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Postmodern Evangelism

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1. The document discusses moving from a modern to postmodern approach to evangelism. It argues that postmodern evangelism focuses more on relationships, experiences, and community rather than facts, propositions, and one-way preaching. 2. Several strategies for postmodern disciple-making are outlined, including focusing on relationships over conquest, using narrative and storytelling, prioritizing belonging over believing, and taking a holistic process approach. 3. The document concludes that church leaders must move outside their offices and bubbles to connect with emerging generations, and that evangelism should be about making disciples rather than just winning souls. Loving emerging generations and having compassion for them is emphasized.

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Postmodern Personal Evangelism Brian McLaren and Dan Kimball, 21-C presentations [email_address]
Premodern Telescope Psalm 8 Reality explained in terms of far-off transcendence
Modern Microscope “ I think, therefore I am” -- Descartes Reality is observable, dissectible, and explainable
Postmodern Kaleidoscope “ an ever-changing mosaic of pieces of broken glass that is beautiful when light shines through it” Erwin McManus Reality is evolving and understood through brokenness and interrelationships
From Modern to Postmodern Modern Conquest and Control Mechanistic Analytical Secular-scientific “ Knowing God” Postmodern Conservation Organic, ecological Holistic, passionate Spiritual-scientific “ Experiencing God”
From Modern to Postmodern Modern values Excellence (tightly run worship experience) Cognitive and conceptual learning through one-way preaching Sometimes, the removal of ancient or spiritual Going to church Postmodern values Avoiding any sense of performance (relationship and chemistry trump excellence) Experiential learning through interactive teaching encounter trumps information Palette of senses Sometimes, the desire of roots, history, and supernatural The church “going”
Overlapping Waves Modernity and postmodernity are ebbing and flowing within our culture Within individuals In congregations
Used car religion? “ Given its bad press, Christianity is to postmodern people a “used car” religion. They want to “check it out” thoroughly & comparatively, asking the same tough questions we’d ask of a used car salesman.” Brian McLaren
How to sell a used car … Space and Time what God made when wanting to create beings capable of being in a relationship with himself “ you can’t hurry love”
The Best Activity involving wise use of space and time? Fishing!
“ Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:19-20
There was more than one kind of fish to catch.
“ Musht” (St. Peter’s Fish)
The Kinneret Sardine Magadala was the fishing center for sardines. Probably the “small fish” that Jesus used to feed the 4,000.
Bliny group- Barbels Gathered at south end of Galilee in spring Ate sardines In summer, nested near shore to reproduce Popular for Sabbath feasts
There was more than one kind of net to use.
Cast Net
Drag Net
Trammel Net
Today, our job in “fishing” is to look at what types of fish there are, and determine what types of nets we should use.
More than one strategy “ (1) Admonish the idlers, (2) encourage the faithful, (3) help the weak, be patient with them all.” 1 Thessalonians 5:14 #1,2. Reminding people who know better to return Circuit, Billy Graham #3. Dealing with people who have no baseline Happens through “relationship” moreso than “event”
One Net: The 3 Great Human Values The True , the Good , and the Beautiful Moderns have responded to a focus on the Truth Postmoderns will respond better to a focus on the Good and the Beautiful
Another Net: Belonging Precedes Becoming Opposite of modernity Member-first, then included Rhetoric of inclusion rather than exclusion Jesus threatened people with inclusion “ People don’t become disciples in the right order any more.” George Hunter, How to Reach Secular People, 1990
Both precede “Believing” In Alcoholics Anonymous: “ I come … “ I come to … “ I come to believe.”
7 Factors in Postmodern Disciple-Making Here are some things that allow the flourishing relational context of time and space in which people can become disciples of Jesus Christ:
1. The relational factor “ We’d better learn to count not just conversions but conversations.” Brian McLaren Seeing evangelism as a relational dance rather than a win/lose conquest Don’t press for decision now, just keep the conversation going Takes 10+ for conversion
2. The narrative factor It’s about their story (listen!) your story (share) and God’s story (proclaim) The Gospel must be presented in story form rather than a set of facts, rules, propositions, laws Bible itself has God speak to us via prophets, poets, philosophers, priests
3. The communal factor “ The greatest hermeneutic of the Gospel is a community that lives by it.” Leslie Newbigin Belonging precedes becoming precedes believing
4. The process factor Instead of: Decision-Discipleship Evangelism-Follow up Think: “disciple-making” Understand but collapse the Engel scale A holistic process Space/time Teach “how” rather than “what” to believe (McLaren: Finding Faith )
 
