Dropping Out of my Evangelism Team

[ZACTAK]

Hey guys, for the past month or so, I have been involved with an evangelism team here on campus. I really am having second thoughts about the team. I really don't feel comfortable about doing it, and I know that the Bible says to do these types of things, but I do not like the idea of going up to strangers and doing this. The people I meet and talk with and am friends with, I will talk with them about faith and God and all that, but I really just don't like the idea of walking around and scoping people out to talk to them about God.

If you want to respond to this, please be respectful, thanks

 

[China for Him]

Do as God leads you. Perhaps making friendships is the avenue you are to use. Do not lose heart. God is on the throne!

 

[Talie]

different people are given different gifts to minister to different people in different ways

 

[Crashfreak]

Hey guys, for the past month or so, I have been involved with an evangelism team here on campus. I really am having second thoughts about the team. I really don't feel comfortable about doing it, and I know that the Bible says to do these types of things, but I do not like the idea of going up to strangers and doing this. The people I meet and talk with and am friends with, I will talk with them about faith and God and all that, but I really just don't like the idea of walking around and scoping people out to talk to them about God.

If you want to respond to this, please be respectful, thanks

What do you mean by scoping out? And why do you not like the idea of talking to just anybody about God? I am just curious as I am not sure what it is that you are meaning? Are you talking about going up to some arbitrary individual on the street that you are waiting on and trying to convert him? I would just like to be able to getting better estimation of why you are asking, what you team is planning on doing?

 

[ZACTAK]

What do you mean by scoping out? And why do you not like the idea of talking to just anybody about God? I am just curious as I am not sure what it is that you are meaning? Are you talking about going up to some arbitrary individual on the street that you are waiting on and trying to convert him? I would just like to be able to getting better estimation of why you are asking, what you team is planning on doing?

We are going out to our campus, near high traffic areas and talking to people that pass by about why having God in their lives is important. I don't like the idea of it, because I do not like the idea of going up to a stranger and talking about God to them. I see my faith with God to be a very intimate thing. I share my faith with friends and those around me, but the idea of talking with others about it that I don't know... to me it just seems like I am trying to be a salesman and "sell them God." Back home, I remember whenever a group of people would come to talk about their religion with us, we would stay away from the door and not answer it.... I feel comfortable sticking with talking with friends and people I know about God in their lives.

 

[Crashfreak]

We are going out to our campus, near high traffic areas and talking to people that pass by about why having God in their lives is important. I don't like the idea of it, because I do not like the idea of going up to a stranger and talking about God to them. I see my faith with God to be a very intimate thing. I share my faith with friends and those around me, but the idea of talking with others about it that I don't know... to me it just seems like I am trying to be a salesman and "sell them God." Back home, I remember whenever a group of people would come to talk about their religion with us, we would stay away from the door and not answer it.... I feel comfortable sticking with talking with friends and people I know about God in their lives.

Well I have never been the one to really promote doing things like what you mentioned. I won't really cast any judgement because I guess it works for some people, but you are right it does seem like you are salesman selling God. In saying that, I may be reading into what you are saying, but you may also have difficulty sharing your faith. I mean would you be able to easily speak intimately about your faith in a situation where either someone (a stranger maybe) has approached you, and asked you about God? Do you limit speaking about God to friends and family only? Are these people non-christians at all? I ask these question (and I may be very wrong), because it seems you do not want to share you faith, you feel it is intimate and something that you can only share it with someone who is close to you. I don't really agree with the Salesman approach, but in your life you must always be willing to share your faith, either through the prompting of the spirit, through the Holy Spirit guiding someone to you, or just in passing conversation. It mustn't be something that you hold back on.

I do opologize if I have misinterpreted your post, if I am wrong then just ignore what I said. Because I do agree with you on the whole Selling God thing.

 

[ZACTAK]

Well I have never been the one to really promote doing things like what you mentioned. I won't really cast any judgement because I guess it works for some people, but you are right it does seem like you are salesman selling God. In saying that, I may be reading into what you are saying, but you may also have difficulty sharing your faith. I mean would you be able to easily speak intimately about your faith in a situation where either someone (a stranger maybe) has approached you, and asked you about God? Do you limit speaking about God to friends and family only? Are these people non-christians at all? I ask these question (and I may be very wrong), because it seems you do not want to share you faith, you feel it is intimate and something that you can only share it with someone who is close to you. I don't really agree with the Salesman approach, but in your life you must always be willing to share your faith, either through the prompting of the spirit, through the Holy Spirit guiding someone to you, or just in passing conversation. It mustn't be something that you hold back on.

I do opologize if I have misinterpreted your post, if I am wrong then just ignore what I said. Because I do agree with you on the whole Selling God thing.

If a person walked up to me and asked about my faith, then I would be very open to talking with them about it. Most of my family are Christians, and most of my friends are, but people such as my roommates, they are agnostic and believe there is a God but don't know which. So I will share my faith with them as well. I really just do not like the idea of walking up to a complete stranger and asking them about their faith and all that. Hopefully that clears up a little bit for you. And you don't have to apologize, it takes a lot to offend me :-D

 

[Willo]

I can understand your concerns/fears, but that is something we all have to overcome in evangelism.

