A brief guide to evangelism, more-or-less reblogged.
1. You can’t share what you haven’t got.
Church needs to focus on prayer and spiritual growth before even contemplating evangelism. An obvious point that most of us overlook most of the time..
2. Church health is more important than church growth.
But healthy things grow naturally.
3. Becoming a Christian is like a journey.
Research shows that most take 4 or 5 years before making a commitment of faith. So the church needs to be in for the’long haul’ with people.
Which raises 2 questions every church should ask itself:
‘How can we serve the people with whom we have contact in such a way that the gospel is intriguing, challenging and appealling?’
and
‘Does our church have a maternity ward?’
4. Belonging comes before believing.
The sudden conviction of faith that comes ‘out of nowhere’ is a rarity. Most often, the faith of a community is ‘caught’ by those who are embraced by it.
5. The best evangelism is the witness of ordinary Christian people in their everyday lives.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
ee 10.10.07 at 10:34 am
Nonsense. Always remember the following:
1. Friendship evangelism is the most important evangelism. In other words, friendships with non-Christians are only important insofar as they enable you to give them the gospel.
2. Winning souls for Christ is the only important thing on earth. So whatever it takes to attract people to church is Good. Take the ‘Halo’ trick in Kim’s last post as a fine example of this.
3. Particularly at work, you must take every possible opportunity to talk about the gospel. But most of us are just too chicken to do it.
I gleaned all these important lessons from several years in Christian unions and evangelical churches. It’s helped improve the number of notches on my spiritual bedpost.
Wood 10.10.07 at 2:32 pm
I wonder how many people think you’re serious, ee?
Going back to the Halo thing, we have this annoying tendency to see some Christian-ish imagery appearing in wildly inappropriate pop culture artefacts and then try to use them as a vehicle for the Christian message, awkwardly shoe-horning the Gospel into stuff that has no place for it. I last count of the number of times I’ve seen The Matrix used as a vehicle for Gospel talks.
I don’t know. Maybe it comes from a lack of confidence about the message.
dh 10.10.07 at 2:56 pm
Evangelism and Sanctification/Holiness are not zero-sum games. It appears Richard and EE are making it like it is a zero-sum game and mutually exclusive when it is not. The church can focus on Evangelism and church health equally and with equal effort. We are called to BOTH not just one or the other. Also, people use overgenerlaizations towards churches where there is Evangelism. A majority of churches focus on both Evangelism and church health. I know no church where Evangelism is the only important thing on earth. I also know that a majority of Evangelical churches would NOT support the “Halo3″ way of Evangelism. Also, I disagree with the every opportunity to share the Gospel. We should only do this under the power of the Holy Spirit or when the Spirit is at work in particular situations. If it is intentionally forced there can be problems.
On friendship Evangelism. I do think if one is friends with a non-Believer that it is natural that in some instance in the relationship as friends that the Gospel will be shared. To be sarcastic about that seems rather odd. On friendship Evangelism being the most important: Some times it is and other times there are more important ways for Evangelism.
“I gleaned all these important lessons from several years in Christian unions and evangelical churches. It’s helped improve the number of notches on my spiritual bedpost.” EE, to be sarcastic with somethings done under the holy Spirit really is odd. At least these people are trying and they care. Give them a break.
Wood, I agree with your middle paragraph but again I would venture to say that a majority of Evangelicals would not make a strong “Matrix connection to Christianity” or a majority of Evangelicals would support Evangelism using “Halo3″. Are there thin veils of connection? probably I just think many times Western society takes a position and goes overboard with it no matter how accurate it may be initially. In the end by going overboard it makes the accurate message inaccurate in that the original accurate message changes to become inaccurate.
ee 10.10.07 at 3:02 pm
Wood - thanks for pointing out the sarcasm. I think there can be a difference between using something to illustrate the gospel (which is a good thing), and changing the gospel to fit in with your illustration (which is bad). I’m sure we’ve all seen both.
There is one thing in Richard’s post that I do take issue with. Point 1 - don’t think about evangelism unless you’re concentrating on prayer and spiritual growth - to me is stilted. Being a Christian should work itself out in the form of prayer, spiritual growth and evangelism; to say that you need the others in place first is a bit unnatural. Other than that point, it’s a great post.
ee 10.10.07 at 3:10 pm
DH - sorry if my sarcasm offended. But: ‘At least these people care and they are trying, give them a break’… so do the JW’s that I just went and answered the door to. The people I’m lampooning may be sincere, but they’re often also self-righteous and create false guilt in believers who can’t evangelise like they do.
Wood 10.10.07 at 4:13 pm
dh: note that I didn’t say “evangelicals”. I used the first person plural pronoun “we”. With all that entails.
dh 10.10.07 at 5:48 pm
Wood, thanks for the clarification. I don’t know why I “passed over” that. I think it is because I’m having a tough day at work. I have a big government shipment and all of the labels and paper work have to just perfect. I’m sure you understand.
EE (I wasn’t really offended but more of a matter of balance. However, I appreciate your concern. You are really great and I appreciate you:) ), I don’t see how JW’s and us are in the same category or even a slight comparison when the point is the truth. If a person says the Truth with proper attitude then how it is done is really not the point as long as the Holy Spirit is actually part of it. JW’s don’t say the Truth so the comparison becomes a “strawman” or at least an “overgenerlization” whichever is the most appropriate term. I think any Evangelical or Christian would agree that we must “speak the Truth in love.” and that there must be a proper attitude when sharing the Gospel. However, I know many people who have the gift of Evangelism who get a “bad rap”. We must be very careful that we don’t say something is not from the Holy Spirit when in fact it is. This requires discernment on our part as Christians. Otherwise, it is the “hand calling the eye I have no need of you”. I know you aren’t doing that but just pointing out the risks with regard to some of the statements you made. I think we all can point to a proper guilt if we have friends and never share the Gospel with them. If Christians feel guilty for that then I would venture to say that that would be the convicting power of the Holy spirit for the Believers as opposed to “false sense of guilt”. However, I understand if properly discerned how the guilt can be false in those particular non-Holy Spirit situations. I still believe there is more Holy Spirit as opposed otherwise but that would require a “case by case” discernment of the particular situations as opposed to “rejecting outright”. Does that make sense? If you need clarification let me know. It could seem convoluded when reading it. I’m really enjoying this conversation so please let me know what your detailed thought and clarifications needed on this reply. Thanks so much for your further clarification.
Wood, thanks so much for yours. I agree with the analysis of the etremes. However, I believe the extremes are less in number than you are apprearing to present.