Comments on: Free Advice: Don’t Offend Those You Hope to Reach

By: Sheila

Sheila — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:19:23 +0000

A good rule here is to never invite someone you mayn’t know well to speak at an outreach event. Do your research. We once invited someone we didn’t know well to fill in for our vacationing pastor. Our church was seeker sensitive but not that Sunday. Wow, we learned our lesson and never again did we have an unknown speaker at a Sunday service.

By: Adam Woeger

Adam Woeger — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 07:48:37 +0000

The Gospel is offensive to those that don’t believe in Christ. We can’t water down The Gospel, but we can use God’s Wisdom in how to best present The Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is why we need the direction of The Holy Spirit, to show us who we are to reach out to, and how we are to accomplish the work of The Gospel.

By: Mathaias

Mathaias — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 19:38:13 +0000

speaking about authenticity, I think personally that being straight and plain is the key. Thanks great post!
NB – Take a look at this story, i like the way it comes across to the reader, its plain, its simple, its truth ! – http://youthforjesus.com/2009/12/more-than-a-short-story/

By: Sean Salter

Sean Salter — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 01:45:28 +0000

How ever in all fairness, I really like where you took this thread Joshua. Really like it a lot.
Many good points, all to often I think people feel tricked when attending Church public events.
Its just the crusades thing that irritates me, but thats more of the fact that we are lied to about them and have been for so long.
Anyways, again, great thread. I like that you are encouraging us all to be authentic.

By: Sean Salter

Sean Salter — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 01:13:26 +0000

Dude, do you EVEN for ONE second know one thing about the Crusades other than what the Muslim world has LIED about and liberals have adopted as their mantra to hate Christianity?
First off lets back it up a bit. Why does this Omar guy get so many quotes and the church gets one? A tad lop sided? And why is EVERY commenter ASSUMING the Church was deceitful? Because the on muslim guy felt deceived? Do you realize that the ENTIRE religion of Islam is one big deception from Satan? Or have we all gone daft spiritually. Wake up. The very essence of Islam is to lie and deceive and the muslim is blessed when he deceive the Jew first and then The christian, so sayeth THEIR holly filth called the Koran.
Now back to the Crusades. Are you serious? You just used the crusades as an example of how that was Christians not being respectful to Muslims? Really? Where did you learn History? Because it certainly isn’t ACTUAL history.
Do you realize that Europe, yes, Almost the ENTIRE continent, Spain, Italy, Germany, England, Greece, etc. etc. etc. Had been in a WAR with Islam for 400 years PRIOR to the Crusades? yes, 400 years, In this 400 years the Muslims invaded Europe, occupied Jerusalem, so on and so forth. Musilms had conquered and occupied many parts of Italy and Spain. And were slaughtering thousands upon thousands of people, raping and pillaging along the way.
It was a war, a 400 year long war, with an evil blood lust full religion and Europe not only fought back, but after they beat those dogs out of Europe they kept marching to liberate Jerusalem, and to destroy Islam. Why? Because they understood after 400 years how dangerous and evil that religion, those people were.
yeah bad things happened, Christians aren’t always perfect, but don’t for ONE second preach to me about being respectful and then site the Crusades as an example of being a bad christian.
The Left lies, the liberals lie, and the musilms play on our desire to be loved and excepted by them, and to be seen as just and good. And they have been crying foul about the crusades for an eternity, and its all one big Lie.
Don’t believe me, do some research, real research. The real information isn’t hard to find.
There is a reason my alma matter and so many other schools have Crusaders as their mascot, because at one time the truth was known. Crusaders were holy warriors fighting an EVIL army and an EVIL people.
Sorry, I am just so sick and tired of liberal leftists poisoning our history, distorting facts, and making up lies to appease a lost people who follow a hateful and murderous religion.

By: James. Smith

James. Smith — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:50:34 +0000

This is a little off the subject but why is it that. when a great man of God like Orel Roberts goes to be with the Lord, we Christians who are supposed to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world,we say they died or “passed away”.To me this is finality and contrary to what the Lord calls falling asleep. Aren’t we Christians supposed to be a peculiar people in the world, but separated from the world. When are we the Church going to mature and stop being like the world.If I am wrong about this someone enlighten me.

By: Freedy

Freedy — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:17:11 +0000

But it does serve as an illustrative example for us. As Christians we need to pursue excellence, openness and honesty in the way we plan and market our events. Otherwise, we’ve undermined the very gospel we’re trying to share.
http://www.youthforjesus.com

By: Steven Rossi

Steven Rossi — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:29:30 +0000

It almost sounds like they convinced them to get in the door just so they could hear this Muslim-become-Christian evangelist speak. Sounds sorta deceitful, to me. To me, that’s sorta going against the Santa Claus principle: if you trick them in the small things (getting in the door), why would they believe you in the big things (that your God is the true one)?

By: bondChristian

bondChristian — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:56:17 +0000

Love those last two questions. Authenticity in church marketing, or any marketing in general, is key to building trust. Fifty year ago, we could get away with it because the word spread slower. Now it’s beyond necessary (okay, if that’s even possible).
Planning for problems is also such an important point. So often we plan for the best, which is great. But more often than not, redeeming the difficult situations is more powerful than avoiding them altogether. Of course, it’s also more difficult though.
-Marshall Jones Jr.

By: Nick the Geek

Nick the Geek — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:02:17 +0000

Great post. It’s funny how we say “I want to reach group x” but then act in a way that should be clear obviously offends the group. Like people in my church that say they want to reach the lost but then get grumpy when the lost actually show up. I even had a group in the church call my students “the freak show” and worse because they don’t look like good church kids. Interestingly a lot of them aren’t but why would they want to be part of the church when they are treated like that. I’m glad they still come after these incidents.