The Evangelism Crisis: How Evangelism is Changing

Almost every Christian leader I talk to has a passion for reaching people who don’t know Christ.

But as we’ve seen before, our culture and church attendance patterns are changing so rapidly that many of the methods we’ve used to tell people about Christ become less effective with every passing month.

If you keep using methods that worked decades ago to talk to people outside the Christian faith about Jesus, you might see some fruit. But I’m quite certain you’ll lose the vast majority of people you’re trying to influence, and I’m positive you’ll lose the vast majority of people under age 35.

In the post-Christian, post-modern age in which we live, the methods of evangelism have to change in order to keep the mission alive.

By the way, if you’re wondering what the mindset of people in a post-Christian culture is like, 15 characteristics define today’s unchurched person.

So, what’s changing in evangelism? More than you might think.

I’ll start by sharing a few ideas about why evangelism is on life support in the US Church and then dive into the important ways evangelism is shifting in our culture.

5 Reasons Evangelism Is On Life Support in the US Church

On almost every count, the church’s current efforts at evangelism are coming up short.

The question is, why? After countless conversations with lead pastors and church leaders across the US and reading widely on church and culture in our current moment, here are five plausible reasons that evangelism is on life support in the church:

5 Ways Evangelism Is Changing In a Post-Christian Culture

1. Embracing the question is as important as giving an answer

For me, evangelism used to be mostly about helping people find answers. In fact, I’ve been very anxious to get people to answers. I still am.

But, often, in the process of getting people to an answer, I would fail to really embrace or honor their question. Increasingly, that’s a massive mistake.

Almost no one likes going into a store and asking a question only to have a customer service person blow past your question or make you feel stupid. In fact, your most positive experiences have likely been those in which someone listens to your question, takes it seriously, appreciates it, and then tries to respond to it thoughtfully and helpfully.

Too often, Christian apologists rush past the question to get to an answer.

Church leaders who embrace people’s questions will be far more effective in the future than leaders who don’t.

Listen to the difference:

“So when I die, will I be in reincarnated?”

Answer #1: Christians don’t believe in reincarnation. So no, not at all. You’ll be resurrected in Christ. 

Answer #2: That’s a great question. Thanks for asking it. Actually, the Christian experience focuses on resurrection. Would you like to hear how that’s more hopeful than reincarnation? 

Which answer would you rather hear?

For post-modernists, embracing the question is as important as giving an answer. Share on X

2. Steering the conversation is better than pushing for a conclusion

One of my favorite environments at our church is Starting Point. It’s an eight-week small group experience for people who are new to Christianity, new to faith, or returning to church after an absence.

Our best Starting Point leaders are not the people with all the answers or the leaders who are always trying to ‘close the deal.’

If you have 12 people in a conversation, you’re likely to have 12 different worldviews, many of which might seem “Christian,” but in truth aren’t.

Our best Starting Point leaders are people who can steer a conversation.

They don’t freak out at people’s questions, no matter how strange they might be.

They listen without judgment.

They affirm a person’s intentions.

Our best leaders listen, don’t judge, thank people for their input, and then gently steer the conversation back toward truth.

Listening, empathizing, and then directing the conversation back toward truth will often get you much further with younger generations than slamming on the brakes and telling them they’re wrong.

Steering a conversation back toward truth is far more effective than slamming on the brakes. Share on X

3. Being open is more effective than being certain

Don’t get me wrong, Christians can be certain. Ultimately, Christians must be certain because our faith is certain. Our faith stands on a sure and certain ground.

But, when talking to post-moderns, coming across as certain is far less effective than coming across as open.

I mean, people will be able to tell that you have a depth of conviction if they spend more than a few minutes talking to you.

But leading with that conviction all the time can be counter-productive.

The person who is always certain thinks they’re being convincing when the opposite is often true. You’re less convincing because being perpetually certain makes you appear anti-intellectual, closed and a bit arrogant (see below).

If you’re open to people and their views, they’ll be more open to you. Engage with their ideas and questions on their own terms. Approach the conversation with the intent of understanding where they’re coming from.

And, who knows, you might end up learning something new.

A person who is always certain thinks they're being convincing. The opposite is true. Share on X

4. Arrogance, smugness, and superiority are dead

For too long, Christian apologetics has carried with a tone of arrogance, smugness, and superiority.

If you want to repel anyone under 40, lead with that.

Arrogance is so ingrained in many Christian cultures that Christians don’t even see it or hear it anymore.

Humility is attractive. Humility is what made Jesus so much more attractive to people than the Pharisees who lacked it.

Arrogance is only ever attractive to the arrogant.
Arrogance also a sin. So repent. Get over your smugness and superiority.

Humbly love your God, love your community, and love the people who don’t know him. God does.

Arrogance is only attractive to the arrogant. Share on X

5. The timeline is longer

I’m so Type-A, I’d love to conclude everything in about 35 seconds.

Increasingly, evangelism doesn’t work that way.

Ever notice that people who come to faith when pressured often leave it after a few years? And that, conversely, the people who come to faith on their own timeline tend to be flourishing years down the road?

Jesus said he would draw all people to himself, and he will. But he didn’t promise to do it in three minutes, or during a 90-minute service or even an eight-week class.

You need people and leaders who will take the time to go on a journey with people.

It kind of took the disciples three years to figure out who Jesus was, didn’t it? Why do you think your church’s approach to evangelism will be any different?

Don’t get me wrong, we can’t lose our sense of urgency in the mission. I feel that urgency every day. Sometimes I think I feel it more every day. But we need to give people space and we need to give the Holy Spirit space to do His work.

Give people time and space to come to faith. Apparently, God does this too.

It took the disciples 3 years to figure out who Jesus was. Why would your church's approach to evangelism be any different? Share on X

What are you seeing?

I’m not saying high-pressure evangelism never works or that God has stopped using it entirely.

I’m just saying I’m seeing it becoming increasingly less effective and that another methodology that shares the same end appears to be even more effective.