{"id":32702,"date":"2022-09-10T16:19:51","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:19:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/christians-say-theyre-seeking-but-not-having-evangelistic-conversations\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T16:19:51","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:19:51","slug":"christians-say-theyre-seeking-but-not-having-evangelistic-conversations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/christians-say-theyre-seeking-but-not-having-evangelistic-conversations\/","title":{"rendered":"Christians Say They\u2019re Seeking but not Having Evangelistic Conversations"},"content":{"rendered":"
Cody Doherty photo – Unsplash <\/p>\n

Christians express a desire to talk about their faith, yet few have shared with someone how to become a Christian in the past six months.<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Aaron Earls<\/em><\/p>\n

Most Christians say they\u2019re ready, willing and praying to have conversations about their faith with others, but many admit they haven\u2019t gotten around to actually having those conversations recently.<\/p>\n

An Evangelism Explosion study conducted by Lifeway Research found Christians express a willingness and desire to talk to others about their faith, yet few have shared with someone how to become a Christian in the past six months.<\/p>\n

“Now, perhaps more than ever, people are open to conversations about faith, yet this study reveals few Christians actually take the opportunity to engage in personal evangelism,” said John Sorensen, president of Evangelism Explosion (EE). “Our mission at EE is to equip followers of Jesus to have the confidence to share the gospel naturally, lovingly and intentionally with family, friends and yes, even strangers, which is why we wanted insights on the evangelistic attitudes of Christians. We imagine a world where every believer is a witness for Christ to His glory.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMany Christians say they agree sharing their faith is important,\u201d said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. \u201cBut many also need encouragement and to be shown how to share the good news about Jesus Christ with others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Evangelism actions<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In the survey of 1,100 self-identified Christian adults in the U.S., more than 9 in 10 (93%) say they\u2019re at least somewhat open to having a conversation about faith with a friend, and around 4 in 5 (81%) feel similarly about speaking about faith with a stranger. Almost 2 in 3 Christians (64%) say they have prayed at least once in the past month for the salvation of a friend or family member who is not a Christian.<\/p>\n

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In the past six months, most have spoken about their beliefs with loved ones at least once, including having a conversation about faith (53%) and sharing a story about what God has done in their lives (52%).<\/p>\n

In the past six months, few Christians say they have shared with a non-Christian loved one (38%) or a stranger (30%) how to become a Christian, according to an @EEvangelism and @LifewayResearch study. Click To Tweet <\/p>\n

However, less than half of self-identified Christians have, at least once in the past six months, shared a Bible verse or Bible story with a non-Christian loved one (46%), invited a non-Christian friend or family member to attend a church service or other program at church (43%) or shared with a non-Christian loved one how to become a Christian (38%).<\/p>\n

Far fewer Christians have taken any of those evangelistic steps with a non-Christian they did not know in the past six months: 40% have had a conversation about faith, 39% have shared a story about what God has done in their lives, 36% have shared a Bible verse or story, 34% have invited a stranger to church and 30% have shared how to become a Christian.<\/p>\n

\u201cPraying for someone to follow Christ comes more easily than talking with someone about it,\u201d said McConnell. \u201cIt isn\u2019t clear if the proverbial cat has the tongue of some Christians or if they\u2019re not connecting with non-Christians in settings where these conversations can take place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Evangelism opinions<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When Christians think about evangelism, they\u2019re thinking about showing love to the other person. Almost 2 in 3 Christians (65%) agree sharing with a nonbeliever how they can become a Christian is the most loving thing they can do for them, including 30% who strongly agree. Around a quarter (23%) disagree.<\/p>\n

More than half of self-identified Christians say they are willing (39%) and\/or eager (15%) to evangelize. Three in 10 (29%) are neutral, while 18% are reluctant and 11% are indifferent.<\/p>\n

Specifically, Christians are more prone to be proactive or reactive in their evangelistic tactics than avoiding it all together. Around 1 in 7 (14%) say they try to bring up faith in conversations with everyone, while more than a quarter (28%) look for natural opportunities to bring up faith. Close to a third of Christians (32%) say they answer faith questions if asked or comment if others bring it up. Around 1 in 5 (21%) say they won\u2019t talk about faith with most people.<\/p>\n

