Evangelizing In The 21st Century
EVANGELISM ARTICLE
Ken McDaniel | Springfield, Illinois
Did someone say, “the times they are a-changin’?” Yes, and he immortalized the phrase in a 1964 folk song that captured the sentiment of a nation undergoing radical transformation. The times were changing then and they have not stopped yet. Sadly, the revolution of “moral freedom” begun by that generation has culminated in a society that has little knowledge of God and is seemingly indifferent, leery of Christianity and “organized religion.” This is vividly illustrated by the fact that only 20% of Americans can be found in “church” on Sunday morning and between 8,000-10,000 churches a year are closing their doors.1
How does this impact our evangelistic work? How do we approach people who seem to have little interest in what we have to share?
First, realize all is not as bad as it seems. Though people are leaving old, traditional denominations, or avoiding them from the start, it does not mean these people cannot be reached. Gone are the days that any church could survive simply because they offered worship services. The societal pressure to be a “church-going Christian” no longer exists. Thus, people are not going to attend church services merely because of a sense of guilt. To attract and retain worshipers today, a church must be “alive.” There must be a genuineness to their worship and an apparent love in their hearts. Also, the sermon must be well prepared and a message delivered that explains the Bible, drawing the hearer closer to God. It must evidence genuineness and love on the part of the speaker. The point is, people do not feel pressure to go to church. If they attend, it is because they are seeking God and the first thing they are going to try to determine is if the church they have visited is able to help.
Secondly, effectiveness in leading people to God means we must possess these same general characteristics ourselves. It is obvious that people today are cautious and skeptical and rightly so. Society has not seen true Christianity. Their exposure has been to countless denominations manifesting division, competition, and often carnal appeal—from religious leaders lording their misplaced authority over congregations, to so-called Christians attending church on Sunday and “living like the devil through the week,” to fake miracle workers, snake handlers, date-setters, and the list goes on. If all I had ever been exposed to were these miserable imitations of Christianity, I would want no part of it either and would be skeptical of those associated with it. So, we must look inside; we must make sure we are nurturing holiness and purity – not as a façade, but with a conscience toward God (I Timothy 1:5). We must make sure we truly love those around us (Luke 10:25-37; Romans 12:9). We must make sure we truly love, honor, and reverence our God (John 14:21-24; Hebrews 12:28). Equally important, we must be humbly confident in our faith, ready to give a kind and caring answer for the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15-16).
Still, how do we reach out to those around us with the gospel of Christ? What are the most effective ways to appeal to them? First, any decent, honorable, and Scriptural way of approaching people is better than silence and inactivity. Since people have grown cautious and skeptical, credibility is at a premium. Now, more than ever, we should expect to have little impact upon total strangers (though in Springfield, Illinois, we are receiving many visitors from our Facebook, Meetup, and door to door work). The credibility we need and should desire comes from genuine godly living (Titus 2:9). I have seen this over and over through the years: someone comes to services, a small group Bible study, or agrees to a visit, because they trust the person inviting them (consider Acts 10:2,24). The more we are respected for our quiet, godly lives, the more impact we will have.
Realizing this, we provide our members at Springfield with regular opportunities to invite their acquaintances. During the week, we have two small group Bible studies where we try to address topics of interest to the community. We also plan, advertise, and provide professionally designed invite cards for “Special Topic Sundays.” Again, our goal is to present a lesson that will pique the interest of those invited. To determine this, we have even gone out into the community doing surveys. We soon plan to initiate an ongoing survey where we have the community choose the topic for one of our sermons each month (with follow-up being crucial). Ultimately, nothing will take the place of personal interaction and study. Develop relationships — go for coffee together, invite them to dinner, a cookout, game night, or so on. Carefully, but unashamedly, insert spiritual comments. Answer questions when they arise. Provide information to help: tracts, lessons, articles, and probably most effective now, web links. Should the relationship and interest develop well, ask for a study; and be prepared to take them from where they are in their knowledge to where they need to be.
Yet, don’t be afraid to invite strangers. We do it every week. We use invite cards the size of business cards, and we hand them out with a smile and an invite everywhere. People do come; not often from those invites, but occasionally they do come.
Finally, brethren, we cannot afford to misread the times. Many, it seems, having surveyed the spiritual landscape, have given up before they even started. That is a mistake! The reality may be that fewer people are interested, more are skeptical, and some difficult to approach. However, if those who are seeking God are looking for a church that is “alive,” where the people are genuine, where they love one another, a place where there is community, and where the preaching helps them learn the Bible and come to know God, then it should be our time to “shine.” Let us make sure we are what we should be, the congregation is what it is supposed to be, and let us reach out with the saving gospel of Christ. Those who have ears to hear will hear.
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1. churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/164787-thom-rainer-13-issues-churches-2013.html
* All passages quoted from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted.
17.10.03 | GROW magazine
