(Most Likely) Ineffective Forms of Evangelism

In the His last words to His followers on earth, Jesus commanded them to ‘go and make disciples of all nations.’ Seeking and saving the lost was Jesus’ number one mission and was the number one mission that He imparted to His Church.

Over the last 2,000 years of Christian History there has been both effective, and ineffective, ways of taking part in the mission of Jesus (also known as evangelism). However, when thinking of evangelism, it’s important that we acknowledge that it is God who saves and not us. We are only allowed to to take part in the awsome process of salvation, and we must remember that God doesn’t need us, He chooses us.

That being said, there is no paticular right way to do evangelism because God can use the craziest of things to draw people to Him. However there are very ineffective ways of doing evangelism, and some of those methods will be pointed out here:

1. The Crusades-

Threatening to kill people if they don’t become a Christian is not the most effective form of evangelism. Actually doing so is a whole nother story! Just ask so-called Christians from the Middle Ages and they’ll let you know that there weren’t too many people who were born again as the result of their bloody millitary conquests.

There are several problems with crusades: a.) people who are coerced into serving Jesus, probably aren’t really serving Him with their whole hearts like He demands; b.) Jesus would never have sanctioned such a thing- afterall there was the whole ‘thou shalt not kill’ commandment and the whole ‘love your enemy’ thing that Jesus said; and c.) once these infidels were killed at the hands of Christians, there is no hope of salvation for them after death.

A few things to remember about the crusaes for today’s context: a.) it’s what the Muslims are doing today around the world and it’s not working so well for them; b.) naming a children’s event (Kid’s Crusade) after one of the most shameful moments of Christian history is not tactful or wise; and c.) a ‘Crusader’ is never a good mascot idea for your Christian school.

2. Sign-Holding:

Holding a sign on a street corner letting people know that they will be going to hell unless they repent of their sins is not effective evangelism in the 21st, or the 20th, centuries. It is the most impersonal ways to share the LOVE of Christ. Jesus, afterall, went around incarnationally and met with, spoke to, and touched the people He sahred the Gospel with.  And these signs that people hold are kind of a form of ‘drive-by’ evangelism that says,” we don’t want to get to know you, but we do want you to get to know Jesus.” And people today want nothing to do with Jesus if His followers don’t want anything to do with them. Remember, it was the people who were least like Jesus that liked Jesus; and the people who tried to be the most like Him, that didn’t like Him (?) It’s impossible to look at these signs as a whole and not think,” these tend to be all about hate and judgement”. And it’s impossible to read the Gospels and not think,” Wow! Jesus was all about love and acceptance.” So next time you want to share Jesus with someone, get to know them first! Then share the grace, LOVE, and hope that you have found through Jesus to them. The Holy Spirit will take care of the whole judgement thing on His own.

3. Boring Church Services:

If Jesus is an amazingly awesome powerful God, then we need to represent Him as such. Churches all over the country are wondering why they have lost, or are losing, all of their young people. But if you look at their irrelevant-antique-boring ways of doing church that can’t even come close to comparing with the exciting things that the world has to offer, there’s nothing left to ponder. In an effort to retain their older tithing members who are not comfortable with change or reaching new members, churches have almost forgotten that their is a world out their that needs saving and that it is their number one job to take part in doing so. So inviting a 75 year-old musicla evangelist to sing songs that have been out of style for nearly five decades while being accompanied by a 20 year-old cassette tape is probably not your best move as a church leader. But, once a church starts to celebrate, potray, and treat Jesus in exciting ways; people start becoming interested and actually come back and actually get saved. And once those people are a part of the Church; it’s time to start the process of reaching new people in new ways all over again. If that process stops, so does the church’s growth and momentum.

Just a thought…..