I’ve written on the subject of evangelism from a theological/biblical perspective, and have been collecting my thoughts on it from a cultural perspective for some time now. Today I thought I’d share a bit. Some of these observations may also be true of your context, while others may only apply to my particular community. Either way, these are conclusions I have drawn about our church’s context from my own experience growing up and now pastoring in the Fox Valley (part of the western suburbs of Chicago).
1. Door to door evangelism is seen as an unwanted invasion.
I can’t tell you how many unchurched people have told me in casual conversation that they find almost anyone popping up on their front step without an invitation to be more than annoying. Some even describe it as rude. The exceptions are Girl Scout’s selling their awesomely delicious, crack laced cookies, and some of the people who stop by for the good of the local community. While I am sure there is a small percentage who may respond well to door to door, in my context it appears to turn many more people off.
2. Initiating conversation at Starbucks is welcome.
Panera, the coffee shop, the park, the dentist’s office – people seem to be generally receptive to open ended conversation in these shared spaces. Some want to be left alone, but many enjoy the opportunity to talk about life, culture, politics – whatever.
3. The evangescript is perceived as invasive and fake.
The unchurched can spot the evangelistic script before you finish that diagnostic question. If not because they are religiously savvy, it is at least because living in a consumer culture allows them to detect a sales pitch with little effort.
4. Showing how real-life concerns connect to the gospel is well-received.
While most seem to dislike the home invasion and scripted religious encounters, I do find an openness among my suburban neighbors to talking about biblical truth when it emerges out of a true dialog. When an authentic conversation continues from a discussion about the environment, film, government, or family to what the Bible says about these topics and how they related to God’s plan of redemption most people seem genuinely interested.
5. The churched are often as clueless about the gospel as the unchurched.
I meet a lot of people who go to church who are more than unclear about the gospel, and I’m not only talking about people who go to “liberal” churches. Of course, when people go to a church where the gospel is not believed I expect there to be ignorance or confusion. But the vast majority of people I have met who frequently to regularly attend a local, evangelical megachurch (from my old tattoo artist to strangers at the car repair shop) have all been clueless about the gospel. I am not suggesting that everyone at this church is not a believer, or that the gospel is never preached there. I am only reporting what I have found in my conversations. In the end, just because someone is reading a Christian book, or attending a Christian church does not mean they understand the good news.
No, this isn’t technical research pulled together by Ed Stetzer and the people at Lifeway. These are conclusions I have come to after living in this community for 31 years, sharing the gospel here for 14 years, and serving as pastor here for seven years. While I believe God can use all kinds of approaches to evangelism, I am convinced that in my suburbia unscripted, conversational evangelism is generally a better way to share Christ with strangers than reading from a tract, or reciting a script. My culture requires more natural conversation skills that are developed through practice. It demands a strong theological framework from which we can make connections between real-life concerns of the people we meet to the gospel they need.
I am the Lead Pastor of Redeemer Fellowship; husband to Jen; Dad to Katherine, Elias, Madeline, and Kilian. If you're in town you can probably find me in the local coffee house or running through the neighborhoods.
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These ring true to me. And on the “diagnostic question” front, I also find the same reaction to transitional questions or statements. You know, when you try to “turn a conversation” toward Christ after you pretend to care about them.
I think we are duped by a sense of urgency to do too much too soon. I’m all for urgency, but thoughtful urgency.
Right on Steve. It has taken me a long time to figure out how to have real conversations with people that naturally work toward the gospel without feeling like a bait and switch.
Great thoughts. Since beginning pastoring seven years ago, I feel like a used car salesman (no offense to those guys!) when sharing those kinds of plans. I’m learning the need for patience and grace in building genuine relationships in our community that will lead to those conversations you mention Joe.
One of the fun ways I’ve started engaging conversations is to randomly ask people in those shared settings questions related to something I might be preaching. Last week as I met people around town, I just told them I was working on a sermon and wondered what something might mean to them or what they thought about an idea I might share. If the conversation went toward the gospel, I’d share it. If not, I enjoyed the conversation. Not one person acted offended, and I felt real for a change about the approach.
Anyway – I say all that to say thanks for the post. Good stuff.
Yeah, “turning” the conversation is often so awkward and unnatural.
I was heavily trained in the Campus Crusade methodology and it took me a while to put the script down and engage in more fluid conversation.
