God Conversations
Doug Pollock in Christchurch 2015
The workshop a couple of weekends ago was fantastic. Thanks to the churches who sponsored it and hosted it. Here are some notes from the day to whet your appetite to get the book, or the DVD series coming out next year.
Success is conversations, not just conversions. Every conversation helping advance someone towards Jesus is important. Conversations can help people move from being resistant, to apathetic, to curious, to seeking and then to making a decision. (This is similar to the ‘Every twist of the tight lid of a jar helps’ analogy.)
Churches need a game plan that works: ‘Go to them’ needs to replace the ‘Come to us’ that mostly hasn’t been working as 90% of NZ aren’t going to church. We need a balance of gospel demonstration and conversation. Demonstration enables conversation but can't get people saved – words are needed.
We need to have Jesus’ heart, eyes, hands, ears and mouth.
Radical acceptance without endorsement
Noticing enables caring (cf Acts 17:22).
Check out www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfeXxkbgCVE This is a great clip to challenge Christians to see with Jesus' eyes.
Good deeds create good will which helps to open hearts to the good news.
Listen with the intent to understand, not with the intent to reply.
Ask questions from what people are talking about to help them find how God’s story intersects with their story.
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks…but do this with gentleness and respect (1 Pet 3:15). Live in such a way that people ask.
Share our stories clearly, succinctly, without jargon or superiority.
Don’t expect people to get ‘married’ to Jesus on the 'first date'.
