Evangelism without Unnecessary Offense
There is a certain amount of offense that’s inherent in evangelism. Greg Koukl puts it this way: “When dealing with non-Christians our responsibility is two-fold. The Gospel alone is offensive enough. We should not add more offense to it, as was done here. Neither should we take any of the inherent offense from it” (STR.org)
Our goal then should be to avoid unnecessary offense while not compromising the gospel message. Paul says that “The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18, NLT) So, how can we speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) in a pluralistic hyper-sensitive culture where religion is seen as a private matter and public discussion of faith is often taboo?
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Doug Pollock has worked for 23 years with Athletes in Action, an outreach ministry for athletes. He also is a popular speaker on evangelism, and recommends that people should use of “Wondering Questions” to spark spiritual conversations. The goal isn’t necessarily to get to the gospel right away, but to build up to it by relaxing a person’s defenses and helping them become more open to hearing it.
Asking questions has several advantages:
- It doesn’t require a lot of preparation.
- It doesn’t require a lot of work (the person answering usually does most of the work!).
- It avoids making claims, at least initially, so it’s less likely a person would be offended that you are “pushing your religion on me”.
- It gives you valuable information which can help you relate to the person in a way relevant to them and their concerns.
- It shows that you are interested in the other person and want to hear what they have to say.
Here are some wondering question examples which would be applicable in different situations:
Careers: What advice would you give to a young person about finding vocational
happiness?
Life: Have you ever been able to get a handle on what you think your purpose in
life is?
Current events: As you’ve watched or read the news, what conclusions have you drawn
about the nature of humanity?
Culture: Has there been one book or movie that’s left its mark on you in a significant
way? How so?
Religion: What kind of exposure did you have to religion when you were growing up?
There is a list of 99 Wondering Questions available on Doug’s website, GodsGPS.com.
If you’re interested in becoming involved in outreach, but aren’t sure where to start, or think you don’t have enough time, or feel intimidated to speak to people in person, why not consider becoming involved in online ministry? TruthMedia has many different opportunities available, including becoming a mentor, chat host, writer, prayer partner, and more. Explore part-time volunteer opportunities you can do from home on your own time that allow you to serve God online!
Tags: Christian, evangelism, faith, Gospel, Jesus Christ, outreach, religion, share, witness
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There’s a church I occasionally attend, and I have often gone back and forth about joining it as a member. It is an evagelical church, but the very persistent expectation of the pastorate is that the members will be out on the streets witnessing, all the time, tract in hand. I am not ashamed of the gospel, but collaring someone with “Do you know where you’ll go when you die?” off the street seems very abrasive to me. I didn’t like it when I was a non-Christian, and it turned me off. I am more inclined to share one on one in a conversation with someone, to offer to pray for them, to share how God has gotten me through my rough moments. Isn’t that spreading the gospel as well? Where did we get the idea that it has to be up front and in your face and more “you’re going to hell” than “Jesus can help you”?