It used to be that a copy of the Four Spiritual Laws, the Bridge Illustration, and a Bible with passages such as John 3:16 underlined in red were the prime tools of an evangelist.

But research undertaken by Campus Crusade for Christ in the United States shows that the old methods are generally not working among today's young people.

NZ Christian Network National Director Glyn Carpenter says the report is pinpointing issues especially relevant to New Zealand.

It contains such quotes as:

‘Unbelievers are telling us that there is a disconnect between our efforts to convey the good news about Jesus and their willingness to listen to us tell that message.

‘We found in a world where savvy collegians filter most incoming information, our presentational approaches have become the unwanted "pop-up ads" on the computer screen of their lives.

‘Of the believers we interviewed, 95% made a decision for Christ through the direct influence of a trusted friend. Natural mode evangelism was by far the single biggest contributing factor.

‘"I stopped using the Bridge Illustration. I felt it was less effective in communicating the heart of the gospel to the heart of people. Our audience has taken three steps away from my starting point. This is a difficult culture to minister in ... the majority of the culture is turned off." ' Ralph Ennis, Navigators

Mr Carpenter noted that the founder of Campus Crusade, Dr Bill Bright, once said, ‘The majority of non-believers throughout the world are ready to receive Christ when properly approached with a clear and simple presentation of the Gospel by a spirit-filled witness.'

What if this is no longer true in our context?

Glyn Carpenter said NZ Christian Network is always thankful when network members send us links to research which has some relevance to evangelism and mission strategies.

The full article can be accessed at www.changingevangelism.org

7 Comments

1. WhitneyPaulette makes this comment

   Thursday 2 February, 2012

   freelance writer

2. plagiarism check makes this comment

   Sunday 23 October, 2011

   I constantly show only original papers and I do know that for sure just because I utilize plagiarism detection.

3. Geoff makes this comment

   Tuesday 28 September, 2010

   I agree that there are changing times for evangelism. I am sure that everyone will agree that the gospel doesn't change but the way we communicate it does. I want to take this opportunity to invite viewers to consider the potention of Website Evangelism. Our mission statement is "Casting the Gospel net over the Internet". What do we do? We build websites on topics the lost are actually interested in and put links on those sites to gospel presentations... seen next post...

4. Ian Mc Innes makes this comment

   Wednesday 18 August, 2010

   It's not just a heartless, hand in the air, sign up to a churches proclamation which then becomes little more than joining in a cliquey club & doing everything that club's way until one gets sick of that club & those "so trying" to 'someome from somewhere in their little or big club' & moves to another or just gives up. It's about genuinely caring for, being there for & reaching out to people in a prayerful manner which both helps break up the spiritual & actual fellow ground that without that occuring no one really gets reached. Oh yes many have 'emotional experiences or similar' but don't go on to follow & live as Jesus shows is the 'better' way.. & God has to get on doing his own work without so many people obeying & buying in to the Great Commission even though the 'evangelism department' in most churches believes they are "on to it, it's business as usual as the world looks on watching the greatest man made titantic continue to "sing" & sink!!"

5. Ian Mc Innes makes this comment

   Tuesday 17 August, 2010

   If love is spelt "time" & if we are known by our love so many that have run for cover have realised that all the christinaise posturing amounts to little more than just as Jesus said to the pharisees 'you compass the earth to make a disciple & then turn them in to 10 times the son of hell that they were'. Why did Jesus say this ? Think about it. It's not meant to be about 'us' - the church making notches in its belt, that's how most traditional evangelism methods are seen.. an in drag to a building not a loving, caring person influencing another to find their soul's deepest need & see that met.

6. Ian Mc Innes makes this comment

   Tuesday 17 August, 2010

   The church grew by new converts coming to 5000 people within the next 3 years - proof in itself that even that church has now forgotten about about how to grow a church & returned to the so unsuccessful status quo's which, that's usually all about me stuff, rather than the Great Commission which is about in fact serving Jesus well. Have you noted that as many people come to Christ (5% by the church doing nothing as by all usual means of evangelism combined, door knock, witnessing, seeker services etc). It has been long known that 80%+ of people find Jesus due to a genuine, caring, praying christian friend being close enough to influence them, often in a time of need when that person may even ask for aid rather than need to be preached "at" which causes most to run for cover.

7. Ian Mc Innes makes this comment

   Tuesday 17 August, 2010

   This is why when working for the LIFE church in Auckland, when it peaked after 10 years at 2000 people around 1999/20-00 - noting most that came to belong to that church had once fellowshipped elsewhere but given up on going to church. So a process, a process, not a program was instituted called Winning One under Ken Youngson's direction & my theological background (it being based on 20 years of research on what actually does in fact draw people to Jesus & how to get a church to buy in to that) which I then re-framed to be called Friends (1+1=2+). It's results are self evident! The church grew by new converts coming to 5000 people within the next 3 years If you want to look at Friends (1+1=2+) for your church it's free, like gospel is supposed to be, it's adaptable to your situation and available by email but without sitting down & talking it through you'll probably end up no better off. Ian Mc Innes mcinnes@maxnet.co.nz 0272805176 P O Box 33217 Takapuna )740