More than 2 in 5 Christians (42%) say sharing with a non-believer how they can become a Christian is scary, according to an @EEvangelism and @LifewayResearch study. Click To Tweet <\/p>\n

More than half of self-identified Christians in the U.S. (58%) say it is easy for them to talk about Jesus with non-Christians, including 23% who say it is very easy. A third (33%) say it is at least somewhat difficult, with 10% saying it is very difficult to share about Christ with those who are not Christians.<\/p>\n

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See also  8 Traits of the Most Evangelistic Christians<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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For some, evangelism might bring up emotions more closely associated with giving a public speech than having a conversation with a friend. More than 2 in 5 Christians (42%) say sharing with a non-believer how they can become a Christian is scary. Slightly more (46%) disagree.<\/p>\n

When asked how they believe most non-Christians feel about evangelism, Christians are split. More than 1 in 3 (37%) think most of those who are not Christians see it as pushy. Almost a quarter (22%) believe non-Christians are open to it. Similar percentages say those who aren\u2019t Christians view evangelism as worth hearing once (18%), hope-filled (17%) and worth exploring (17%). Fewer think non-Christians believe Christian evangelistic efforts are rude (14%).<\/p>\n

According to a 2021 Evangelism Explosion study conducted by Lifeway Research, 51% of Americans, including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they\u2019re curious why people are so devoted to their faith. Two in 3 (66%) also say they are at least open to having a conversation about the Christian faith with a friend.<\/p>\n

Still, in the most recent study, 52% of self-identified Christians agree that encouraging someone to change their religious beliefs is offensive and disrespectful, including 20% who strongly agree. Fewer than 2 in 5 (37%) disagree.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a bold idea to encourage someone to consider converting the center of their life to be Jesus Christ,\u201d said McConnell. \u201cFor some Christians, their love for others compels them to suggest this offensive thought. For others, this discourages them from speaking up about what they believe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Evangelism preparation<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Two in 3 (66%) Christians say they aren\u2019t familiar with any methods of telling others about Jesus, but half say they\u2019re ready to at least share the basics of how someone can start following Jesus. Around a quarter (23%) say they\u2019re ready for any opportunity to tell someone how to become a Christian, and 27% are prepared to share the basic steps. Another 1 in 5 (19%) say they know the essentials but aren\u2019t comfortable yet putting them into words. A quarter of Christians (24%) say they aren\u2019t sure what information needs to be shared or where to start.<\/p>\n

Most Christians agree it\u2019s their calling to share their beliefs but that it\u2019s their pastor\u2019s duty to equip them to do so. Seven in 10 Christians (69%) say it\u2019s every Christian\u2019s responsibility to encourage non-Christians to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior, including 35% who strongly agree. One in 5 (20%) disagree. Similarly, 68% agree it\u2019s the pastor\u2019s responsibility to equip the congregation to share the gospel, and 19% disagree.<\/p>\n

\u201cHalf of Christians aren\u2019t ready to tell someone how to become a Christian, and that likely won\u2019t change without some help.\u201d \u2014 @smcconn Click To Tweet <\/p>\n

When thinking about the specifics of being trained and equipped for evangelism, Christians have wide varieties in their preferences. Around 1 in 5 (19%) want to experience real-life faith conversations with a trainer and another 16% prefer to take a class in person. Fewer are looking for less personal or more individual activities like watching videos (14%), reading a book (12%), taking a class online (8%) or listening to audio like a podcast or audiobook (5%). Another 18% say they would never be trained in evangelism.<\/p>\n

\u201cHalf of Christians aren\u2019t ready to tell someone how to become a Christian, and that likely won\u2019t change without some help,\u201d said McConnell. \u201cMost are looking to their churches and its leaders to help prepare them for these conversations about faith.\u201d <\/p>\n

For more information, view the complete report.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Aaron Earls<\/h2>\n

@WardrobeDoor<\/p>\n

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Aaron is a writer for LifewayResearch.com.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n