Gospel.com Topics Feed - Gospel
2008-11-09T10:28:41-05:00GCIinfo@gospel.comhttp://www.gospel.com/feeds/topics/gospelChristian failure: why Christians fail to communicate the Gospel or evangelize effectivelyhttp://ied.gospelcom.net/losing-contact.php2008-11-09T10:28:41-05:00
There are two major reasons why we so often fail to touch many non-Christians with the Gospel. Firstly, we frequently present the good news in language and from a viewpoint which does not actually engage with non-Christians and their real felt needs, or take into account the culture they live in. We can quickly forget how we used to feel and think, like someone who moves to a different country early in life, and forgets their heart language. There is therefore a huge mismatch between the actual needs of non-Christians and the production of Christian literature, webpages and other media.
The other is related to it: we very find it so much easier to only meet Christians socially and after conversion quickly lose meaningful relationships with non-Christians. Lack of emphasis on evangelism and outreach in the church: the 99 Percent Problemhttp://ied.gospelcom.net/evangelism-problems.php2008-11-09T10:25:41-05:00
It's almost like there's a rule: 99% to us, 1% for them. We can see it reflected in Christian bookshops, where a search of the book titles and videos will reveal that the vast majority of material is produced entirely for Christians, in terms of language, content and underlying assumptions. Hobby pages - key method of web evangelism: hobbies & specal affinity-group interestshttp://ied.gospelcom.net/hobby.php2008-11-09T10:12:20-05:00
Almost everyone has a hobby or special interest. Uniquely, the Web makes it possible for us to reach any affinity-group of people using a site that is designed to mesh with their own interests. This major strategy is hardly being used.
If you have a hobby or special interest, it is certain that there are millions of people around the world who share it. You have the expertise and enthusiasm to write about it – and reach them at the same time. The Parable of Parable - why story telling communicates the gospel so effectivelyhttp://ied.gospelcom.net/parable.php2008-11-09T10:10:11-05:00
‘Once upon a time, Truth went about the streets as naked as the day he was born. As a result, no-one would let him into their homes. Whenever people caught sight of him, they turned away and fled...'
Why are parables so effective? What is the role of story-telling in evangelism? Felt Needs: is ministering to conscious felt needs biblical - a way to open closed minds?http://ied.gospelcom.net/felt-needs.php2008-11-09T10:07:26-05:00
The concept of ministering to people’s ‘felt needs’ is sometimes misunderstood. “Surely we should be speaking to their real spiritual needs?” is a potential criticism and valid question. Creative thinking: how to think creatively of new evangelism methodshttp://ied.gospelcom.net/creative-thinking.php2008-11-09T10:04:15-05:00
A 30-second film shows six people playing basketball, three in white shirts and three in black. Volunteers are asked to count the number of times the white shirt team pass the ball. At the end of the film, they are asked if they saw anything unusual. Most do not. The unusual thing is: halfway through the film, a man wearing a gorilla suit walks through the players, beats his chest to the camera, then walks off. The film illustrates a simple fact – that if we are only looking for one way to do something, we do not usually see other possible options. The Bridge Strategy (Christian Magnet Pages) to reach affinity interest groups onlinehttp://ied.gospelcom.net/bridge-strategy.php2008-11-09T10:02:16-05:00
Most people are not searching for Christian material, and so of course will never find it. If they do, by chance, come across an obviously Christian page on a search engine listing when looking for a secular subject, they are unlikely to click on it. If they do, they probably will not stay.
The Bridge Strategy is to offer people pages about things they are searching for. Short story illustrating a frequently lost or forgotten key to evangelismhttp://ied.gospelcom.net/lostkey.php2008-11-09T09:59:59-05:00
Most of us have a lost key story. In English, we sometimes use the word ‘key’ quite loosely, for instance ‘keys to improving your garden’. The implication is an optional addition to a reasonably successful effort. But with real keys, it is all or nothing. Without the key, you are powerless, stymied, stuck. Wilbur Schramm principle of common interest communication is a biblical strategyhttp://ied.gospelcom.net/communicate.php2008-11-09T09:57:52-05:00
There are a number of theories of communication, often quite complex to grasp. They are nevertheless helpful to us in understanding how messages are transmitted and received. Rather than being ‘psycho-babble’, they often demonstrate human truths which are also clearly given us in the Bible.
Wilbur Schramm’s simple diagram of overlapping circles demonstrates visually 1 Cor 9:19-23 – seeking to identify and find areas of common ground. Are strategies biblical? Why do we need strategy to preach the Gospel?http://ied.gospelcom.net/strategy.php2008-11-09T09:55:16-05:00
Some people might ask, “Why do we need evangelistic strategies at all? Surely we are just called on to preach the Gospel, plain and straight, and leave God to do the rest?” Even the words ‘communication strategies’ may seem to imply worldly marketing methods rather than a dependence on the power of the Gospel through the Holy Spirit.