Jesus said we have to go into all the world, now this includes strangers. Just think about it, maybe your are the Christian God has placed there so that they may hear the message.

If you have concerns I reconmend going to livingwaters.com and listening to the teaching Hells Best Kept Secret, its free.

God Bless

 

[quarter21]

HEY!!! cheer up! I totaly can relate to what you are saying. To be honest I freak out to talking to strangers. Though i am presedent of my evangelist team and that is what I focus on.
I would encourage you to not get comfortabel in talking to strangers, its that awkwardness that creates a humble heart which God needs to use when you go out witnessing.

i heard of a story how Billy Graham was staying at a person's house the night before he preached. The person's friend asked him how was it being with such a man of God. The person said, restless. He stayed up all night throwing up nervous about the next night.

Evangelism is something we must all conquer.

Also... perhaps you might just want to make your own e-team. Say God bless you to your team and make your own. I did not feel comfortable at all evangelizing on the streets with previous people on account of their hearts not being so humble or compassionate, so i made another team that does hit the streets to talk to strangers... but we do it in a different aproach than what most people think we do so its not so "cold-seeming". E-mail me if you are curoius.

I would suggest checking out http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/ray_comfort/ and listen to the first 7 sermons, and then www.livingwaters.com , awesome resource to learn basic biblical evangelism. I have been sharing this with other posts, I hope it helps. God bless you!!

 

[Willo]

Also apart from www.livingwaters.com

Check out:

www.wayofthemaster.com
www.thegreatnews.com
www.biblicalevangelism.com (free scholarship)

 

[quarter21]

hey lol.. your familiar with it. willo... are you the same willo in www.concernedchristian.com?????

 

[Willo]

hey lol.. your familiar with it. willo... are you the same willo in www.concernedchristian.com?????

One and the same

 

[quarter21]

oh yeah? how you been?

 

[Willo]

I have been well

Yourself?

 

[quarter21]

good... busy. I have finally after year of much prayer have been given an E-TEAM.... yet only to give it up because I am leaving for missions. It's good yet sad, I finally created it... and now I have to create a president to hand it over.... it's good.

what have you been up to?

 

[Kiwi]

I was a missionary full time and I hated doing that type of evangelism, then I realized it was not for me. I didn't mind doing street preaching where people can stop and talk if they want to , but I 'm not into going up to someone and cornering them if they were not interested. I was made to do that once in a train station during my missionary training and it was rather traumatic.

 

[quarter21]

:o aaawwwww..... I am soo sorry. I actually am all for confronting people.... but not to be prideful, I usually have a humble humility way of aproaching people where 9 out of 10 times they will actually like to talk to me, and then even go as far as to thank me for my information I pass on to them. I think as Christians we need to worry about 50 % of our theology and apoligetics and such.... and literally worry 50 % on how appropriately aproach people with the help of the Holy Spirit.

THough I am sure you planted A seed.... I am sorry it was so traumatic. I have been with people that have gone about it all wrong, I would encourage you to try it again but in your own way as I wouldn't want to place in a box any method of reaching out to those that need to hear the gospel. Then again... I can totally understand if you never wanted to do that again.

would you mind sharing bit more about your experience? also what organization did you go through? and what was the aproach?

 

[ricola_pak]

I am a member of the Campus Crusade at my uni and we often go out sharing to the people at the cafeteria.

I know exactly what people here mean - the awkwardness etc. But what I do to help ease that trouble is to, when you approach a stranger, up front tell them what you want to do. For example:

Hi I am a member of a student club here called XXX and I would like get students to share their worldview of religion and spiritual issues - would you have a few minutes for us to have a chat?

If they say no, then God bless. If they say yes, then you know they don't mind and the awkwardness just goes away once you get into gear.

So I think it's very important that you have complete interaction with the person, instead of simply preaching to him/her.

 

[Father Rick]

While I don't think there is necessarily anything wrong with "cold-call" evangelism such as the group you describe, research has proven that the majority of Christians came to Christ because they were influenced by someone close to them (i.e. a family member, close friend, etc.)

 

[heron]

I have heard this as well, in the context of stats on outreach budgets.

1. Make yourself a list of every detail that bothers you about cold calls.

2. Pretend you are the person being approached, and make yourself a similar list.

3. What could be the good results? (Plural and specific.)

4. In what ways have you made a detrimental impact? (Your personal opinion.)

5. Do they consider they have anything to gain in talking to you?

6. Do they think they have anything to lose in talking with you?

7. Would you personally have more impact using your time another way?

Jesus lived in a century when people collected on the streets and forums to listen to philosophers. Paul spoke in these accepted centers of town. They didn't have the media connections we do now. People passing by stopped to listen if they were interested, or followed these teachers to make sure they didn't miss any new insights.

I follow teachers in a similar way now with special speakers, favorite web sites, authors, televised sermons, and radio shows. I do insist on the choice to listen without being singled out.