Just saw two members of a popular cult, the Mormon church, engaging someone as they were working in their garage. After about 10 minutes the neighbors on the next porch closest to me grabbed their iced teas and went inside. They were more interested in enjoying a relatively cool June evening than being converted. And I'll have to admit I like my Coke Zero too much to set it aside for a debate with two people who have been brainwashed into thinking their "church" is as legit as the Methodists or Presbyterians. It's just annoying. And I say this from experience in dealing with such folks in the past. Whether it's Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses filling up my doorway, it is ultimately an interuption to my regularly scheduled toe-nail clipping or nose blowing. I wish many times they would just leave me alone.
The same goes for "legit" groups who have no interest in me other than to hand me a tract on why I am going to hell (because I do not attend their church I guess) as they cruise full speed in their Sketchers on to the next house. There is a part of me that says "at least they are making an attempt."
But is it really an attempt? Is it really anything resembling actual evangelism? Is the dude outside the new Boston Garden with the big sign (or is he on Boston Common today?) doing his evangelistic duty? What about the guy on the actual soapbox on some corner in a city near you?
I ask the question because it inevitably comes up in any discussion of "we need to do something" at a church board meeting or outreach/head scratching session. Someone somewhere will say "let's go door to door." That's when I think about the debate I just had between my iced-cold soft drink and the safety of the indoors. If I feel that way about door-to-door "evangelism", don't the vast majority of my neighbors?
Now the Mormons are growing. To my knowledge so are the Jehovah's Witnesses and other cults of their ilk. But churches by and large are dying. So, "we've got to do something". I just don't think door-to-door does anything more than asuage our consciences so that we can later throw up our hands in despair about the state of the world today. It seems nobody wants to come to church, we'll say.
Perhaps the debater in me comes out too much. There are times when I do feel the same way about my beverage, hot coffee instead of iced tea, but you get the picture. Other times I would love to just engage them in conversion conversation. That may be how we got black listed. I've actually watche them skip my house entirely.
ReplyDeleteAs for evangelism, Paul may have went from town to town and place to place but he also established relationships with people. Looking in scripture how often does evangelism happen without a relatioship?
Go door to door and get to know your neighbors. Don't invite them to church, rather BE the church. Celebrate with them, cry with them, pray with them.