Church good at evangelization

[Ken]

Ok. That does not imply overtly to me, but I'll let that up to you and them I guess.

I'm using the term overtly to refer to actually evangelizing out-loud through speech or by passing out pamphlets and tracts. That sort of thing. In other words, using words directly. Which is what I presume plain and Valerie were talking about.

I'm using the term covertly to imply the opposite which is demonstrating your Christianity through your deeds not your words. Setting a good example. That sort of thing. The sort of thing that groups such as the Amish tend to do.

Put another way, if you know that you are being evangelized by someone (a co-worker, someone knocking at your door, or preaching on the street). Then you were evangelized overtly. There is no mistaking it. When the Jehovah's Witness or Mormons come to my front door I understand what is going on. On the other hand, if you don't know that you were actually being evangelized. For example, if you just noticed a co-worker who is more generous or caring than others and you are impressed with his or her example. Then you might have been evangelized covertly.

I just made up those categories for the purpose of this discussion. They aren't something used elsewhere to my knowledge. There may be better descriptive words to get at my intended meaning. Maybe a better way of saying it is witnessing through deeds versus words. Or maybe you have something better.

[Ernie]

Ok. That does not imply overtly to me, but I'll let that up to you and them I guess.

I'm using the term overtly to refer to actually evangelizing out-loud through speech or by passing out pamphlets and tracts. That sort of thing. In other words, using words directly. Which is what I presume plain and Valerie were talking about.

I'm using the term covertly to imply the opposite which is demonstrating your Christianity through your deeds not your words. Setting a good example. That sort of thing. The sort of thing that groups such as the Amish tend to do.

Put another way, if you know that you are being evangelized by someone (a co-worker, someone knocking at your door, or preaching on the street). Then you were evangelized overtly. There is no mistaking it. When the Jehovah's Witness or Mormons come to my front door I understand what is going on. On the other hand, if you don't know that you were actually being evangelized. For example, if you just noticed a co-worker who is more generous or caring than others and you are impressed with his or her example. Then you might have been evangelized covertly.

I just made up those categories for the purpose of this discussion. They aren't something used elsewhere to my knowledge. There may be better descriptive words to get at my intended meaning. Maybe a better way of saying it is witnessing through deeds versus words. Or maybe you have something better.

I see your covert and overt options to be extremes on a scale. (a false dichotomy)
I think there are lots of points in-between those extremes.

[Valerie]

I think it is possible to ask questions of customers, fellow employees, and supervisors when the timing is right without it being a problem.
A friend of mine took homemade cookies in his lunch, and read the Bible silently in the lunch room. His fellow employees wanted some of his homemade cookies. So he made a deal with them. He would bring homemade cookies for each of them if they would allow him to read a Bible story aloud. The deal was carried out the following day. My friend read the story of the prodigal son. He read with such meaning and inflection that at least one man was crying by the end of the story. The man said, "That is the first time I have heard a Bible story."

If a person goes to work, sure that he will get fired if he evangelizes verbally, and wants to make sure he doesn't get fired, he probably won't take opportunities the Lord gives him. If a person goes to work looking for opportunities, the Lord has often opened doors to do so.

I love that story! Thank you for sharing it
I do think we need to pray that God uses us at work as you suggest, praying for opportunities without it being us intentionally using company time (employers see that as "stealing" as they are paying you to work) but the Holy Spirit can bring about open doors of opportunity.

[MaxPC]

Reading through the thread, I noticed the discussion about evangelisation on the job but there is a concern whether the employer feels it is inappropriate on “company time”. I wonder: when a Christian sets the example of a diligent work ethic as well as caring for his fellow workers, that can be considered a Christian witness too, would it not?

[Valerie]

Reading through the thread, I noticed the discussion about evangelisation on the job but there is a concern whether the employer feels it is inappropriate on “company time”. I wonder: when a Christian sets the example of a diligent work ethic as well as caring for his fellow workers, that can be considered a Christian witness too, would it not?

Amen!! My sister in the Lord at work and I apply that, there are numerous ways you can be salt & light without stealing company time.

[Ken]

Ok. That does not imply overtly to me, but I'll let that up to you and them I guess.

I'm using the term overtly to refer to actually evangelizing out-loud through speech or by passing out pamphlets and tracts. That sort of thing. In other words, using words directly. Which is what I presume plain and Valerie were talking about.

I'm using the term covertly to imply the opposite which is demonstrating your Christianity through your deeds not your words. Setting a good example. That sort of thing. The sort of thing that groups such as the Amish tend to do.

Put another way, if you know that you are being evangelized by someone (a co-worker, someone knocking at your door, or preaching on the street). Then you were evangelized overtly. There is no mistaking it. When the Jehovah's Witness or Mormons come to my front door I understand what is going on. On the other hand, if you don't know that you were actually being evangelized. For example, if you just noticed a co-worker who is more generous or caring than others and you are impressed with his or her example. Then you might have been evangelized covertly.

I just made up those categories for the purpose of this discussion. They aren't something used elsewhere to my knowledge. There may be better descriptive words to get at my intended meaning. Maybe a better way of saying it is witnessing through deeds versus words. Or maybe you have something better.

