Uptight about evangelism
0 comments | Posted by Steven Layson on 22 Feb 2009 in From Steve's Study :: Connect09
“Christians and non-Christians have something in common: we’re both uptight about evangelism. Our fear as Christians seems to be, “How many people did I offend this week?” We think that we must be a little obnoxious in order to be good evangelists. A tension builds inside: Should I be sensitive to people and forget about evangelism, or should I blast them with the gospel and forget about their dignity as human beings? Many Christians choose to be aware of the person but then feel defensive and guilty for not evangelizing.”
This is how Rebecca Manley Pippert starts her classic book on evangelism Out of the Saltshaker. I think she’s right on the money.
My guess is that there are a number of people in our church who are feeling a bit uncomfortable about the whole Connect 09 thing. It might conjure up visions of going door to door on bikes, wearing a white shirt and tie, and pestering people who don’t want to hear about God so that they end up being even less interested than when we started. Maybe you can relate to Rebecca’s initial thoughts, “There was a part of me that secretly felt evangelism was something you shouldn’t do to your dog, let alone a friend.”
On the other hand, you may be thinking that all we have to do is run a Fete and invite an evangelistic speaker one Sunday and we’ll have done what we have to do, & so be able to get back on with our lives.
However, these are certainly not the goals of Connect 09, nor of the whole process of evangelism. In her book, Rebecca Pippert explains that evangelism is a way of life, a world-view, that sees the lostness and brokenness of our world and cannot help doing something about it. The aim for this year is to change us, to turn us into the kinds of Christians that live fully for God & that out of this flows a love for those who are still far from God.
How do we see our place in the world? What impact does our faith have on those around us? Will we reach out with the gospel to bring hope and meaning to those who are lost?
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