She has an angelic face, but we call her the feral bobcat. My granddaughter Haven is a very opinionated, outgoing little two-year-old. Fearless. Bossy. Never met a stranger. The only time I can get her tiny little body to sit still is when I am reading her book after book in endless succession. That book thing must be in the genes!
Haven’s outgoing personality can be a little intense for more introverted kids. She will approach other toddlers on the playground, saying things like, “You be my friend. Come here, friend. I be your friend, etc.”
She will follow them around, almost demanding they play with her because it doesn’t make any sense to her that they wouldn’t want to play. Doesn’t everyone want to play? Some of them see that she has a toy they don’t have or that she is having fun, and they finally do play with her. But some of them just aren’t ready for it. They need time to warm up to her first. It’s kind of amusing to watch them try to escape to the other side of the playground.
I’ve seen some Christians have that same kind of style in sharing the gospel.
They chase people down on the street and demand that people listen to them. They don’t understand why anyone wouldn’t want to be a Christian. Doesn’t everyone want to go to heaven? Some people do respond to that invitation. But there are some others who are turned off by it. They need more time to warm up to the gospel. It’s kind of sad to watch them try to escape to the other side of the playground.
I don’t have anything against tracts or talking to strangers, but to some people, that type of interaction can be a big turn-off. How do we reach them without being too intense? How do we engage them in conversation without being offensive?
I recently came across some interesting research about methods of sharing the gospel and how it impacts different generations of people. The baby boomers and Gen X generations have a much higher percentage of people who identify as Christians. But there is another interesting slant on that….The research also showed that the Millennial and Gen Z generations are actually having more conversations about spiritual things, even though fewer of them identify as Christians. 1
What this means is that the younger generation values a discussion over a sermon. They are much more likely to be open to the gospel if they are first allowed to share what it is that they themselves believe. They value diversity and inclusion, so most of them enjoy talking about beliefs in a more natural setting that isn’t forced upon them. Faith conversations that arise naturally from an interaction or situation are much more welcomed and accepted. 1
I’m a Gen X who barely missed the baby boomer generation. Because I work at a pregnancy center that is a faith-based ministry, I have faith conversations with younger people almost every day. I’ve learned a lot from them. (Some things I really didn’t want to know… Lol!) But I do know that I don’t want them running to the other side of the playground when I mention Jesus.
I want to engage them in conversation first and let them have time to warm up to me. I want to listen to what they have to say. I want them to be drawn to me because I have something they don’t.
I want them to see that I am having fun. And then, maybe…
Just maybe…they’ll come over to play.
Reflect:
If someone from a different faith, such as the Muslim or Hindu faith, were to approach you in order to proselytize you, would it be a turn-off to you? Could you have a friendly faith conversation with them, allowing them equal time to talk?
What are some creative ways to share the gospel or to spark interest in others to cause them to want to hear more about your faith?
Make sure you are ready and able to give a testimony of your own coming to faith, keeping it short, such as a couple minutes long. Nobody can dispute what your personal experience has been.
[1] Barna Group and Alpha USA (2019). Reviving Evangelism, 12.
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