5. The Holy Spirit factor Believe that God is already “out there” and at work in everyone (Blackaby) There are others on the case besides you! Others in the church Not just in church but also culture God is always trying to “get in or get out” of peoples’ lives
6. The learning factor See evangelism as part of my own discipleship, not just the other person’s “ There is enough bad in the best of us and good in the worst of us that it behooves all of us to speak no ill about any of us.” Abraham Lincoln
7. The missional factor See evangelism as recruiting people for God’s mission here on earth, not just souls for heaven Gospel of John: eternal life begins now!
Conclusions Church leaders must move from inside the office to being leaders outside office walls and outside of the Christian bubble. Don’t expect or try to get emerging generations in your bubble. (And quit evaluating pastors on “office hours!”)
Conclusions Beyond “Soul-Winning?” Postmodern evangelism is not conquest. Change Language: crusade, spiritual warfare, “taking” a city, winning the lost “ not-yet-Christians?” “Normal people 2. Giving people: a relationship (conversations) space/time … … moves us toward evangelism as disciple-making.
God may not even be asking you to net emerging generations since he already has you fishing for another kind of fish.
But….
You do need to love emerging generations and have your heart broken for them – they need you.
“ As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had known on this day what would bring you peace…” - Luke 19:41
“ When He saw the crowds He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless,like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:36-38
“ What I keep coming back to, is that the alternative is unthinkable. For anybody to sit idly by and watch 1/3 or 40% of the congregation disappear, it is unconscionable ….You can’t do nothing. Whatever it is that you try, at least you will be able to stand before Christ one day and say we gave it our best shot…. We never quite figured it out, but we certainly did try!” - Bill Hybels
Postmodern Personal Evangelism Dr. John P. Chandler Courageous Churches Virginia Baptist Mission Board [email_address] Copy right John P. Chandler, 2004