The conversation rarely goes the way I’d want it to when I’d want it to, but I confident that God can use our conversation for the spiritual benefit of the other person (and me).
Thanks for the good stuff.
Dear Joe:
Thanks for these observations, and your previous series on evangelism. Great thoughts!
Sincerely in Christ,
Steve
Great observations! I am hoping to teach a series on what the Gospel is and how to present it. I will keep these cultural ideas in mind. I will have to think about our own cultures response to it.
I think one of the hardest things for me with that urgency of seeing people come to Christ is having the patience to wait. I have a friend from work who we started playing board games with (Settlers of Cattan, Carcassone, Puerto Rico – games that need a little better skill than dice rolling). I think going in and him knowing I used to pastor, I think he has been waiting for “the question”. But I haven’t done it in those usual ways …. “Wow! You did a really good job at winning that game …. how would you do about winning in life?” or “this game has certain rules to it that make it different … did you know that just as there are physical rules (laws) to govern us, there are spiritual rules (laws) that govern us as well”
I have been eagerly waiting for the right time to share a little light. And I have to say, this may take a while, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
I think also, I have decided to be his friend regardless of if he comes to Christ or not.
This is really helpful.
Just yesterday, in fact, I got into a conversation with someone at Panera bread. The conversation just didn’t seem to be open to a canned gospel spiel. Like someone already said, I think we don’t have enough patience sometimes.
Pastors fell the pressure to “produce” with regard to church growth and evangelism, particularly church plants or where finances are an issue.
Randy wrote: “I think one of the hardest things for me with that urgency of seeing people come to Christ is having the patience to wait.”
I know patience part of the fruit of the Spirit, but that’s certainly not the one where I am most stellar.
;-(
Joe,
Thanks these are great observations and just as true to my experience in the Bible belt. I have often voiced similar thoughts. I have even been turned off as a church staff member when we were new to the area and my wife and I were interrupted at dinner by the doorbell. I opened the door to be gre]ated by (this is no joke) a freakish tall man and a man with one arm.
I didn’t realize the guy only had one arm until I awkwardly stuck out my right hand to shake his and… embarrasing had to adjust my right hand to do the upside-down-and-backwards grip to accommodate his left hand. Then the two men introduced themselves as wanting to welcome me and my family on behalf of a local church. I politely told them I appreciated the thought but was already attending another area church and happened to be on staff.
This is the part that I would not be able to make up in a million years because truth is always stranger than fiction. The tall guy reached out put his hands around my throat and “jokingly” choked/shook me. I still don’t know what the guy was thinking to this day!
And as far as the canned approaches go I prefer a much more real, plain conversational approach, something more natural or organic. Speaking of organic, one thing that is very organic is death. Have you ever asked yourself the question “If I were to die tonight?”…
Joe,
Tremendous. Thank you – I had a conversation about this very subject over lunch today.
One thing we’ve been trying to think through and I’d be interested in how y’all would handle this. How do you equip other people to do evangelism? I do think this is where the scripts and tracts tend to come into play – an effort to give people something they can learn and use to share the gospel with others.
So what else are we doing to help guys in our churches understand how to do evangelism in ways that better fit a suburban context?
First visit.
This is a great list and very well written. I like your contrast between shared spaces and private space. I’ve been looking for a way to describe why conversations at Starbucks and panera are much easier than a conversation at somebody’s home.
You got it: shared space vs. private space.
Pastor Chris
EvangelismCoach.org
Joe:
Thanks for the thoughtful post. Here in the buckle of the ‘Bible Belt,’ I’ve found the same to be true.
I appreciate those observations. They make a lot of sense. I was a convert through the ministry of the Navigators here in the UK. Much as I have benefited from this, the one thing I have had to unlearn is the impatience inherent in the “gospel presentation”. Real relationships are vital.
In passing, I have just had the unusual experience of being asked all kinds of questions about what I believe by another Dad while at my kid’s swimming gala. I didn’t have to press him, “turn” the conversation or anything! So I am a happy bloke this evening (Sat. Dec. 8th). Wish that happened more often.
Thanks for the article.
I have recently begun to examine my own heart on why I don’t particularly like evangelism, and it does not seem to be that I am ashamed of the gospel.
I simply don’t want to be perceived as an insensitive peddler, bent on “closing the sale.”
I pray that the Lord will lead me into more Starbucks-like moments that will evolve into more natural and unstilted conversations about the God-Man and His work for us.
Thanks again for the insights.
Lance
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