The Talk Place

Blogs with inside information and personal opinions from GRN members around the world

Friendship Evengelism

Richard & Heather Roper - Thursday 20 November 2008

No matter how good the program is (Alpha, Master Life, Coffee shops, Drop-in centres, Clubs, tracts, CD's, MP3's Cassettes), it is most effective with the personal invitation or contact.

One of the most effective methods that I have ever come across for growing the church is Operation Andrew,
from the Billy Graham crusades. This is a program where you are asked to write down 10 people that you will undertake to pray for and over time, if the appropriate opportunity arises, you use the time to invite them to some sort of Christian event (Church, A special speaker, Special event). Or you may even be able to share you Christian journey with them.

Some studies have said that up to 95% of people who come to Christ, come because someone took the time to invite them. In other words most people came to church because someone made friends with them.

I remember reading a book on evangelism once that took great trouble to try to convince the reader that the original church must have grown through door knocks, and letter box drops and advertising campaigns.

To be fair to the book the author did mention that friendship evangelism is an important part of any evangelistic campaigns. But the concept of the early church being involved in such things as door knocks, and letter box drops and advertising campaigns is patently absurd.

Apart from the low level of literacy in those time can you imagine how long it would have taken to prepare a letter box drop using scribes? And evangelistic door knocking would have had so many inherent risks in those days in view of the death penalty being so liberally applied for many kinds of what was considered heresy, no body would be that stupid.

Besides there is no need to try and force the scripture. Acts 2:43 ff makes it reasonably plain that most of the work was done through relationship building. In fact the gospel is largely relational. Even Jesus himself started with disciples that He had personally invited. (Luke 5:27)

Of course there is plenty of street corner preaching, but that was largely used to establish a church and after that it was all about building through relationships. Even the preaching was often relationship building. Consider that in Paul's preaching there was quite some time spent convincing his audience before there was any breakthrough (Acts 13:42-44).

Even our own recordings are most effective when there is some sort of personal contact and follow up and invitation. With out some sort of relationship, evangelism is much less effective. There are many stories of people being able to give people copies of Good News CD's and booklets just because they have established a relationship.

Friendship evangelism is, has and always will be the most important means of getting the word of God to those who are willing to hear. So why is it then, that so many Christians have so few non-Christian contacts?