Comments on: Too difficult to talk about…. http://doableevangelism.com/2006/10/26/too-difficult-to-talk-about/ What if evangelism meant just being yourself? Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:04:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Pastor David http://doableevangelism.com/2006/10/26/too-difficult-to-talk-about/comment-page-1/#comment-7760 Pastor David Mon, 30 Oct 2006 21:34:13 +0000 http://doableevangelism.com/2006/10/26/too-difficult-to-talk-about/#comment-7760 Pam, Thanks for your words of support. It is a difficult line to walk. There are, predominently, two main groups of Christians when it comes to evangelism. On the one hand, there are those who seem (at least to me) pushy and overbearing about their faith. On the other hand, there are those who think faith is entirely a private matter, and do not talk about it at all (most Lutherans fall into this camp). I think that if we want to be true to the Gospel - both to the command to bear witness to the Christ and to the command to love our neighbor - we must find some middle road. Pam,

Thanks for your words of support.

It is a difficult line to walk. There are, predominently, two main groups of Christians when it comes to evangelism. On the one hand, there are those who seem (at least to me) pushy and overbearing about their faith. On the other hand, there are those who think faith is entirely a private matter, and do not talk about it at all (most Lutherans fall into this camp).

I think that if we want to be true to the Gospel - both to the command to bear witness to the Christ and to the command to love our neighbor - we must find some middle road.

]]> By: Pam Hogeweide http://doableevangelism.com/2006/10/26/too-difficult-to-talk-about/comment-page-1/#comment-7759 Pam Hogeweide Mon, 30 Oct 2006 19:36:32 +0000 http://doableevangelism.com/2006/10/26/too-difficult-to-talk-about/#comment-7759 the other reality, too, is that whenever a man interacts with teenage girls he does not know it can be misunderstood. you did right not interupting them, and instead letting it become a learning moment in your own life. sometimes being quiet is harder and wiser than speaking up the other reality, too, is that whenever a man interacts with teenage girls he does not know it can be misunderstood. you did right not interupting them, and instead letting it become a learning moment in your own life. sometimes being quiet is harder and wiser than speaking up

]]> By: Bruce Logue http://doableevangelism.com/2006/10/26/too-difficult-to-talk-about/comment-page-1/#comment-7758 Bruce Logue Thu, 26 Oct 2006 16:16:40 +0000 http://doableevangelism.com/2006/10/26/too-difficult-to-talk-about/#comment-7758 David, I just had a conversation with a young woman about this very issue of being "pushy." She does not want anyone to force themselves on her, and neither does she want to do the reverse. Like the teens you overheard, I think she speaks for a whole generation of people who are better served by listening and waiting. Thanks for sharing this experience with us. David, I just had a conversation with a young woman about this very issue of being “pushy.” She does not want anyone to force themselves on her, and neither does she want to do the reverse.

Like the teens you overheard, I think she speaks for a whole generation of people who are better served by listening and waiting.

Thanks for sharing this experience with us.

]]> By: Pastor David http://doableevangelism.com/2006/10/26/too-difficult-to-talk-about/comment-page-1/#comment-7757 Pastor David Thu, 26 Oct 2006 16:12:14 +0000 http://doableevangelism.com/2006/10/26/too-difficult-to-talk-about/#comment-7757 Helen, Thanks for your encouragement that I followed the right course of action in this particular case. I, too, am saddened by young persons who want a deeper faith, but feel uncomfortable seeking out the sort of guidence / comfort / advice that should be being given by parents and the church. I think it is a real failing of contemporary Christians and the church that we raise children without teaching them how to talk and discuss the important issues of life. Helen,

Thanks for your encouragement that I followed the right course of action in this particular case.

I, too, am saddened by young persons who want a deeper faith, but feel uncomfortable seeking out the sort of guidence / comfort / advice that should be being given by parents and the church. I think it is a real failing of contemporary Christians and the church that we raise children without teaching them how to talk and discuss the important issues of life.

]]> By: Helen http://doableevangelism.com/2006/10/26/too-difficult-to-talk-about/comment-page-1/#comment-7756 Helen Thu, 26 Oct 2006 10:51:50 +0000 http://doableevangelism.com/2006/10/26/too-difficult-to-talk-about/#comment-7756 David, wow, you raise so many excellent points. I think you were probably right not to step in, in this case - after all, you weren't invited into their conversation. And the point was about how they have trouble talking to adults about their struggles. So having an adult 'butt in' might not have felt ok to them. Perhaps what you can do with what you overheard is think about how there may be teenagers in your own church who struggle with the same issues - and maybe you can think of a way to help them and their parents communicate better about such things. I always felt sad reading comments on discussion boards to the effect "I can't talk to my parents about this" or even "I haven't told <em>anyone else</em> about this". I always encourage people to <strong>try</strong> telling whoever they can think of that they most trust. Often it works out better than they feared. When we're afraid I think we tend to see other people too one-dimensionally. We forget that they are complex and human too and might be so happy we confided in them that they respond with kindness and grace rather than condemnation. Ironically, our fears of what they will think of us drive us into being unfair to them by prejudging their response, rather than giving them the opportunity to respond. David, wow, you raise so many excellent points.

I think you were probably right not to step in, in this case - after all, you weren’t invited into their conversation. And the point was about how they have trouble talking to adults about their struggles. So having an adult ‘butt in’ might not have felt ok to them.

Perhaps what you can do with what you overheard is think about how there may be teenagers in your own church who struggle with the same issues - and maybe you can think of a way to help them and their parents communicate better about such things.

I always felt sad reading comments on discussion boards to the effect “I can’t talk to my parents about this” or even “I haven’t told anyone else about this”. I always encourage people to try telling whoever they can think of that they most trust. Often it works out better than they feared. When we’re afraid I think we tend to see other people too one-dimensionally. We forget that they are complex and human too and might be so happy we confided in them that they respond with kindness and grace rather than condemnation.

Ironically, our fears of what they will think of us drive us into being unfair to them by prejudging their response, rather than giving them the opportunity to respond.

]]>