Overcoming Obstacles to Sharing Our Faith: FRIENDS, FAMILY and FELLOWSHIPS

In the first two posts we looked at FEAR and FINANCE. 

Today, we are looking at barriers that exist due to the people in our lives.  

It's great when our friends and family members are on the same page spiritually but even then there may be division. Most of us have friends that attend church denominations with views that are different to our own. Church fellowships and leaders can have very different opinions on methods of evangelism. There's plenty of potential for problems and that's just within Christian circles.

What happens if you're mainly mixing with non-believers. You might even be married to a non-Christian. You might have children who are starting to make demands on your time and who may end up resenting time given to something they don't think should be a priority. What do you do then?

Here are some ideas for dealing with these relationships with the people we care about:

1. Pray: We know that prayer works, especially if we ask according to God's will. We know that He wants us to share our faith so we can pray for circumstances to change and for people's hearts to be softened to allow us to do this. I know of missionaries who wanted their non-believing parents' seemingly impossible blessing. They prayed for years and were eventually allowed to go without fearing they were dishonouring their family members. Sometimes, the objections raised by family and friends are the consequences of our sin e.g. if as a Christian we married a non-believer. However, if we have repented of that choice, we can pray for God to make a way.

2. Communicate: Many of the problems that occur in relationships between friends and family members are because of a failure to talk to each other. Try explaining to your loved ones why you want to be involved in evangelism and what you are going to do. Creating a sense of urgency and excitement around the work can also make people curious, even jealous, because there is such a lack of purpose in the world that a sense of community with a common goal can be attractive. They might even catch the vision and want to join you. Don't bring it up all the time though or become obsessive and don't treat people as if they are stupid by manipulating situations or constantly bashing them with Bible verses about evangelism. 

3. Tell stories from the work (enthusiastically): When you have been out, relay stories of conversations or questions that people asked and how you answered them. Include those that you didn't know how to answer and ask your friends and family for their thoughts and ideas. If you are genuinely sharing about the work with them, you may get some great opportunities to share the Gospel in a natural way. It's normal to discuss workplace events and the unique nature of evangelism does make people curious, even those with no real spiritual interest. You may find yourself answering unspoken questions that your friends and family have had for years.

4. Show photos/videos: Linked to the last point, younger people especially are more visual these days and may watch something rather than reading or engaging in conversation. If you have photos or videos that you are in, they may well be interested and you can explain what is going on as you share it with them. Again, this is a normal part of life and we don't need to feel that we can't share our experiences just because it's "religious". It also helps reassure them that we aren't part of a cult or doing excessively weird things. It's amazing how people's imaginations can run riot when they hear the word "evangelism".

5. Preserve family/friends time: Don't allow your evangelistic zeal to take over time that you should be spending with your family and friends. This is a conscience issue ultimately, but you don't want them to end up resenting God for taking you away from them. This has been an issue with some of the great missionaries who seemed to forget they were married or left their partners as secretaries at home whilst they were away for lengthy periods. This is most relevant to non-believing loved ones as they are an important mission field and mustn't be side-lined in favour of the work. But, it can also apply to believing friends and family, if you are a workaholic and they never see you or if you don't enjoy any of  the activities they want to do because you are only interested in evangelism.

6. Encourage them: Your friends and family may have very different ideas about how to share their faith. You may prefer a more direct approach, they may want to build friendships. Both are valuable so encourage whatever they are doing if the goal is evangelistic even if you don't agree with their methods. There's room for discussions here, but don't condemn things that are being done in God's name unless they are unbiblical and don't act as if your way is the only way to do things. You might find that if you support them in what they are doing, they will reciprocate.

7. Request a platform: If it's your church fellowship that is resistant to what you are doing, ask any organisations you are involved with if they would be willing to come and speak at your church. Then approach your church leaders about receiving them. Sometimes, hearing about the work from an authority/someone with more experience, opens doors. Organisations like OAM, GNfE, UBM and BCM make speaking at churches part of their regular work and would be more than happy to come and share about the work at your church. Even just having someone else explaining the same things you have said in a different way can make all the difference.

