Years ago, after I had just graduated from Law School, I worked in downtown Atlanta. I would take the bus each morning from our suburban apartment to downtown. In the evening I would gather with other suburbanites and wait for my bus to take me home. Near the bus stop there were always street preachers strongly advising the gathering multitudes that they were headed, not just for home, but for hell. As a Christian these guys made me very uncomfortable. For the year I lived there I never saw a single person positively affected by the street preachers. I’m not saying it never happened. I just never saw it.
A recent survey reveals that most Christians agree with me; only nine per cent said that street preaching was an effective way to talk about Jesus, eighty per cent said that the intimacy of a group of friends was a safer and more effective place to share their beliefs. I certainly agree that sharing with friends is safer and, it seems to be more effective.
Fifty-seven per cent said it was their actions that would point people to Jesus, rather than their words, with 55 per cent saying they had seen people come to faith through involvement in community projects like foodbanks.
I wonder however, if most Christians are sharing their faith in any way.
Just under half (48 per cent) admitted they were too scared to talk about their faith to non-Christians. I certainly haven’t been on any street corners lately preaching to passers by. But on the other hand I haven’t been sharing my faith face-to-face with any one recently either.
I do this blog most days and that certainly is “sharing” but it really isn’t the same as face to face evangelism. My church is planning on Sunday to don our new “ugly” Amana t-shirts and head over to the Lafayette Christmas Parade. I guess we are going to “share” at that parade. I don’t know exactly what the plan is but it will be interesting to see how many make the trip and how effective it is.
Are you planning on going? Or are you planning to continue your current evangelism plan of talking to all your friends about Jesus. That is your current plan, right?
Be blessed.
Nick
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