Jay on Evangelism

Welcome! With this Web page I hope to accomplish the following.

• Discover a community of Chapel attenders (and beyond?) who want to interact about evangelism and outreach, or disciple-making in general.

• Offer some clear-headed (I hope!) ideas about evangelism that may help un-stereotype unpopular notions of the topic.

• Stir up some thinking among readers as to how each of us may become better at personal outreach. And in the process, we can learn from each other. We can never exhaust this subject!

• Refer readers to a vast network of resources that could be helpful in our understanding and practice of evangelism.

Feel free to dialogue with me via email!

—Pastor Jay Halley

January 28, 2009
So, When Is it Evangelism?
Before I get going, I want to let you know that we will soon be switching to a blog format. That way we’ll be able to have a good dialogue and learn from each other. Coming soon!

My comments need to be preceded by this commentary from the magazine Christianity Today. I'd very much like to know what you think.

Two extremes to which the pendulum can swing—social action and evangelism. Christopher Wright, in his masterful text The Mission of God, arrives at this point: Social action needs evangelism; evangelism needs social action. So what do you think? You may wish to respond to my following thoughts.

Evangelism is, in its purest sense, communicating the good news message of Christ with hopes of conversion. I am responsible for telling the good news to an unbeliever. It is God’s job to turn the light on in the heart. God must even give him or her the grace to believe, it would seem (Eph 2:8,9). (For an interesting personal study, see which speaking verbs are connected with the term "gospel" in the New Testament. Clearly, evangelism is a "verb" idea, not a "noun.")

The article noted above suggests that churches and individuals have shifted from evangelism to social action or good works. Is that a good or bad thing? Check out Matthew 4:23 and 9:35 and you will see that, for Jesus, speaking was connected with meeting human need. Our great command of love and great commission suggest the two go hand in hand.

Often presence must precede proclamation. I mean presence in the sense of loving words and actions—gracious living marked by all that should mean in your context. But presence and gracious living are not enough to tell the redemptive story of Jesus Christ. Nor are they enough to help a person see that a response of faith in Christ is necessary before God. Someone needs to speak up.

So I ask you this: In whose presence are you living out your faith? (What are your circles of relationship and how can you serve them?) And to whom can you proclaim at least some of what you believe about Jesus?

I look forward to hearing from you. Let's dialogue.

—Jay

 

January 13, 2009
More Than You Might Think
Did you know that the majority of unchurched Ohioans at one time in their lives had prolonged exposure to some kind of church? In the words of one author, that means they are not simply unchurched—they have been "de-churched."

By survey data, we can say that it’s probably not spiritual interest or God or Jesus that has turned them away from church. Likely it was just a bad church experience (and that could include a whole host of reasons that we won’t discuss right now).

If church attendance is on a downward trend across north America (and it is), it’s not because of a lack of spiritual interest (which happens to be on an upward trend).

So take courage in your evangelism efforts. Your unchurched neighbors and family members still have thoughts and concerns about spiritual matters. And of course, that is consistent with Scripture. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God has set eternity (thoughts of eternal matters) in the hearts/minds of men and women.

When I hear someone throwing criticisms at church or Christians or even at God, I try to remember that just under the skin and somewhere in his/her heart (sometimes buried deep!), that person thinks about the big issues of life—the spiritual stuff we all ponder.

You may not see it or hear it immediately, but every person you know (think of the family member who is most hardened toward God) wrestles with these biggies:
Where did I come from?
Why am I here?
How should I live?
Where am I going?

Here is the point: Don’t be afraid to do some of the following, based upon where you perceive your friend or family member to be in their personal spiritual journey.

1. Ask someone about their church background and discover their past experiences and current emotions/attitudes. (You’ll generally find what I said above to be true.)
2. Ask someone where they are in their spiritual journey. (They will know what you mean.)
3. Offer someone who trusts you a book and then ask for their opinion. (I have found Andy’s Stanley’s little book, How Good is Good Enough?, to be just right in the way of mood and content and length. Very readable!)
4. I like this one. Ask someone who trusts you to look at the Bible with you. (Truly, many former church goers have a deep reverence for and profound curiosity toward the Bible. They will look at it with you. Keep it simple and short. Pray)

How many of these four ideas have you tried? What else have you tried? I'd love to know.

What is another way to reach those who dislike church but are spiritually "tuned in"?

