~ from email ~

Are you doing the kind where you stand on a box and yell, or the kind where you approach individuals to talk? Both kinds are good, and they can also work together. You can do a short sermon and then the Christians can talk to individuals. If there is an apprentice model, and there should be, then there does not need to be very high requirements to join, except that the person is a Christian, and whose doctrine and behavior raise no special concern. New helpers should follow the mentor for a while before going off on his own.

Some people hold the assumption that there must not be an instant “decision” kind of conversion. However, many of the conversions in the Bible are of this kind, and they last because they are the work of God. When this does not happen, then the long-term “seeking” model is fine, but this other kind is just as legitimate. The truth is that if you say to someone, “You are a sinner, but Jesus saves you if you believe in him. Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?” and he says, “Yes,” he could be genuinely saved just like that. On the other hand, Pharisees jump through all kinds of hoops, study to become doctors of this and that, and then die and burn in hell.

One reason that some traditions are critical of instant conversion or “decision” evangelism is because their people lack the spiritual skill and power to make it happen. They prefer to argue about evolution for fifteen years, and then do some presuppositional apologetics for another fifteen years. After all that the other person is mad enough to kill, but still has not heard the gospel. And Satan has won. They preach for decades behind the pulpit and ten people confess the faith, and eight of them backslide. They have no spiritual power, and they prefer a theology that would accommodate this. But it is possible for someone to receive in minutes. Conversion is a work of God. The ministry of preaching and evangelism can be highly efficient and enduring at the same time.

Of course, follow up is important no matter what. We should always teach people to seek God, but some seek him so that they can be saved, while others are saved so that they can seek him. If the Christian senses that the person is ready, he can indeed press for a confession of faith in Christ. There is nothing wrong with that. We say that churches are filled with false converts because of careless evangelism. This is true, but it does not have to be the case. I could execute efficient evangelism correctly. Long seeking does not necessarily mean genuine conversion. It could just mean that the false converts build up more and more religious pride as they take root in the church. Many of them have become leaders and scholars in the Christian establishment.

Give the people something. We used to hand out tracks and cassettes and books. They were costly. Now we can just refer to a web site, preferably linked to some free books or recordings. Make sure they really have it though. It would annoy people to ask for their email addresses, but if the information is printed on business cards, they will probably accept them.

As for the approach, a lot of it depends on the individual’s knowledge, personality, measure of boldness, and so on. In cases where I will see someone over and over again, I might wait for a natural opportunity. But in street evangelism, I would most likely charge right into the topic. Some Christians prefer to spend several minutes or much longer befriending the people, but I get bored listening to them talk about their lives and their theories, especially when they are non-Christians. If the approach fits the Christian’s skill and temperament, then in most cases the people would not (or could not) resist when you drive the conversation right into the topic that you wish to discuss.