Blowing your Cover
John Wimber used to claim that, although he was raised in the USA, he never knew anyone who was a Christian while growing up. “Come on, John, you’ve got to be kidding!” people would protest. So he said, “If I knew any, they never blew their cover!”
This Sunday, we start ‘evangelism training’ at the Vineyard, and we’re calling it ‘Blowing Your Cover’ kind of in honor of John. But it’s not evangelism training like most of us are accustomed to. I love what Sjogren said about evangelism training and programs:
We, probably like you, are completely skeptical of programs that are designed to take someone through a certain number of weeks of learning this or that and that promise that at the end of that trail of memorized conversations, verses, etc… “YOU TOO WILL BE EFFECTIVE AT SHARING YOUR FAITH!” Been there, done that, got the tee-shirt… but unfortunately programs just don’t work… Never have, never will. People are far too complex to boil down into a programatic approach and then predict how they will respond. Anyone over 30 years old should be able to see that truth. If the people who put those programs together were to actually talk to not-yet believers they would discover that those people can detect a “program” that is being sprung on them from a mile away and they close up instantly.
Our ‘training’ will
- help us understand the culture we live in and how to relate to it without judging
- mobilize our group in doing acts of kindness and serving others (which challenges people’s concept of Christians)
- prepare them to naturally tell their own story or experience of Jesus when people ask
- challenge them to be sensitive to what Jesus is doing and join him in it (which might mean praying for someone, or following other various promptings from the Spirit).
This is challenging, because statistics indicate that only 3% of Christians will EVER share their faith with another individual. Our goal is to make it easy. I think we can get people to serve. I also think we can serve in ways that make people want to ask. And when they ask, I think it’s my job to make sure people are ready to tell their story. Every Christian has a Jesus story.
I like what God’s doing at the Vineyard in Athens.
October 9, 2007 at 9:19 pm
I will agree with the fact that we should not have a canned method of evangelizing. They are quick to pick up on that.
However, we must be careful to not teach people that the only way to evangelize is by waiting tell they ask. Is this what the Bible teaches regarding evangelizing? Yes we must live the life first and be ready when they ask, but we must speak up and tell somebody also.
Kindness and serving others is certainly biblical and Jesus did teach that.
Thanks,
Richard
October 10, 2007 at 11:19 am
Thanks for your ‘heads up’ Richard. Unfortunately, my experience has found the 3% statistic I quoted to be optimistic. So if I can even get a baby step response from my team to start sharing, and if I can equip them with a mindset and a method that is biblical as well as doable, then I’m going to start there. To get them to voluntarily place themselves in a situation where they are likely to be asked why they are doing what they’re doing is teaching them to risk and trust. Another part of our training is teaching people to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. The hard part is risking to act on what we hear Him saying or showing us. All said, Richard, you’re right.
October 10, 2007 at 10:31 pm
Kyle,
I see where you are coming from. It makes sense to me. Excellent “being sensitive to the Holy Spirit. That’s good teaching!
God bless you,
Richard
December 26, 2007 at 6:14 am
Sounds like a great class. I’m sure it going to motivate many to go outside of the 4-wall of the Church to be used in a way they’ve only dreamed about.
Many Blessings!