I m not much of a cook, so shopping for food is not one of my strong suits. I have a tendency to stand in front of an item of food, like butter, for instance, for much longer than necessary. Sometimes I pick up 3 or 4 different ones to compare ingredients and prices before choosing one. With a family, one must think about what is most healthy for everyone, and take into consideration those who might have allergies. It turns out to be a much more involved process than some might think, and not something that can be avoided for very long!
I found the same difficulty in selecting evangelism resources. There are just so many resources out there, how did I know which one was right? I ve learned that there are very specific ways to narrow down the choices based on the target audience, and thinking through the process can be extremely helpful!
• Time: If you are working with children, you ll know that their attention span isn t as long as that of adults, so you ll want to find something that will convey important truths in a short time. Teens are beginning to see things from a different perspective and will often sit for long periods of time if they find the topic interesting and relevant to their lives. Adults will politely sit for as long as you want them to, but with all of the things in their lives calling for attention, their minds will begin to plan ahead if they aren t engaged by what you re saying.
• Knowledge: Many people (children, teens, and adults) in the Western world will say they already know about God, Jesus, and salvation, but often they don t have a true understanding of a holy God and sinful mankind. It is important that we show them the clear truth, but without insulting their intelligence by telling them that they don t really understand. There are also those who don t claim to know God or the Bible. If they have no foundation, we must be careful to show them from the beginning about a holy God, the helpless sinner, the Substitute of Jesus, and the personal belief required for salvation. Taking into consideration the target audience children, teens, adults will help you plan the best approach.
• Comprehension: It is very important that you use resources and approaches that you know your target audience will comprehend. They need to understand the history of the Bible (how God has worked in the world since the beginning of time), and also how it is relevant to them today. With children, and sometimes teens, there is a definite need for repetition for their comprehension. With adults, there doesn t need to be nearly as much repetition, but there must be a clear presentation so that they will truly understand the need for salvation.
There are other considerations that should be examined besides these three. This is based mainly on those who are in the Western culture. For working with unreached people groups in different cultures, the distinction between children, teens and adults may not be the same. Whatever your target audience in whatever culture, I hope that these evaluations helped you see a clear way to sift through the confusion of all the evangelism resources at your fingertips.
Author Resource:
Aleena Denison has a heart for seeing the message of the Bible presented in a clear way,and is dedicated to sharing Jesus with the lost and helping believers see their responsibilities in evangelism,discipleship,and Bible study. For more information and free downloads, see http://www.goodseed.com
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