• Evangelism
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• Outreach
,
• Gospel
,
• Christian
,
• Communication

Starting points for evangelism that few seem to use
Mary and I had three days in London last week, as a lovely Christmas gift from our grownup children. Thanks guys! Included were tickets to Oliver! the musical, of which more below. First though, we went to the Babylon exhibition in the British Museum, where among the exhibits were the beautiful blue glazed bricks from the Ishtar Gate and processional way. The original has been reconstructed at the Pergamum Museum in Berlin (which also houses the reconstructed market gate from Miletus and the temple from Pergamum. Daniel would doubtless have walked or ridden through the Ishtar Gate many times. Oliver! (based on Dickens’ Oliver Twist novel) starred Rowan Atkinson, and was a great experience. I was reminded yet again that most stories are based on the archetypal ‘hero’s journey’ and contain echoes from eternity – the universal themes of searching, finding, sacrifice and redemption, which reflect elements of The Story – God’s plan and purpose for us.
http://internetevangelismday.com/blog/archives/138

Shame culture: evangelism in cultures where public shame matters
I have discovered that one of the most difficult aspects of evangelizing Muslims is getting them to appreciate their need for a savior. I have found the Islamic doctrine of God and Man to be such that Muslims tend to be unaware of their sinfulness and inability to save themselves.1 As a result, convincing a Muslim to embrace Jesus as the blood sacrifice for his sins usually requires considerable time and pre-evangelistic effort.
http://internetevangelismday.com/shame-cultures.php

Oral versus Book: communicating with oral communication cultures online for Christian evangelism
The enormous growth in Web access in the non-western world gives us a powerful means of sharing the good news in the 10-40 Window and beyond. It is important to realize that many of these nations and people groups have ‘oral communication cultures’. They do not process information in the same way that you may – who probably had the opportunity of many years of education and are part of an educated ‘book culture’.
http://internetevangelismday.com/oral-communication.php

Find and use Christian parallel, parable, metaphor meanings in film, music, book or popular culture
Popular culture provides a huge bridge for us to use. How do many people spend much of their leisure time? They watch TV or movies, read books, and listen to music. Even though it may never have been the intention of the writer or director, there are often eternal truths and parallels just waiting for us to point at. Indeed, we should normally expect to find such echoes in the yearnings of writers.
http://internetevangelismday.com/parallel.php

Redemptive analogies - a key to meaningful communication of the Christian gospel
Don Richardson defined the concept of redemptive analogy in his books Peace Child and Eternity in Their Hearts. He explained how, embedded in a culture, there is usually some practice or understanding which can be used to demonstrate the Gospel. Findings these sometimes unexpected keys has been called a gorilla moment.
http://internetevangelismday.com/redemptive-parallel.php

Relating to the culture: effective Christian communication must relate to surrounding culture
There are right and wrong ways of relating to the culture around us. “Draw three large boats in relation to the sea: the first a submarine under the sea, the second a hovercraft above the sea, and the third a ship cutting through the sea. Imagine the sea is the culture that surrounds us and that the three boats represent three relationships Christians can have with culture. There are those who are submerged in it, those who hover above it, and those that are in it but not of it. Which boat most represents your relationship to the culture that surrounds you?”
http://internetevangelismday.com/relating-culture.php

Digital communication culture
Computers and digital media are changing the world. We need to be like the men of Issachar, “.. who understood the times and knew what Israel should do...” – 1 Chronicles 12:32. There are now over 2 billion users around the world, and the majority of them are in non-Western nations, especially the hard-to-reach ‘10-40 Window’ region. Many people look to the Internet as their first port of call for help and information on virtually anything.
http://internetevangelismday.com/digital-communication-culture.php

Best books for Christians explaining the Web and digital communication culture
The books in this section explain the nature of the Web and digital communication, and are highly recommended.
http://internetevangelismday.com/bookreviews/best-internet-books.php

Book review: Damaris study guides
Damaris are a leading Christian ‘culture-watch’ group who help Christians and non-Christians understand developments in contemporary culture. Their resources also include material for teachers and youth-workers, books and evangelistic CDs.
http://internetevangelismday.com/bookreviews/damaris.php

Facing the Challenge: free study courses for Christians on engaging with the world around us
These acclaimed group-study courses are available as free downloads, or by post. Although intended for group study and discussion, you can also use them for personal study. The course ‘Facing the Challenge of our Times’ is thoroughly biblical in outlook and demonstrates how we are mandated to relate to the culture around us. Other courses cover TV, other faiths, and relating to a hostile world.
http://internetevangelismday.com/bookreviews/facing-the-challenge.php