8. Make new friends: You can't just ditch your family and friends if they are hostile towards your efforts, but you can develop new friendships with people who encourage you in the work. Those who are married should be careful that they aren't treading danger lines but singles can and should find like minded people to spend time with. If all of our friends are believers we can end up living in a spiritual bubble detached from reality. Conversely, if we only mix with non believers, we might be in danger of being unequally yoked. Balance is important.

9. Set the example: Don't expect you will be able to convince everyone to join you on the streets or whererever you choose to go. It might be small steps as we all progress spiritually at different speeds. Try not to be disappointed and discouraged when people don't show up or don't have the same enthusiasm or when they make excuses. Find at least one other person who shares your vision, work together and encourage each other. On the streets we are often approached by Christians who didn't realise street evangelism was even legal. Sadly, most who say they will join don't end up doing so as they get distracted by life and the devil. Don't let this put you off. Keep going!

10. Just do it: Don't wait for the perfect circumstances, resources or numbers. There comes a time where we have to obey God rather than men, or in this case our family and friends. Every Christian should be involved in some form of evangelism even if they don't have a lot of time and even if it feels like the whole world is against them.  If you do it anyway, others will join. If you don't go at all, there's nothing to join!

I hope some of these things will help you as you navigate the various obstacles that arise when we start seeking to share our faith. Remember that if we honour God, He will honour us. 

Next time we will look at the obstacles of FAME and FASHION...

Image by Gerd Altmann at Pixabay

Overcoming Obstacles to Sharing Our Faith: FEAR

I've been trying to think of ways to motivate people to get involved in evangelism having just come back from an awesome Christian Answer team in London at the weekend. 

I realised that the first step for some people might be removing hurdles or perhaps having a change of perspective about any obstacles in the way. So, I'm going to do a short series of posts dealing with these issues that we all face to one degree or another.

Today's subject and probably the biggest mountain for many of us to scale is fear. 

It might be fear of failure, fear of saying the wrong thing, fear of being seen, fear of what others might think, fear of people getting angry or shunning us, or even fear of the unknown. Let's face it, we all struggle with fear and for some it can be paralysing. 

Can it be overcome? With God's help all things are possible. Here are some pointers:

• Pray! It will come as no surprise that prayer is top of the list for overcoming any and all obstacles to sharing our faith. If we don't pray then we can't expect to see results or have any expectation of moving forward. God knows our fears and He wants to help us move past them so that we can get on with the task. He promises to use us if we ask Him.

• Training. It helps to be prepared and can give us confidence which can negate any fears we might have. There is plenty of online training and organisations like the Open-Air Mission can provide training for you and your church. Living Waters offers a week long training course in evangelism and apologetics. However, training is not always required as it can result in Christians falling into the trap of thinking that they can't evangelise because they haven't been trained or even that they need to learn everything before they can share their faith. Choose your training wisely and intentionally and if possible get involved with those who offer practical training during the course.

• Know what you believe and why you believe it. This one can be especially relevant for those who've grown up in the church and have never really looked at the details of their own story. Read the Bible passages that speak about evangelism (Acts and the Gospels for starters). This will help you catch the vision and should negate fears about saying the wrong thing. You can't really say the wrong thing unless you say something totally heretical as people are already lost!

• Start small. This one is really about managing your own and others expectations. Most of us are not going to be Billy Graham or Amy Carmichael. Much of the evangelism in the Bible is one individual to another. Nowadays, we have tracts (Christian leaflets) and the internet so it's even possible to be anonymous or to have very little contact with the person we are witnessing to. Start by leaving tracts where-ever you go. Then, try to give them directly to people with a short comment. Then, when you are ready, ask the person if they have thought about the question. Take your time with each stage and your fears should lessen.