I see your covert and overt options to be extremes on a scale. (a false dichotomy)
I think there are lots of points in-between those extremes.

Sure. No argument from me. Your story with the cookies is an example. The employees were on their lunch hour so technically not really work time. Most wage workers don’t get paid for lunch. It is their own time. And you can pretty much do whatever you want. I used to work out at the gym during lunch. Obviously something I wouldn’t do during work time. But someone pulling out their Bible and reading stories to co-workers while on the clock would probably be viewed differently.

In my job it is actually a very strict standard. I can put religious stuff in my own personal work space and many teachers do. I don’t need to pretend to be non-religious. But when I’m on the clock and dealing with a captive audience of students I had better not be evangelizing in any overt way. It is a pretty bright line.

But I’m also not the one here who asserted that evangelism needed to be about words.

[Sudsy]

I'm using the term overtly to refer to actually evangelizing out-loud through speech or by passing out pamphlets and tracts. That sort of thing. In other words, using words directly. Which is what I presume plain and Valerie were talking about.

I'm using the term covertly to imply the opposite which is demonstrating your Christianity through your deeds not your words. Setting a good example. That sort of thing. The sort of thing that groups such as the Amish tend to do.

Put another way, if you know that you are being evangelized by someone (a co-worker, someone knocking at your door, or preaching on the street). Then you were evangelized overtly. There is no mistaking it. When the Jehovah's Witness or Mormons come to my front door I understand what is going on. On the other hand, if you don't know that you were actually being evangelized. For example, if you just noticed a co-worker who is more generous or caring than others and you are impressed with his or her example. Then you might have been evangelized covertly.

I just made up those categories for the purpose of this discussion. They aren't something used elsewhere to my knowledge. There may be better descriptive words to get at my intended meaning. Maybe a better way of saying it is witnessing through deeds versus words. Or maybe you have something better.

I see your covert and overt options to be extremes on a scale. (a false dichotomy)
I think there are lots of points in-between those extremes.

Sure. No argument from me. Your story with the cookies is an example. The employees were on their lunch hour so technically not really work time. Most wage workers don’t get paid for lunch. It is their own time. And you can pretty much do whatever you want. I used to work out at the gym during lunch. Obviously something I wouldn’t do during work time. But someone pulling out their Bible and reading stories to co-workers while on the clock would probably be viewed differently.

In my job it is actually a very strict standard. I can put religious stuff in my own personal work space and many teachers do. I don’t need to pretend to be non-religious. But when I’m on the clock and dealing with a captive audience of students I had better not be evangelizing in any overt way. It is a pretty bright line.

But I’m also not the one here who asserted that evangelism needed to be about words.

I have some pretty narrow views on evangelizing so I'll share them here - YMMV

I agree that a good testimony of a Christian is to not steal employer time by evangelizing when you should be working. During coffee and lunch breaks, have at it.

Seems to me there are those who believe that they can shine their light by their good deeds and character that will somehow cause people to become Christians. I think Romans chapter 10 shoots down that idea with -

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

My observation is that those who see evangelism in a way that they do not use words (meaning do not share what it means to be saved) are not soul winners and have never personally helped someone in the moment they became Christians.

The base requirement to being saved is a heart belief in what Jesus did to saves us from our sins. When that belief is heart accepted, this is the beginning of a whole new life because the Holy Spirit then comes to live within the new believer. When church groups wander from this fundamental of Christianity in their evangelism they may produce church members but not Christ followers.

If a church in their evangelism is not seeing new converts in a fairly steady pace, I think they need to take another look at what they understand evangelism is to produce.

[temporal1]

Conversion is a gift of the Spirit, not man made. All glory to God.
That isn’t to say spoken words do not matter. It’s not either-or. Outcomes are determined by the Holy Spirit.
God has no bounds.

Proverbs 16:9
1 Cor 12:11
1 Cor 14:15
1 cor 12:4-6
Isaiah 55:11

[Sudsy]

Conversion is a gift of the Spirit, not man made. All glory to God.
That isn’t to say spoken words do not matter. It’s not either-or. Outcomes are determined by the Holy Spirit.
God has no bounds.

Proverbs 16:9
1 Cor 12:11
1 Cor 14:15
1 cor 12:4-6
Isaiah 55:11

2 Cor 5:17-20

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

I believe God has chosen to use us as ambassadors of the message of reconciliation. Yes, on our own, we cannot save anyone. However, we do play a role as ambassadors to implore people to be reconciled to God. The Holy Spirit has been given us as a guide and gives us what to say in the process as He convicts the world of sin and righteousness. The results depend on whether or not the hearer will heed His voice. Unless, of course, if one believes the Holy Spirit only draws those He has already pre-determined to save, which I do not.

[temporal1]

Anyone here that is active in a church where the members is good at doing evangelization?

Eg. Maybe the church members talk about Jesus and the gospel on the square in the town, maybe in a organised way. Or maybe a church where most members use to talk about Jesus to people they meet.

plain,
here is a new topic. you might benefit from the OP video, Stephen Russell.
it’s not flashy or commercial. he makes numerous good points.

Catholic to Anabaptist
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