It's All in the Relationship!

I'm currently a car salesman. I'm in the process of getting back into the ministry this summer and have a couple of possibilities -- I have to decide which way to go. But, as I wrote in my last blog, evangelism is something I have really studied the last couple of months.

In my car training, you meet someone, greet them and develop some type of relationship. The better the relationship, the more likely you can sell them a vehicle. Relationships are key to evangelism as well. The better your relationship with someone, the more likely you can win that person to Jesus Christ. Work place relationships, family relationships, and community relationships -- they all play into this.

As convinced as we are that lost people will suffer for eternity away from God, we should be willing to work hard on these relationships and see our friends/family come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Ineffective Evangelism

I've been studying a lot about evangelism. What's effective & not effective.

NOT EFFECTIVE: Build it and they will come. I am puzzled that we still think that if we build it nice enough and pretty enough, people will still come to our event. New church plants are often meeting in store fronts or shopping malls. Not trying to be churchy, but Christly.

EFFECTIVE: Friendship. Make friends with them and they will listen to you more quickly. Invite a stranger, they'll look at you like you're crazy.

NOT EFFECTIVE: Mass evangelism. Even Billy Graham was effective because people invited friends. THEN they heard and listened and believed.

EFFECTIVE: Event evangelism. "Hey, we're having a movie at our church and they're giving a prize to the person who brings the most. I need one more -- can you join me?"

NOT EFFECTIVE: Door to door evangelism. Face it, the cults have ruined this for us.

EFFECTIVE: Heart to heart evangelism. I read this week: Love them until they ask "why."

Just a few ideas. What do you think?