• Read stories. Read and watch stories of conversions in books and online. You'll be amazed by how many people mention a street preacher, a Christian friend, a book, a tract etc. If you can see that it really works, it can help to overcome your fears as the benefit outweighs the cost. Real Lives is a good series on Saturday nights which may encourage you.

• Go with others. Lone evangelism can be scary and it shouldn't be the norm. We need our Christian friends to encourage, motivate, inspire, rebuke etc. Most of our efforts should start with our local church. Find out what is being done by your church and join in or suggest a joint activity. Alternatively, if your church isn't doing anything, find an individual or several within the church who are keen and approach the leadership together. If the leaders aren't receptive to any forms of evangelism, it might be time to think about joining a different church as evangelism should be one of the main activities and purposes of the church.

• Join local evangelism teams. This shouldn't replace evangelism from your church, but can supplement it and provide people to work with. It's always easier to overcome our fears when we are part of a team. There are several city missions that still do direct evangelism (Birmingham and London) and others that bring you into contact with non believers through projects. The Open-Air Mission may have an evangelist in your area that you could join. Good News for Everyone (formerly Gideons) go into schools, prisons, hotels etc and try to leave Bibles as well as more formal Scripture distributions. You can get involved and learn from others. Start by observing and then take more responsibility as you feel able. 

• Join mission teams/camps. There are several organisations that run mission teams around the country including United Beach Missions and the Open-Air Mission. There are specific missions for student outreach, street evangelism and children's work. Other organisations like Yorkshire Camps and Foundation Matters offer residential camps and allow volunteers to join and serve for a week or longer term. Then, there are the annual youth camps. There are always plenty of opportunities and full training is usually given. Serving together allows you to learn on the job and watch others share their faith/give their testimony until you are ready to participate.

• Talk to someone. It's a well known saying that "a problem shared is a problem halved". If you cannot overcome your fears, share them with a church friend or church leader. Be specific and maybe they will be able to help you get new perspective or suggest some other ideas. Likewise, if you have had a negative experience with evangelism, don't let it put you off, speak to someone straight away so that it doesn't become an insurmountable problem as it festers. 

• Don't overthink it. With some things, the longer we leave it before we actually do it, the harder it is as the possibilities and the "what if's" can become overwhelming. I used to remember the Dr Pepper advert with the slogan "what's the worst that could happen?" before I went out to share my faith. It can help to write down any fears as they may seem less likely and less threatening on paper. Sometimes, we just have to face our fear and get on with it. 

I hope this list will help some of you to take steps to overcome your fears and to get involved in the work of the Great Commission. As you can see, many of the ideas involve working with others, it's amazing how much easier it is to get out there when we go in a group. I always come back encouraged and have never regretted going out when I've taken the plunge.

As an old-timer said recently, "a little bit of courage and a little bit of obedience are all that is needed." We are in a spiritual battle. Don't let the enemy win!

Next time I will deal with overcoming the obstacle of funding/finance.

(Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay)

Bridging the Gap by Going Out of Our Church Buildings

This will probably be my final post in the “bridging the gap” series as I’m about out of ideas! For more recent followers, I’ve been focusing on ways that Christians can bridge the ever growing gap between believers and non-believers. So far, we have looked at being real, keeping the focus on the Gospel and using words that people understand.

We need to think about this issue because people from the street are not just walking into our churches. We can be pretty good at hosting church events and inviting people, but what about those who would never attend because the event is in a church building. They don’t want the inevitable questions if they are seen, or perhaps, they are fearful of what might happen during the service.

To ensure everyone hears the Gospel, and to properly obey the Great Commission, we need to go into all the world and tell every person the Good News about Jesus. The Open Air Mission has evangelists all around the country who do this on a daily basis. I’ve just returned from their annual training day in Bromsgrove which was a great encouragement. We were reminded of the huge impact 160 people committed to open-air work could make across the country. Even more so should we all manage to get our church fellowships on-board.

