Bothered By Evangelism

Written By: Shari Tvrdik

Language changes over time. The words my parents used to express themselves would bring a roll of the eyes from their teenage daughter.  And now, that teenage daughter is a new grandma and I’m taking note of the “old things” I catch myself saying.  

In a study by Barna released July 2020  was intrigued to discover that language like “winning souls”, “evangelism” and “convert” are considered objectionable terms related to missions by a striking percentage of practicing Christians. ages 13-35. 

You can purchase and read the entire 115 page engaging study here if you’re a data devourer like myself.  But if not, I’ll leave you the simplified short version.

The next generation of Christ followers is somewhat bothered by evangelism. 

And, that bothers me. 

But I’m trying to wrap my head around it because it matters a lot to the future of missions. 

Maybe we {missions mobilizers} did something wrong. 

Perhaps we tipped off balance somewhere. 

Missions became so closely intwined with social justice, feeding the hungry, caring for the orphan and the widow, all vital aspects of missions, but I fear in the process something important may have been lost. The Great Commission (there I go using an old term again), the part where we use our words to make disciples of Jesus, where we tell the Gospel, that part got lost. 

Somehow, somewhere along the line we misplaced the key focus of what Jesus was telling us to do. 

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” ~ Jesus

His last command was pretty heavy on the evangelism, winning souls, conversion spectrum. 

Did we forget that? 

I study missions, read books and glean all I can from those who expertly examine the subject of missions. 

Sometimes this is helpful.

Often, it makes me confused.

I have to go back….from time to time….to where it makes sense to me again. 

I go back in my minds eye to a small house in the middle of a slum district in Mongolia where a living room is full of people asking questions about Jesus.  This was our living room, where my husband and I accidentally planted a church among an unreached community. Each Saturday morning we met for breakfast and we read from the Bible starting in Genesis. It took us forever to finish the Bible because people were allowed to ask all the questions often unasked at a Sunday service. 

“Why was Lot such a jerk?” was one of the most memorable that come to mind. 

And honest questions like, “Why can’t I worship the Sun if God made it…..it’s a creation of God’s?” 

And through the years of Saturdays together in this living room, the in-between days were spent eating together, standing in the water line as a community as we waited for the water truck to deliver our sustenance, playing endless board games, heated arguments that ended in forgiveness,  and even crying on the worst of days into one another’s arms. 

We were making disciples. 

It was messy, and fragile and often exhausting but it was not that complicated. 

It’s my hope to figure out a way to convey this to the next generation of goers and senders. 

There are 2 billion unreached people left on this planet. 

The great commission is not yet complete.

Even if you’re bothered by evangelism. 

* Footnote If you’re in the Illinois area please consider signing yourself up, or inviting your student  group for our Rise + Make Disciples event coming this October learn more