Book to Read
Stanley’s book noted above. You can buy the paperback for a very low price.

Scripture to Read
Have you ever read Proverbs in light of evangelism? I try to read a chapter of Proverbs every day. There's always something connected to my heart and actions as related to the community in which I find myself.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

—Jay

 

January 2, 2009
While Standing in Line
Every year a dear friend gives us a gift certificate for a Honey-Baked Ham, and we are very glad to use it. Family coming to our home for Christmas loved it—again! I waited in a really long line for the ham (actually, turkey this year). And I wonder if what happened there should happen more often?

A most natural conversation with a very tall gentleman in front of me led from one thing to the next. First ham, then Christmas, then the craziness of the holiday, then the meaning of Christmas, then—what? What do you suppose I was thinking as the conversation began to head toward the spiritual realm?

To use Bill Bright’s phrase, I recognized my encounter with this fellow Honey-Baked customer as a possible “divine appointment.”

I want you to know that I vigorously reject the tendency some Christians have to see a not-yet-Christian as a spiritual project. Nobody, including you and I, wants to be treated like someone’s project. But this was different. I did not see this gentleman as a project but as someone God may have placed there for me to talk with about spiritual matters, about Christ.

How do you know if it’s a divine appointment? No formula here. But some clues that this is your time to speak up about Christ are the following:

1. Conversation is not forced.
2. There is openness in dialogue.
3. You’ve been provided a small window into their world.
4. Through that window, you can see any number of things—hurt, hope, confusion, confidence, anger, joy, religious, irreligious, family, alone, content, peace, etc.
5. Referring to my last web page entry, you ask a question and their reply gives you a bigger window.
6. In that short amount of time, you realize this person is open to spiritual discussion. This is a divine appointment.

The biggest key is that you are willing to recognize the appointment and then join in. So here is the rest of my Honey-Baked story:

This is what I heard him say. He is Catholic. At one point in his life he thought about ministry. His kids go to church, some of them do, anyway. His wife goes all the time, and he’s not so sure he would ever go if she did not. Several times he told me he is not a fanatic. He has a Bible but does not read it. He loves his family and is concerned about his daughter, who is married to an agnostic/atheist. He does not like all the commercial stuff of Christmas.

Can you believe it? I learned a lot standing in line (yes, a long one!). I learned all of the above by asking questions and showing interest. Threaded throughout the conversation I was able to share the abridged version of my conversion story and the difference between religion (which is his deal) and true Christianity. I encouraged him to do what I am doing this holiday season and that is read through the gospel of Mark. He said he would do that.

We bought our turkey and ham and said good-bye. I was one link in his spiritual journey.

Cardinal rule of any divine appointment. Leave the person wanting more dialogue with Christians, not less.

Scripture to Read
Again concentrate on Colossians 4:2-6 and all that it means.

Book to Read
The Friendship Factor by Alan Loy McGinnis. I read this book many years ago, and it continues to be a foundational book in my understanding of how to interact with and treat people. It will serve you well in your divine appointments.

So tell me about the conversations you’ve been having with people. Or those you would like to have.

Who will your next conversation be with?
waitress
client
elevator partner
family member
store clerk
nurse
neighbor
exercise club member

—Jay

 

December 2, 2008
The Strength of a Good Question
Got some interesting hits from my last entry. I tried to respond to everyone. I asked in the last entry for stories of how readers came to faith in Christ. More specifically, who were the influential people in your life? What great stories emerged! Not enough space here to represent the wonderful accounts of God’s grace. Point: Many of us can think back to those who were the “aroma of Christ” in our lives. Now, it’s our turn to be that same aroma where we live, work and play. And, we need to converse.

A Thought for This Week
Randy Newman wrote a book called Questioning Evangelism. He gets at the same point I’ve been encouraging for some time—the power and strategy of a well-placed question.

Nobody likes to be preached at. And, you don’t want to preach at anyone. But many people appreciate a respectful dialogue. And just about everyone likes to have someone express interest in them, usually by way of questions. (Hopefully you want to dialogue with those who are apart from God. You should as a believer!)

Here’s the deal. A well-placed question in the natural course of conversation could take your friendship with the not-yet-believer in an exciting direction—in a way it would not go without the question! A timely question is not only a way to strengthen a friendship but also a means to determine your friend’s spiritual address.

