In the Jan. 5 edition of the Courier, Dr. Jim Austin wrote a piece about “Employing Evangelistic Events in 2012.” I would like to address the strategy of “Evangelistic Events” and the North American Mission Board’s GPS (God’s Plan for Sharing).
As a young adult, I have seen the influence of the church diminish and become more secluded in its ivory towers of righteousness. The influence of the church in nonbelievers’ lives has been relegated to a nuisance during election years and buffet lines on Sunday afternoons. Why is it that Christians think that inviting nonbelievers into church for some pastor or elder (whom they do not know) to preach the gospel is the biblical way of evangelism? Jesus’ evangelism strategy was simple: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Instead of inviting nonbelievers into where we feel most comfortable, why don’t we go to them and enter into where they feel most comfortable – or, even better, why don’t we, like Jesus, enter into people’s pain and suffering?
The answer is not more events; the answer is Jesus, and doing evangelism Jesus’ way: in love. In the church, why not teach people how to love? Why not obey Jesus’ commands to love our neighbors and make disciples, then we will be obeying another command: loving God. “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him” (John 14:21).
What do you think? Click here to send a letter to the editor addressing this or another subject.