Issue #34
Serve! Spotlight
Ask Dr. Savant
Billy Bob's Movie Reviews
Deep Thoughts
Alert! This is Important! Don't Forget to Read It!
Practical Insights
Servant Evangelism: Advice From a Pro
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More question and comments about this article? Send a comment to the Editor and let us know! We may print it in the next issue in "The Mail Room" section.
| Why Servant Evangelism Is Not A Gimmick! | |
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I was recently cornered by a friend that comes from a more traditional church background and he had a great big dull ax on his shoulder and it seemed he was intent on using my freshly shaved head as a grinding wheel. "When are you going to give up on this kindness nonsense and go out and preach the gospel as you should? The church needs to hold the line and make sure we hold people accountable for how we have all fallen short of the Glory of God?" I started laughing. "Gospel. . .good news. . .hey God thinks you suck, and he wanted me. . .he wanted me to tell you you can just. . .go to hell if you don't agree with him. Nice evangelism model, Christopher. Can you show me that one in the Bible?" I could barely sputter out the response in between the burst of laughter. Then I looked up and my jaw dropped as I realized he was completely serious and that some of my recent articles had really offended his notions of evangelism. It occurred to me that I may have been about to lose a friend. . .I wasn't laughing anymore. I bought him one of those expensive concoctions at Starbucks, and sat down and just listened. It seemed that Christopher's main complaint is that servant evangelism has become more about the gimmicks--the shtick--than about the message. I thought about that as he talked and began to see how sometimes our Outflow models and suggestions can have the wrong impact on our audience. Christopher is a smart guy and very compassionate. Even though he is from a more conservative church background he is progressive as a church leader and he truly has a heart for the lost. As he poured out his complaint across the table from me, I could see the hurt in his eyes. It occurred to me that sometimes in our exuberance about why kindness is so crucial to communicating grace we can come across as pedantic nits. Let me tell you something. I could not withstand longer than ten minutes of a theological discussion with him because he is very learned. I am an idiot that still thinks the Duct Tape Bible is good enough. He is quite the scholar. He is very slow to speak and when he does have something to say, there is usually profound wisdom to be found and you can tell he has weighed his words with agonizing care. As I listened to his concerns, I did not take him lightly. He has been on a number of outreaches with me and I began to see the kindness exchanges from his perspective and I have to admit it gave me chills: "Ken, Jesus and the message of the cross is not a Mentos commercial. You can't give somebody a little mint and think you have transformed them or their situation." --To be continued next month in the upcoming article: "Making A Lasting Impression" --  Ken Glassmeyer is the Editor of Serve! Magazine. He has been doing SE outreach in the midwest for over twenty years. Ken is the author of a number of PDF guides available at Kindness Resources including the latest: "Tactical Kindness." You can contact Kindness Resources LLC for more information on having him come to your church to coach, speak or consult. To learn more about Ken, visit his site: SERVACITY | |
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