Illustration: Your letter carrier accurately delivers the mail to your residence because he knows your mailing address. A sincere question posed to your friend will help you to more accurately assess your friend’s spiritual address—what they believe about God and such. Based upon their response, you can then discuss (deliver the mail) the gospel truths of Christ more meaningfully.

Below is a list of questions. Find the question(s) that would fit the context and condition of your friendship. Guarantee: Try one of the questions this week with a family member or a neighbor or fellow student or co-worker, and you will be impressed. Remember these truths:

• Everyone thinks about spiritual things. (Eccl 3:11)

• You are called as a Christian to show interest and have guts.

• A question will take your relationship where you could not go otherwise.

• Interest begets interest.

One other thing: leave them wanting more conversation with you, not less.

Questions To Try
How does God fit into your life?
Do you ever think about spiritual things?
Where are you in your spiritual journey?
To you, who is Jesus?
Would you ever be interested in seeing what the Bible says?
What do you think happens when you die?
Do you know for certain if you'll go to Heaven? Why?
If you were to die very soon, what reason would you give God for letting you into Heaven? Do you think that would be enough?
How have you done at keeping the ten commandments? May I walk you through them?
If God is at 100 percent perfection and Mother Teresa at 95 and we are both at 70, how will you make up the difference after you die?
Where has church fit in your life?
Do you think God has a plan for this world?

Books to Read
Newman, Randy. 2004. Questioning evangelism: engaging people’s hearts the way Jesus did. Grand Rapids: Kregel.

Sjogren, Steve; Dave Ping; Doug Pollock. 2004. Irresistible evangelism: Natural ways to open others to Jesus. Loveland, Colorado: Group. (This book offers a chapter with many, many excellent and categorized questions.)

Scripture to Know
Acts 17:6 ff. Note how much interaction Paul had with the Athenians. And note the respect that is threaded through the dialogue and even his monologue. I think this is a classic example of interest begetting interest.

Hey, let me know what you think. Did you give it a try? Will you? Why or why not?

What other questions do you have? What has worked?

—Jay

November 12, 2008
The Starting Point
Recently on a college football Saturday, I went to Miami University with the Kent State team. After giving a thrilling pre-game talk on God’s love to the Kent team (hey, they won!), I walked across Miami’s campus to my old dorm, Scott Hall.

I was only at Miami one year, as a sophomore. Truly, my year there was tough, bordering on terrible. My major was business, but accounting and economics blew me out of the academic water! Not many good memories—except one! That was the year some people told me about God’s love—His love for me. As a result, I sat down at my desk in Room 230 and read the Bible for the very first time in my life. I was 19. Words from the letter of 1 John came off the page and flooded my heart with confidence in God’s love for me, expressed through Jesus Christ.

Thirty-four years later I walked into my old room, now occupied by a young man named Matt. It was a joy to me, and likely a shock to Matt, when I told him about that year, long ago, when God opened my eyes to His love. I showed Matt where I sat in the room when I first looked at the Bible. It was a time of great joy for me. And maybe Matt was moved just a bit to ponder God’s love.

In my year at Miami, I recall a student who lived just around the corner from me. I don’t remember his name, but I do remember his faith and that he was quite unafraid to speak openly about his belief in Jesus, in a sensitive and gracious way. I did not know the phrase then, but now I can say that he had what Scripture calls the "aroma of Christ" (2 Cor 2:15). He and others, the way they lived, influenced me toward personal faith in Christ.

For Discussion
Let’s begin our discussion of evangelism like this: gratitude. Who was the "aroma of Christ" in your life? Who lived graciously before you? And who was unafraid and unashamed enough to speak openly with you about faith in Jesus? I really enjoy hearing stories and would love to hear yours! Perhaps I could even post a few stories on this page (with permission, first names only, of course).

For Consideration
If how we live our lives before people matters (thinking of those still apart from God), how then should we live? And perhaps a starting point is from the perspective of our audience, those in our relational circles. What needs to show up in your life that will help them take one more step toward considering Christ?

For Reading
Scripture: Matthew 9:19-23. Perhaps my favorite gospel story. Let it sink in.

Book: Evangelism Made Slightly Less Difficult by Nick Pollard (IVP)—truly a great resource that covers many aspects of outreach. Pollard is a university evangelist in England with much wisdom to share. I love his spirit!

I look forward to hearing from you.

—Jay

Evangelism