Clear The Bench
By Randy Siever
(This article was published first at The Porpoise Diving Life, and most recently at The Next Wave.)
I’m not what anyone would have called a gifted athlete in high school. I played football and I was on the wrestling team, but I was only average on my best day. Most of my coaches made me feel inadequate, stupid, or invisible. They were, as is usually the case, former natural athletes who loved their respective sports. They could recognize the gifted athlete, and rewarded them with starting time and admiration, and most of their coaching time. Those kids were the producers, the ones who made us champions.
The worst coaches in the world are those who used to be natural, gifted athletes. They can’t tell you how to throw a curve ball, but they can still show you by throwing one. They never had to think about what they did, they just did it. Therefore, they have no idea how to explain to us ordinary people how we can make the ball move that way. Just do it. The naturally gifted athlete responds well to such admonitions. The average, ordinary athlete simply stands to the side, or sits on the bench.
This happens in the Christian world as well, particularly when the game is evangelism.
Barbara is one of those ordinary Christians at my church. She is probably in her late sixties and has followed Jesus most of her life. She is what a saint should look like, is energetic and friendly and kind to others. She has also felt like a total failure in this part of her relationship with Jesus over the past 40 years. Evangelism was something she just felt was impossible for her, and she felt guilty and like she had failed Jesus because of it. “I’m just no good at speaking.”
Dave is a 50-something grocery store manager. He’s not very articulate, but he’s very passionate about his faith in Christ and really wants others to know Him, too. Dave has only been following Jesus for a few years, but he has read enough and heard enough to know that he’s supposed to help others find Jesus. He just wasn’t very good at presenting information, and he had to be careful on the job about “selling Jesus”. He had tried a few methods, but was very anxious and frustrated by them all. He basically ended up sitting on the bench when it came to evangelism.
Barbara and Dave are ordinary Christians who make up about 85-90 percent of any given church population. They are not particularly gifted, or naturally talented when it comes to the practice of evangelism. They know they’re supposed to share their faith, they love Jesus and they serve and study their bible and pray and tithe and do everything else they’re supposed to do. But they have felt like miserable failures when it comes to reaching out to those far from God.
Usually, those of us who are gifted evangelists are asked to train people to evangelize. We are the gifted ones, the star players who lead others to Christ as naturally as we eat and breathe. It isn’t hard, really. It’s fun, challenging and unbelievably rewarding. Most of us simply can’t imagine why everyone else isn’t doing what we do (for many years I actually thought everyone who knew Jesus DID lead people to Him regularly).
We’re also the worst possible candidates to coach others on how to reach out to their friends. We really don’t know how it happens for us, mechanically speaking, and when we try to explain it, we make it so complicated and difficult that most people just give up. Memorize your story, His story, the Bridge Illustration, the Romans Road, the Four Spiritual Laws, the ten objections (and their corresponding refutations), “do versus done”, and how to steer any conversation toward spiritual things. Oh…and don’t forget to BBQ first.
The problem is that despite all this (and spending quite literally billions of dollars on training and materials over the past 50 years) we have not successfully gotten 85-90 percent of our team onto the field. Now, if we believed that we could actually “win” with ten percent of our team, we’d probably suggest that the others sit quietly, watch and write checks so that those of us who are called to go can be served by those who are called to send. (Sound familiar?)
If we can agree that it is the duty and privilege of EVERY follower of Christ to help connect others to Jesus, how can we begin to engage the ordinary, non-evangelistically gifted Christian in the game? And what would happen if as little as half of that 90 percent actually got into the game in some significant way? Can you even begin to imagine?
We dream about that all the time at Off The Map. We’re committed to helping people see and think about evangelism as a spiritual practice (like reading your bible or praying) rather than a program (like a diet…which you dump two weeks after you start). We want people to practice what we call ordinary attempts at connecting with others. Simple, doable practices that most people are already doing, but now they will do intentionally. Some of them don’t even require speaking. It’s doable evangelism.
The power of ordinary is that it can be done by anyone, not just the gifted or naturally talented. The power of ordinary Christians is that they represent 90 percent of our workforce. We (not Jesus) have made evangelism the realm of the gifted few, the naturals. We (not Jesus) have made it so hard and complicated that the ordinary Christian just can’t do it. And then we (not Jesus) make these ordinary Christians feel guilty for their neglect and feeling like failures in this part of their relationship with Christ.
It doesn’t have to be more of the same. We can turn this thing around. Lower the bar. Let everyone play. Celebrate the ordinary attempts, and the small stuff. Let’s get ordinary, everyday Christians onto the field.
It’s time to clear the bench.
March 2nd, 2008 · 9 Comments
Categories: DE Thoughts
Jim said
am March 3 2008 @ 1:52 am
wow
Where do I sign up
Mike said
am March 3 2008 @ 8:47 am
in truth those of us who are on the team professionally, actually feel inadequate ourselves most of the time and thus not truly inspired or empowered to help or coach others very well….
this is a powerful blog-how can i get my team off the bench?!
Harold Darling said
am March 3 2008 @ 9:45 am
I’m not sure Jesus went around getting “followers” . However he got followers by his actions; healing, a kind word, and a loving arm around the shoulder. I’m sure I don’t want in the classic evangelism game.
