How can Elim churches be really good news to those people on a journey?
Celebrate with people while you’re waiting for their ‘yes’
INTRO by Mark Greenwood
Has anyone ever said to you, “Do you want the good news or the bad news?” Just out of interest, which one do you choose?
I wanted to contribute to this series as I really do believe we have some really good news to share that will transform lives. One of my friends often says we are good news people living in a bad news world – I believe it, as I know you do too.
The thing is, we often imagine that those around us think that Christianity is bad news – that they don’t want anything to do with it – but sometimes maybe they are just saying, ‘Not Yet’. I think it is really important that if we are going to be ‘Really Good News people’, we need to be that with those who are ‘Big Yes’, ‘Little Yes’ and ‘Healthy Maybe’ people. Let me explain...
Big Yes is about creating spaces and places for people to say the Big Yes to God – to give their lives to Jesus.
Little Yes is about creating spaces and places for people to make an intentional decision to find out more – to investigate and explore.
Healthy Maybe is about creating spaces and places where people can become open-minded about Christianity.
The recent ‘Talking Jesus’ research revealed that one in three people, after a conversation with a Christian they know, are interested in having an encounter with Jesus or exploring him. This really is good news. Imagine that – one in three people you know could be up for talking about Jesus – going on a journey or simply becoming open-minded.
This could be friends, family or the people you are connecting with through community engagement. It could even be a complete stranger at the bus stop.
The interesting thing is that five years previously when the research was carried out, the statistic was then one in five people. There is definitely a greater appetite among the people you know to go on a journey to think about Jesus.
What the research data shows, I would say, is what I have observed and heard in lots of Elim churches and across the broader body of Christ. More people are coming to church on Sundays who aren’t Christians than we have seen for a long time, and guess what, events are really helping people on that journey of faith. So go for t he curry nights and quiz nights, the Alphas and the Christianity Explored, the guest services and the barbecues.
To help you understand the journey of faith more, I have written a book called ‘Big Yes, Little Yes, Healthy Maybe: a new framework for evangelism’. It’s got lots of really helpful tips for all sorts of evangelism. There is also a study guide which can be used for small groups. You can buy it at revmarkgreenwood.com/shop.
There is also a book called ‘Is it possible?’ for Healthy Maybe people – to help people become open-minded. T here is a book called ‘Look Closer’ for Little Yes people, to help them explore and investigate the gospel, and there is also a book called ‘The Journey’ for Big Yes people, or people very close to saying yes to God.
You can also download the YouVersion Bible app where you can access my five-day devotional plan to help you journey with people. You can sign up to Right Now Media and access my teaching films on the subject.
We can join people on the journey of faith and see them move along the journey. And that is really good news. We need to celebrate the movement they have made and not be frustrated that they haven’t yet said the Big Yes to God.
OUTRO
If you head over to elim.org.uk/evangelismcourses you can find a bunch of resources there which will help you embed journey into your evangelism. How can you begin to create a healthy culture of evangelism in your church that helps you to connect community engagement, friendship evangelism and strategic outreach? Why not get in touch and we can chat it through?
This article first appeared in Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.
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