the source of authority.
Think of it like a club. The people in the club believe in Jesus and the Bible, and they try to follow its teachings as closely as they can.
Evangelicals are known for their commitment to spreading the Gospel message, which means telling others about their belief in Jesus and encouraging them to become Christians too.
Imagine going to school and telling your friends about your favorite toy or game. Evangelicals do that too, but instead of talking about toys, they talk about their faith in Jesus and how it changed their lives.
Another important aspect of evangelicalism is the belief in the importance of personal conversion. This means that people should have a personal experience of turning to God and accepting Jesus as their Savior.
Let's say you did something bad like taking candy from someone without asking. You might feel bad and want to say sorry. In the same way, evangelicals believe that turning to Jesus and admitting your mistakes is a way to find forgiveness and have a new start in life.
Finally, evangelicals believe in living a moral and ethical life. This means trying your best to do what's right and following the teachings of the Bible.
It's like following the rules of a game. Evangelicals believe that God has given us rules to follow, and they see it as their duty to honor those rules.
So, evangelicals are a group of people in the United States who believe in Jesus, share their faith with others, seek personal conversion, and try to live a moral and ethical life based on the teachings of the Bible.