Brian La Croix said
am March 3 2008 @ 10:37 am
Harold, here are two examples (there are others):
“Come follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:21)
Randy, love the article. I’m one of those to whom evangelism comes easy, and I’ve taught many people how to “do” evangelism. For me the biggest issue is how to communicate a passion for lost people. And since most don’t have that passion, teaching methods (for better or worse) falls flat.
Brian
Randy said
am March 3 2008 @ 12:48 pm
Mike…thanks for your honesty. And you’re totally correct; a LOT of professional Christians are in that 90% category of “ordinary” (the non-natural, non-evangelistically-gifted category). Jim Henderson is one of those, by the way…which is why these ideas we’re working through here even exist. Read his story in “Evangelism Without Additives” (formerly titled, “AKA:Lost”). I think you’ll find a lot of encouragement there, as well as the basic principles of Doable Evangelism. You can order it directly from our store (icon above on right).
We think DE is one very good and practical way to move people off the bench, and we offer several ways to “infect” churches with this new paradigm for evangelism: The DE Seminar, the DE Course Consult, and the book Evangelism Without Additives (which has some discussion questions at the end of the book that a small group could use). Information on the Seminar (what it takes to host one) is here on links above, as is information on the DE Course Consult. Find a DE Seminar near you (calendar has those listed) and bring some folks from your church. Email me. Call me. We want to help.
Harold…You’re right (if I’m understanding your concern correctly). Jesus didn’t go around “getting followers”, if by that you mean that his primary mission was recruiting people. He did, of course, recruit twelve guys to help start the movement (as Brian points out), but from that point on it seems he just sort of attracted a lot of people to himself (despite his disciples antics at times). Generally Jesus was about getting people to hook up with the Kingdom of God…of which he was the King. And given his comments in Matt. 28 regarding what’s next, it looks like we’re supposed to be about making converts of all people and nations, right? (Oh yeah…it’s DISCIPLES, not just converts…how sad that we’ve reduced it this way). Anyway, Jesus seems very interested in people becoming his disciples…which is a word I often translate as “follower of Jesus” for the sake of clarity in our culture. But for the record, that’s what I mean. Hope I “got” your concern and addressed it.
Brian…Thank you so much for your comment as well. Yes, passion is hard to spread, particularly when it comes to evangelism. I know there are Christians who simply don’t care about those who are not yet, and honestly I don’t know how to change their minds about that except to ask them why this is so (and perhaps if they know anyone who is not a disciple of Jesus who matters to them at all). Heaven and Hell aside, I cannot fathom someone loving Jesus and not being concerned about SOMEONE who they know and care about not experiencing life as it was designed to be lived (that whole “abundant life” gig Jesus was about). I don’t hold out much hope for the isolationists among us, frankly.
But most people who love Jesus are not so much disinterested in those who are far from God as they are disinterested in the programs and methods we’ve sold as the way to reach them. Doable Evangelism is a great way to connect their sense of desire to participate with what God is doing in the lives of others with what God is already doing in THEIR OWN LIFE. I mean, if evangelism can be about what we’re already doing, then it’s pretty hard to say no to it!
Ken said
am March 3 2008 @ 7:44 pm
Brian,
It has been my experience that you cannot teach passion. There are charismatic speakers out there who can really get people emotionally fired up, but the fire dies almost as soon as they exit the doors.
By far the best way to open the way for the Holy Spirit to stir passion in a person is to disciple that person by leading. Take them with you to a soup kitchen, to a homless drop-in location, on a short term mission trip where there is true dire need, etc. Let them get their ’spiritual hands’ dirty (and sometimes physical hands). People need to get out of the classrooms and into the real mission field – that is where passion is born. Even if they can’t swim yet, get them wading.
In John 13 we see the King washing the feet of His subjects. Then He asks; “Do you understand what I have just done for you?” He does a little further teaching and then says; “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” Knowing doesn’t get it. It is in the doing that the blessing is realized.
That’s what I appreciate about DOable Evangelism – it’s a DO concept as opposed to a know concept. Even OAs begin to stir passion, because people suddenly find themselves involved with God in the process of expanding His Kingdom instead of just knowing more stuff.
Randy said
am March 3 2008 @ 9:11 pm
That was WAY better than what I said. Thanks, Ken.
OA’s actually change US. People who we didn’t even notice suddenly matter to us in ways we can’t explain. And when people matter to us, well…things happen.
David said
am March 4 2008 @ 1:48 am
Thanks Randy, the one day event was a real motivation to me to let my people know of my own struggles and to let them know we are all in this together. I dont have the gift of Evangelism, yet as a Pastor for over 30 years I have felt guilty for not being a killer soul winner. I am excited about teaching the Do-able evangelism to our church! Every one of you who do not have the Gift of Evangelism (90%) should get to this conference.
Thanks Randy and Jim!
Dave
PS I really enjoyed the Interview with the young lady, it was an eye opener!
Randy said
am March 4 2008 @ 2:00 am
Thanks, Dave. Glad you experienced some relief from EFD (inside joke). And thanks for the pitch. I hope you inspire your church to be really ordinary!