More Related Content

Postmodern Evangelism

  • 1. Postmodern Personal Evangelism Brian McLaren and Dan Kimball, 21-C presentations [email_address]
  • 2. Premodern Telescope Psalm 8 Reality explained in terms of far-off transcendence
  • 3. Modern Microscope “ I think, therefore I am” -- Descartes Reality is observable, dissectible, and explainable
  • 4. Postmodern Kaleidoscope “ an ever-changing mosaic of pieces of broken glass that is beautiful when light shines through it” Erwin McManus Reality is evolving and understood through brokenness and interrelationships
  • 5. From Modern to Postmodern Modern Conquest and Control Mechanistic Analytical Secular-scientific “ Knowing God” Postmodern Conservation Organic, ecological Holistic, passionate Spiritual-scientific “ Experiencing God”
  • 6. From Modern to Postmodern Modern values Excellence (tightly run worship experience) Cognitive and conceptual learning through one-way preaching Sometimes, the removal of ancient or spiritual Going to church Postmodern values Avoiding any sense of performance (relationship and chemistry trump excellence) Experiential learning through interactive teaching encounter trumps information Palette of senses Sometimes, the desire of roots, history, and supernatural The church “going”
  • 7. Overlapping Waves Modernity and postmodernity are ebbing and flowing within our culture Within individuals In congregations
  • 8. Used car religion? “ Given its bad press, Christianity is to postmodern people a “used car” religion. They want to “check it out” thoroughly & comparatively, asking the same tough questions we’d ask of a used car salesman.” Brian McLaren
  • 9. How to sell a used car … Space and Time what God made when wanting to create beings capable of being in a relationship with himself “ you can’t hurry love”
  • 10. The Best Activity involving wise use of space and time? Fishing!
  • 11. “ Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:19-20
  • 12. There was more than one kind of fish to catch.
  • 13. “ Musht” (St. Peter’s Fish)
  • 14. The Kinneret Sardine Magadala was the fishing center for sardines. Probably the “small fish” that Jesus used to feed the 4,000.
  • 15. Bliny group- Barbels Gathered at south end of Galilee in spring Ate sardines In summer, nested near shore to reproduce Popular for Sabbath feasts
  • 16. There was more than one kind of net to use.
  • 20. Today, our job in “fishing” is to look at what types of fish there are, and determine what types of nets we should use.
  • 21. More than one strategy “ (1) Admonish the idlers, (2) encourage the faithful, (3) help the weak, be patient with them all.” 1 Thessalonians 5:14 #1,2. Reminding people who know better to return Circuit, Billy Graham #3. Dealing with people who have no baseline Happens through “relationship” moreso than “event”
  • 22. One Net: The 3 Great Human Values The True , the Good , and the Beautiful Moderns have responded to a focus on the Truth Postmoderns will respond better to a focus on the Good and the Beautiful
  • 23. Another Net: Belonging Precedes Becoming Opposite of modernity Member-first, then included Rhetoric of inclusion rather than exclusion Jesus threatened people with inclusion “ People don’t become disciples in the right order any more.” George Hunter, How to Reach Secular People, 1990
  • 24. Both precede “Believing” In Alcoholics Anonymous: “ I come … “ I come to … “ I come to believe.”
  • 25. 7 Factors in Postmodern Disciple-Making Here are some things that allow the flourishing relational context of time and space in which people can become disciples of Jesus Christ:
  • 26. 1. The relational factor “ We’d better learn to count not just conversions but conversations.” Brian McLaren Seeing evangelism as a relational dance rather than a win/lose conquest Don’t press for decision now, just keep the conversation going Takes 10+ for conversion
  • 27. 2. The narrative factor It’s about their story (listen!) your story (share) and God’s story (proclaim) The Gospel must be presented in story form rather than a set of facts, rules, propositions, laws Bible itself has God speak to us via prophets, poets, philosophers, priests
  • 28. 3. The communal factor “ The greatest hermeneutic of the Gospel is a community that lives by it.” Leslie Newbigin Belonging precedes becoming precedes believing
  • 29. 4. The process factor Instead of: Decision-Discipleship Evangelism-Follow up Think: “disciple-making” Understand but collapse the Engel scale A holistic process Space/time Teach “how” rather than “what” to believe (McLaren: Finding Faith )
  • 30.  
  • 31. 5. The Holy Spirit factor Believe that God is already “out there” and at work in everyone (Blackaby) There are others on the case besides you! Others in the church Not just in church but also culture God is always trying to “get in or get out” of peoples’ lives
  • 32. 6. The learning factor See evangelism as part of my own discipleship, not just the other person’s “ There is enough bad in the best of us and good in the worst of us that it behooves all of us to speak no ill about any of us.” Abraham Lincoln
  • 33. 7. The missional factor See evangelism as recruiting people for God’s mission here on earth, not just souls for heaven Gospel of John: eternal life begins now!
  • 34. Conclusions Church leaders must move from inside the office to being leaders outside office walls and outside of the Christian bubble. Don’t expect or try to get emerging generations in your bubble. (And quit evaluating pastors on “office hours!”)
  • 35. Conclusions Beyond “Soul-Winning?” Postmodern evangelism is not conquest. Change Language: crusade, spiritual warfare, “taking” a city, winning the lost “ not-yet-Christians?” “Normal people 2. Giving people: a relationship (conversations) space/time … … moves us toward evangelism as disciple-making.
  • 36. God may not even be asking you to net emerging generations since he already has you fishing for another kind of fish.
  • 38. You do need to love emerging generations and have your heart broken for them – they need you.
  • 39. “ As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had known on this day what would bring you peace…” - Luke 19:41
  • 40. “ When He saw the crowds He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless,like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:36-38
  • 41. “ What I keep coming back to, is that the alternative is unthinkable. For anybody to sit idly by and watch 1/3 or 40% of the congregation disappear, it is unconscionable ….You can’t do nothing. Whatever it is that you try, at least you will be able to stand before Christ one day and say we gave it our best shot…. We never quite figured it out, but we certainly did try!” - Bill Hybels
  • 42. Postmodern Personal Evangelism Dr. John P. Chandler Courageous Churches Virginia Baptist Mission Board [email_address] Copy right John P. Chandler, 2004