The only country in the world that bans the use of the Internet is North Korea. China alone were expected to have 100 million users less than two years ago.
Perhaps God has given today's church and Christians the greatest resources, the greatest training, the most powerful technology, and the greatest means of communication ever in order to reach people across the street—throughout our entire communities—and around the world with the gospel in preparation for the Lord's return. And even if the Lord doesn't return in our generation, we only have our generation to reach our generation.
While businesses, spammers, and pornographers are taking the fullest possible advantage of the world wide web (www) to "market and sell their wares" it is imperative that the Christian church also take the fullest possible advantage of this God-given revolutionary method of communications to schare the gospel message of the Lord Jesus Christ to our neighbors, our communities ... and to the world in which we live.
Today's churches and Christians are in a prime position to evangelize their community (and far beyond) as never before. However, to effectively communicate the gospel (or any other message) it is essential that the following fundamental principles of effective communication are applied.
2. Opening Closed Minds
Scratch 'em where they itch: To put it in a word, to effectively communicate to people we need to "scratch 'em where they itch." That is, we need to reach people at their point of felt need in language they understand. People today are continually bombarded with endless messages via radio, TV, bill boards, news papers, E-mails, the Internet, cell phones, hand-held devices, and so on. However, the only messages people attend to are those that speak directly to their felt or perceived needs and interests. All other messages are filtered out.
Even a casual reading of the gospels reveals that this is the way Jesus communicated his messages. He always addressed people at their point of need: "Do you want to be made well?" he asked the sick. "Come down out of your tree," he said to Zacchaeus, the social outcast, "I'm coming home to dinner with you." "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked others.
Meeting people at their point of felt need is the most powerful and effective means of communication. In fact, it is the key to opening closed minds. In all communication it is imperative to meet people where they are "at", not where we are or where we expect or presume them to be. And then, of course, it is also crucial that we minister to the real needs of readers and not "Christianize complexes" by giving over-simplistic solutions to many of life's complex problems. To be effective communicators of the gospel we not only need to understand sound Biblical theology and principles, but like Jesus, we also need to understand people and their total needs—physical, emotional, and social as well as spiritual. Remember, too, that felt needs (that are in the conscious level of the mind) ultimately lead to real needs that, very often, are at the unconscious level of the mind.
Avoid christianese: As Nicodemus was confused when Jesus told him that he needed to be born again, if we use such terms, it is important that we explain what they mean. For example, what does the question, "Are you saved?" mean to the non-christian? Think too of terms such as sanctification, the Holy Ghost, redemption, regeneration, and even repentance—terms that are not only totally misunderstood by most non-Christians but can be a real turn-off. Always strive to communicate in non-churchy language.
3. Process Evangelism
Realize, too, that evangelism is a process, not an event. Most people who become Christians rarely make that decision the first time they hear about Jesus and what he has done for them. Physical birth is a nine-month gestation process. Spiritual birth may happen quickly but more often than not it is a much longer period of gestation—even years for some people. This is why it is imperative that we "keep on sowing our seed."2 Or as the Apostle Paul said, "It is God himself, in his mercy, who has given us this wonderful work [of telling his Good News to others], and so we never give up."3
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4. The Spiritual Decision Scale4
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| +8 |
|
Continued growth, maturity, and service |
| +7 |
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Continued growth, maturity, and service |
| +6 |
|
Discipleship and service |
| +5 |
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Exhibiting the fruits and gifts of the Spirit and service |
| +4 |
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Christian maturity and service |
| +3 |
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Christian growth and service |
| +2 |
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Fellowship in the church |
| +1 |
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Post-decision evaluation |
| 0 |
|
A person's point of conversion or new birth |
| -1 |
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Repentance and faith in Christ |
| -2 |
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Decision to act |
| -3 |
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Personal problem/need recognition |
| -4 |
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Understanding of the gospel |
| -5 |
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Increased understanding of the gospel |
| -6 |
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Some understanding of the gospel |
| -7 |
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Introduction to the gospel |
| -8 |
|
Sense of a Supreme Being but no understanding of the gospel |
Arriving at Christian faith is a process that takes time—a process that is activated by a combination of many events such as the influence of Christian parents, a friend, teacher, youth leader, a sermon, a book, a piece of literature, an e-mail, blog message, or Internet message, and so on.
Communication specialist, Dr. Jim Engel, has illustrated this spiritual decision process illustrated in the graph above. At -8 a person has a belief in a "Supreme Being" but has no effective understanding of the gospel. At zero he/she makes his or her commitment to Christ. The plus side of the scale represents Christian growth and service.
In evangelism, as in all major life changes, people change slowly. As a general rule (to which there are always exceptions) to move a person from -8 to -7 and so on takes many events, each of which is a vital part of the evangelism process as moving a person from 1 to zero his/her point of conversion.
People are not ready for the "John 3:16" message until they are where Nicodemus was, at -3. It can take months or even years of continual sowing to bring a person to this place. To "Push" people too quickly into making a decision can have a boomerang effect and drive them farther from the cause of Christ. It can cause spiritual still birth.4
Furthermore, for a continual harvest, continual sowing is essential. In selling it takes an average of seven calls to make a sale. How much more is required to change the total direction of a person's life? This is why effective evangelism needs to be treated as a repetitive process, not just a single event.
5. The Value of a Special Website for Evangelism
- First: Every church needs a website that is designed to address the needs and interests of the church family—a website that provides the information members need and are interested in.
- Second: For a church to effectively communicate to it's unchurched community, a second website can be extremely helpful and effective. This website needs to be designed specifically with content and articles that address the felt needs and interests of non-Christians and un-churched people—communicating in non-churchy language.
The Good News websites are specifically designed to effectively communicate to non-christians and the un-churched. Articles include the following titles: "Winning Over Worry," "Enrich Your Family Life," "Failure: Never Forever," "Hope: The Strength to Carry On," "Training Up Children," "Jesus Christ: God or Man?" "What a Good Church Can Do for You," "The Power of Love," "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian—without having to be religious," and many more practical, helpful and inspirational articles.
Effective Pre-evangelism:Articles that address the felt needs of readers—practical articles that apply Biblical principles for personal enrichment—are not only effective for opening closed minds, but are equally effective for pre-evangelism.
The Good News articles have a much greater chance of being read because they speak to readers' felt needs, give practical helps based on biblical principles, and also help readers progress on the Spiritual Decision Scale anywhere from minus 8 to minus 3 where they are ready to receive and read a gospel message.
This goal is achieved in the following ways:
ACTS main gospel message, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian—without having to be religious," has been used for many years in printed form and for the past decade on the Internet. This message, plus several other gospel messages, on the ACTS websites have received almost 30,000 salvation and re-commitment to Jesus Christ responses from around the world. They have come from 128 countries. Such is the power and effectiveness of the Internet and E-mail outreach when a continual sowing of the gospel is achieved.
If you wish to use the follow-up articles prepared by ACTS International to automatically follow-up all the salvation and re-commitment to Christ responses from your Good News website, a personalized "Living, Loving and Learning" follow-up site can also be personalized for Yourtown.
The follow-up website has ten key articles which include: "How to Grow," "What a Good Church Can Do for You," "Is the Bible the Word of God?" "Is Jesus Christ the Son of God," and more. Some follow-up articles of your own can also be added.
"I Hate Witnessing" audio is a condensed version of Dick Innes's seminar based on the bestseller book with the same title. It is obviously a tongue-in-cheek title and shares the latest principles for the effective communication of any message in general and the Christian message in particular. It is shared in an easy to understand manner and sprinkled with humor.
