Pickup Evangelism
Tuesday at the Park was awesome this week. Chris and I brought a cooler of bottled water to the Warren Park basketball courts and offered them to the people there playing pickup games. The water turned out to be a hit. We joined in for 3 or 4 games. It’s pathetic, I’m 5’6 and my strength is rebounding!
This was our second week in the park so relationships are slowly beginning to develop. Kevin, who last week told us about a cousin who was very sick, informed us today that he had just returned from her funeral. At one point during the night I let him know that I had been praying for his family the past week and he shook my hand appreciatively.
As we were packing up to leave, Chris told a couple of the guys about our cookout this Saturday night, and somehow the topic of our usual Sunday night gathering came up. It was amazing how interested a few of the guys were in learning about what we do, and when we meet and where. What was especially cool was that Kevin, who has apparently attended at least one Christ Journey event, told a couple of the other guys that it was cool and they should come. Reflecting on Kevin’s comments, Chris later pointed out that despite the perceptions we tend to have, transformed/impacted seekers are actually more effective evangelists than paid ministers or evangelists of a church. Very true, and a fact that we should use to encourage others to reach out through spiritual friendships. Evangelism isn’t for those with special training, but for anyone whose life has been impacted by God via relationship with him and his disciples. I wonder if perhaps another factor in the interest shown tonight was the fair play, clean and encouraging language, etc. that Chris and I showed. Perhaps no one really noticed these things while we were playing, but I wonder if afterward, when they found out we were Christians working with a new church, it clicked that we were different.
One guy, who was there with his wife and baby watching, said that they go to another church in town which is also meeting in houses. Two other guys attend the Lighthouse Church in town, and one of them is the worship leader. When we told him our church was called Christ Journey he asked what denomination we are affiliated with. Churches of Christ. So are you charismatic? Etc. It is interesting how denominational names and distinctives are so important to churched people, but to the unchurched those kinds of things really don’t matter. It was also apparent from some of the questions and comments tonight how engrained the importance of having a church building has become. It’s like we feel illegitimate without one.
I’m excited to see what happens this weekend, whether some of the folks we met tonight show up for Saturday cookout and/or Sunday gathering. I pray that they do. I’m also just excited about allowing God work through me as I develop spiritual friendships with others. I’m more reserved than Chris, so getting to know these guys will be a bit slower, but fast or slow, I think the work of the Spirit and the witness of a transformed person (still in the process of transformation, of course) who is concerned for the wellbeing of others could be a powerful combo.
This was our second week in the park so relationships are slowly beginning to develop. Kevin, who last week told us about a cousin who was very sick, informed us today that he had just returned from her funeral. At one point during the night I let him know that I had been praying for his family the past week and he shook my hand appreciatively.
As we were packing up to leave, Chris told a couple of the guys about our cookout this Saturday night, and somehow the topic of our usual Sunday night gathering came up. It was amazing how interested a few of the guys were in learning about what we do, and when we meet and where. What was especially cool was that Kevin, who has apparently attended at least one Christ Journey event, told a couple of the other guys that it was cool and they should come. Reflecting on Kevin’s comments, Chris later pointed out that despite the perceptions we tend to have, transformed/impacted seekers are actually more effective evangelists than paid ministers or evangelists of a church. Very true, and a fact that we should use to encourage others to reach out through spiritual friendships. Evangelism isn’t for those with special training, but for anyone whose life has been impacted by God via relationship with him and his disciples. I wonder if perhaps another factor in the interest shown tonight was the fair play, clean and encouraging language, etc. that Chris and I showed. Perhaps no one really noticed these things while we were playing, but I wonder if afterward, when they found out we were Christians working with a new church, it clicked that we were different.
One guy, who was there with his wife and baby watching, said that they go to another church in town which is also meeting in houses. Two other guys attend the Lighthouse Church in town, and one of them is the worship leader. When we told him our church was called Christ Journey he asked what denomination we are affiliated with. Churches of Christ. So are you charismatic? Etc. It is interesting how denominational names and distinctives are so important to churched people, but to the unchurched those kinds of things really don’t matter. It was also apparent from some of the questions and comments tonight how engrained the importance of having a church building has become. It’s like we feel illegitimate without one.
I’m excited to see what happens this weekend, whether some of the folks we met tonight show up for Saturday cookout and/or Sunday gathering. I pray that they do. I’m also just excited about allowing God work through me as I develop spiritual friendships with others. I’m more reserved than Chris, so getting to know these guys will be a bit slower, but fast or slow, I think the work of the Spirit and the witness of a transformed person (still in the process of transformation, of course) who is concerned for the wellbeing of others could be a powerful combo.
posted by mitch | 11:47 PM
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