A former full-time worker, probably now in his seventies, was asked whether open-air work still has a place in our society, or whether it’s had its day, as many churches seem to believe. He responded with a story about his own conversion, having been raised in a non-Christian home seemingly with no Christians even on his radar. He pointed out that currently less than 10% of the country is being reached with the Gospel through schools and churches. Someone had taken the trouble to step out of their comfort zone and tell him the Good News about Jesus when he was in his late teens. He is left with the devastating reminder that generations of his family are subject to eternal punishment. If his story ended there it would be pretty depressing, but this man is so grateful that someone took the trouble to reach him in his lostness, that he has dedicated his life to doing the same thing for others. How anyone could fail to be moved by such an answer, spoken with such conviction, about something so important, is beyond me.

What about the average Christian, though? Someone who just has a few hours here and there and wants more flexibility, or a little less confrontation. With the support of your church, you could try setting up a simple book table in your town. All you will need in a small fold-away table, deck chair (optional,) literature and a sign highlighting what you are offering. Then, find a space that isn’t in the way, I usually use a sizeable doorway, and set up.

Recently, I noticed what a difference good weather makes as people are much more willing to stop and chat, and just seem more cheerful in general. A typical few hours with a book table in my town produces the following types of contact:

My time began with a man from a different church advising that he had a load of Christian literature to dispose of and discussing methods of evangelism. He was quickly followed by an enthusiastic Christian lady who started off by encouraging me but then suggested I should give leaflets to people instead of waiting for them to be taken. I explained that I do give out leaflets as part of other outreaches, and our church puts leaflets through every door in the town over the year, but that for this outreach, I’m just making the literature available for those that God prompts.

Next, a white van man who has been mentioned in a previous post, made a bee line for me. His opening question was, “Have you got a copy of the King James Version of the Bible yet?” I informed him that I was sticking with my ESV. He told me that it was corrupted, that I was missing out and that he was just trying to help me, before walking back to his van calling loudly behind him that I should get a King James Bible. I resisted the urge to ask him if he was going to church yet….

Then, two at once, which can be tricky, especially when they start talking to each other and one seems to be leading the other off topic. An older man on a mobility scooter had been watching at a distance for a while and eventually made his cautious approach. We had just begun talking, and he was examining the literature, when an even older, white haired, lady walked between the man and the books and announced that she was a devout Catholic and congratulated me on having the courage to be out in the street. I never know what to say when this happens, as it’s not really something worthy of praise, but voicing too much humility can be counter productive.

The lady quite loudly took over the conversation stating that we were all the same before asking me what religion I belonged to. I was somewhat surprised by the question as my sign clearly says “free Christian books.” When I said I was a Christian she looked temporarily confused. I wondered whether she was just enthusiastic about the prospect of religion in general entering the high street. She continued talking to the man as if she had invited him to look at her books, and as if she needed to carefully explain things to him. When she spoke about people being oblivious to God, I managed to get in with a short comment about our sin and need of forgiveness before she was off again. The man interjected to ask for an Ultimate Questions booklet before taking his leave. The woman followed him along the street, still talking at him. I was a bit bewildered by the experience but grateful that the man took the book.

A quiet lady then took Where is God when things go wrong? by John Blanchard, after studying the books for a while. Then, a lady who I met at the book table on a previous occasion, who attends another church, passed by and we had a brief chat about how to get a mutual friend who isn’t a believer to church. I then overheard some young girls on the other side of the street, on seeing my sign, comment that they weren’t “holy” or “Christian”. One of the reasons for going out is to trigger this type of reflective conversation and to make people think about God.

Finally, a man who attends another church, out of the area, came over. After a brief chat about our shared faith, he seemed to veer off topic with questions about my age and marital and relationship status. Nevertheless, he encouraged me in the work and said he would pray for me before wandering off. Never a dull moment.

I thought it might be helpful for those who are considering this type of outreach to get an idea of what could happen if you brave the unknown. However, every town and every individual is, of course, unique, which is why prayer is crucial.  

Pray, try it and see what happens.

Mark 16 vs 15

“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”