The Casual Christian

1. Build a relationship. We live in such an impersonal culture nowadays. People are pestered by telemarketers, pollsters, merchants, and anyone with a product or service to sell. We all feel like someone wants a piece of us. We don’t even make the effort to get to know our own neighbors anymore. So when a total stranger comes along and drops a two-minute spiel on us in the hopes of making a convert, we feel cheap and used. Take the time to win folks’ confidence and show they mean more than just a notch on a Bible.

Jesus had a knack for making people feel special. He brought a deep-seated sense of worth to women, the disabled, Samaritans and tax collectors, groups that were scorned by His culture. He touched the untouchables, fraternized with outcasts, and held up the despised as examples of righteousness. He included women in His inner circle though they were denied a seat at table with guests and access to the inner courts of the Temple.

2. Make people feel special. The American culture prizes celebrity. Yet the vast majority of us live in anonymity. Therefore many people feel profoundly insignificant. You can show people how highly God prizes them by honoring them yourself. Using the person’s name often when you address him or her is a very simple and effective way to show respect. Maybe you think this sounds silly, but you would be surprised how seldom you call someone else by name in the course of a conversation. You create a subtle pull on others, gradually drawing them in by simply addressing them by name instead of just aiming comments at them. You will begin to build a deeper rapport with them. People rarely draw near to those who never call them by name. The best salesmen use their customer’s name frequently in the course of a conversation without seeming the least bit contrived. Indeed the use of a person’s name should be genuine and sincere, a sign of true respect.

Show others that you value them by honoring their opinions, values, skills and talents, and the contributions they make. Commemorate events that are special to them. There is no better way to show your esteem for someone than to ask for his or her advice. Show him that he is a person of worth in your eyes and it will be easier to model God’s love for him.

3. Learn people’s culture. That might be something as complex and time consuming as learning their language, if you are a missionary in a foreign culture.  Or it might be something as simple as getting to know their neighborhood, school, business, or family. You have to speak their language, know their concerns, and feel their pain. Remember how effectively Bill Clinton established rapport by identifying with people’s pain? You want to be sincere, though.

4.  Touch people where they hurt. Perhaps it is a single mom who could use help babysitting or maintaining her car, a family who is stressed out by a rebellious teenager, or a husband or wife who is dealing with an unfaithful spouse.  Maybe it’s a young person who is struggling with some important life issue and needs input from another who has been there and done that. No matter the situation, you can win people’s confidence by showing a genuine interest in their tangible needs and doing whatever is in your power to help.

5. Become part of another’s world. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, as an infant. He inhabited a womb just like ours. He was born in humble circumstances. He experienced joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain like us. So He understood the people to whom he ministered. He was one of them. We need to live among the people whom we hope to win to Christ. We cannot drive up to a ghetto in a Rolls Royce and expect to have any impact. So if we want to reach those who are most receptive to the gospel—‘the least of these,’ we may have to forfeit some of the trappings of our considerable wealth.

 6. Show a lively interest in others. Our culture is based on rugged individualism, the ability to achieve great things by determination and hard work. That is one of the great strengths of America, but it has some major drawbacks. As folks strive to realize their own dreams, they can become very focused on themselves and lose interest in others.  There are lots of talkers and few listeners. You have no doubt heard the old adage that God gave us two ears and only one mouth because He wants us to spend twice as much time listening as talking. Display a little interest in other’s affairs and you will win lots of friends who will not just bend your ear but seek your advice when times get tough. Dale Carnegie once said, “You can make more friends in two months by becoming really interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”

7. Use the anonymity of the Web. If you are a church webmaster, be mindful of the fact that the Internet offers a level of anonymity that encourages users to open up and share things they might not reveal in a face-to-face encounter. That is why people hook up online and sexual predators ply their trade in cyberspace. On the positive side, people sometimes reveal hopes and dreams, hurts and disappointments that otherwise could not be pried out of them. So it’s a great place to probe for felt needs that might open a doorway to deeper spiritual needs.

There are some excellent evangelism guides produced by a few organizations that develop materials for the web.  One organization is called Web Evangelism, another is the Internet Evangelism Coalition and the third is TruthMedia Internet Group. Web Evangelism provides training for online evangelists including rationale, methods, and resources. The Internet Evangelism Coalition sponsors an Internet Evangelism Day in April every year for the purpose of encouraging churches to make their websites appeal to non-Christians. They provide tips on website construction and evangelism training.  TruthMedia has a number of short training videos for doing evangelism online. Whether you are considering doing evangelism online or personal evangelism face to face, these are some great resources to help you on your way.